Bill mentions FGMO and the feud that resulted in the creation of Bee Source.
I wasn't sure anyone on this list other than Allen was around for FGMO and Mentholated Cough Drops.
Bill is referring to a bunch of Bee-L members who decided that they knew how to control mites, cheaply.
It started with Mentholated cough drops, and they argued over how many cough drops should be used per colony. I did the calculations on the amount of active ingredient in a cough drop and determined that 50 gm packets of active ingredient (the recommended dose for mite control) would require filling a honey super full of cough drops. Needless to say, the 3 versus 6 cough drop folks weren't happy.
Then, a veterinarian proclaimed that food-grade mineral oil would control mites. He treated mites in the ears of dogs by pouring in mineral oil, so he reasoned that mineral oil in the hive would eliminate mites. He didn't do any proper studies, he just proclaimed this to be the answer. The list then became a debate on the best way to apply FGMO and how much to use, all based on a complete absence of data.
I asked to see the data - there was none. I asked to see treated versus untreated colony data, again there was no data. I might have left it at that, but then some commercial beekeepers that I know decided to start treating their colonies with FGMO.That's when I really objected to the misinformation. If a person with one or two hives in the backyard tried this, the loss of bees due to mites probably wouldn't be much more than a frustrating outcome, with enough of a financial cost to pinch a bit, but life would go on. A commercial beekeeper, foolish enough to follow these unsupported claims of either a few cough drops or FGMO, was at risk of loss of their business. And yes, more than one commercial beekeeper thought that one or both of these 'treatments' would work since a veterinarian's recommendations were involved.
The veterinarian, who I never met, never talked to, or saw a photograph of, decided that I was racist, He loudly proclaimed this to Bee-L. He said my arguments weren't based on science or lack thereof, rather I was engaged in a personal attack on him. I have to admit, I was astonished at this claim and it took me some time to realize why he would make this claim. I had refrained from name-calling or personal attacks. I finally realized that his last name provided a clue to his possible ethnicity. Frankly, I never paid any attention to his name. I did pay attention to his claim of being a veterinarian, simply because he was using his credentials as being sufficient justification for his 'prescribed' treatment.
That last bit was when I thought of a few unacceptable responses that I did not post. I admit that I asked about the mechanism of control, and I think I made a snide comment such as maybe the oil makes the bees too slippery for the mites to attach. Regardless, I realized that I had gotten in too deep, and I decided to throw in the towel.
I didn't anticipate that this would be followed by the true believers leaving Bee-L and setting up Bee Source. I do know that I became the pariah of Bee Source. Not surprisingly, I wasn't welcome. As a postscript, they now have different discussion tracks and they have moderators.
Regardless, I don't follow or post to Bee Source.
Jerry
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