This is a response to a letter placed onto this list by Andy Nachbaur
regarding the biological control of purple loosestrife
 
 
 
Dear Beefriend,
 
I have read your tirade against the proposed release of biological control
agents against the wetland weed purple loosestrife. I have been working on
biological control of purple loosestrife for almost a decade but such a
conglomerate of ignorance and special interest concerns has never crossed
my path. I would recommend you become familiar with the published
literature (just because you don't know about scientific studies
demonstrating the negative effects of purple loosestrife does not mean
there aren't any!!).  I also recommend you become familiar with biological
control as a safe and environmentally sound method to control exotic plants
(used in the United States for over a century with great success),  where
success is measured in overall costs and benefits, not only considering a
special interest group.
 
And your hate speech against the government (here represented as the Fish
and Wildlife Service) acting against the interests of the public is not
only dangerous it is simply wrong.  The alliance across the entire North
American continent fighting against exotic weeds (including purple
loosestrife) involves concerned environmentalists (individuals and groups)
as well as hunters, fishermen and local, state and federal agencies.  I
agree that often beekeepers are on the other side of the fence since these
introduced exotics are an abundant forage source for bees.  However,  we
have to weigh the overall health of our ecosystems against special
interests, and sorry for you, bees and beekeepers are a special interest
group (that at least in part were creating the purple loosestrife problem
by spreading plants and seeds).  Plants, bees and beekeepers will not be
eradicated but some beneficial effects that an exotic plant may have for
bees does not outweigh the overall negative environmental effects.  All
this has been determined for purple loosestrife and very clearly, control
of purple loosestrife is desirable.
 
You might not like this result but considerable effort was spent to
consider all affected parties.  Your tirade against government and the
proposed action is based on your gut feeling instead of considering the
facts.  Putting it into hate speech does make a rational discussion rather
difficult.  Fortunately,  I have experienced a deeper understanding of this
issue among your fellow beekeepers in the past.
 
Sincerely
 
 
Dr. Bernd Blossey