Dear Michael
 
I think it was probably me who posted a thread about 'do-nothing
beekeepers'.
 
> Recently, a thread was posted about do-nothing bee-keepers who allow
> their hives to become pools of mite infestation.I also read several
> replies and, after being roasted here last year by expressing a similar
> opinion,I gave much thought to this post.
>         First, let me state that I am a do-nothing bee-keeper, in as far
> as it pertains to chemical additions to my hives.Before you pull out the
> flame-throwers,let me give MY reasons.
>         First, I keep between 4 & 10 hives,with this small
> operation,chemicals are both expensive and time consuming to apply.
> I realize others may think this a lame excuse, but remember, these bees
> are a HOBBY, not a living.When (if?) I remove honey from my hives, it is
> for use by my family & friends.I never charge for my honey.My neighbors
> are thrilled to get free jars and, just this year, have been thankful for
> my hives after seeing how our little "oasis" had bountiful fruit &
> vegetable crops compared to their friends living where bees were
> absent.(Feral swarms have vanished here)
>        Second,to my knowledge, there are no other bee-keepers in at least
> 15 miles of me, and so I doubt anyone is in danger of infection.This is
> assuming my bees HAVE mites,as they were certified mite-free this spring
> when they arrived and with no other swarms near-by,I hope they stay that way.
>         Lastly,when I was taught the art of bee-keeping by the old man who
> raised me, I carried on his tradition of "who governs best,governs least"
> when dealing with bees. I open my hives periodically to check on progress
> and if necessary to remove queen cells to prevent swarming(although this
> is rare).I never saw him add ANY chemical to our hives and they thrived
> until several years after his death,the last dying out last fall.
> I would not hesitate to add terrimyican or another anti-biotic if foul
> brood appeared (which I have never had, thankfully) but this is a DISEASE
> not a parisite, like mites.I suppose what I mean to say is, if we
> continue to pump chemicals into our hives to stop the mites,how can the
> bees EVER build up immunity from them? Nature has a wonderful way of
> balancing things out given time.I feel its better to let the bees do this
> themselves,even at the cost of some colonies.otherwise, all we will have
> are weak,chemically depandant bees ripe for the next crisis that arrives.
>            I am donning my asbestos suit now, since this will most likely
> stir up quite a ruckus, but remember, its only MY opinion......
 
I don't suppose there any subscribers to Bee-L who really fit this
title,  when I made some comments about 'let-alone' beekeepers I was
referring to those who are too lazy or ignorant to look after their
bees,  this strategy probably worked quite well in the UK until the
advent of Varroa.  Personally,  I like the analogy of  'He who governs
best governs least (but if I was a US citizen should I be a Dole or
Clinton voter?!) ,  especially when one keeps bees in order to
provide honey for ones family and friends. If you keep bees for your
livelihood it is a different matter and most folk I suppose are happy
to use Apistan or in the UK Bayvarol.  I don't wish to criticise
these people,  but it also worries me that the food that I buy is full
of pesticides and other chemicals.  I did not become a beekeeper to
treat one of nature's purest foods with harmful chemicals.  When I
started beekeeping you could do quite well without the use of any
chemicals and put up with the occasional loss.  I have not yet
suffered foulbrood but would take the necessary steps to ensure that
other colonies did not become infected should it arise in my bees.  Then of
course Varroa arrived in theUK in 1992.  As far as I remember Apistan
and Bayvarol and the continental treatments have all been found in
minute doses in honey samples.  Perhaps you might like to know my
reference for this and it would take me a while to find,  but it was
a report on honey sampling in the UK.  The amounts are so small that
most would believe that it doesn't really matter.  Perhaps it
doesn't,  but everything else that I but to eat also has minute
traces....  This is just my opinion and it has no more value than
anyone elses.  Here in the UK we now have a major food scare over
BSE,  two days ago it was reported that a 20 year old male has just
died due to CJD.  He had been a vegetarian for the past 4 years but a
keen consumer of beefburgers prior to that.  Now we hear that it is possible that
we will all go crazy in a few years because it may transmissable via
milk!  I'm getting of the subject here but if I understand the
message,  it is that what we eat is important to our health and what
the 'experts' tell us one day may be shown to be completely wrong a
few years later.  Like you,  when I give honey to my family or
friends I like to know that they are not consuming artificial pyrethroids,
antibiotics or anything else apart from pure honey.  Many beekeepers
and other folk regard my views as eccentric and I suppose they are.
 
Please can I borrow your asbestos suit.
 
Joe Hemmens
Joe Hemmens
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Park House, Golberdon, Cornwall UK
01579382652