> most do not need or require a commercial formic acid product on the
> market for treatment needs?
>
> Presuming that you meant your comment to be interpreted as the latter
> phrase presented above.

Sorry.  Sometimes it is hard be clear.  I really do not want to disparage
the NOD product because IMO it definitely has its place (niche?), but I
guess I must say that the product and the process upon which it was based
originally has been under repeated refinement due to some drawbacks such as
trouble controlling the rate of release, the duration of the treatment,
brood loss and subsequent reduction in crop, and reported inefficacy under
some conditions.  Maybe the current version has overcome all the
difficulties.  Maybe it has not.

I think that I indicated elsewhere that IMO, in Canada, there is, indeed, a
place for a commercial product like this, as long as it does not displace or
endanger the simpler, more versatile and cheaper methods that have been
proven over the years.  We long ago agreed to develop many methods of formic
application and to permit them to be used, subject to cautionary statements
and guidance by our experts.

In the States on the other hand, maybe NOD is the only answer because the
beekeepers and researchers have not agreed (AFAIK) to work together to come
up with methods by which beekeepers can use formic without involving a
proprietary process or to accept that there is seldom any entirely safe and
idiot-proof method of doing things.  As it stands, the likelihood of having
a serious formic incident is possibly less than the risk of being in a
vehicle mishap on the way to the job, but people think the formic is
dangerous and their vehicles are safe.  I'm thinking that if a company got
it approved and paid people to lobby and sell it, formic would be hit in the
US, but we really don't have a great need for that in Canada, except for
some situations where the aplication is small and/or expertise is lacking.

allen
A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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