Isis Glass wrote:

>Not true.... That is the prevailing current.
>
Time for my rant:>)

Hummm! I can't recall a single mainstream bee article, that originated
in the US, that promoted  any of the  above alternative  methods
before  1998.  Rather, the bee press and researchers were actively
seeking/promoting new and better chemical pesticides to deal with the
mites. If a US beekeeper wanted information on even the softest
treatments, he got it from outside the States.

A few beekeepers have tried some of these alternative methods. But the
vast majority have tried amitraz, tactic, and lots of other barnyard
chemicals in their hives without even a second thought to IPM or
alternatives, even though the effects of the pesticide treadmill had
been reaped throughout the rest of agriculture.

When Marla Spivak suggested that beekeepers not routinely treat for
mites, it was revolutionary advice for the American beekeeper.

I have kept statistics on my website, which deals with both soft
chemicals(oxalic) and small cell. My single oxalic page gets 50 times
the hits of all my small cell alternative pages put together.

And now,  the ABF is seeking the data and experience for these softer
methods, which will provide a new and alternative chemical approach for
American beekeepers. Hummm.... Others, around the world, have decades of
experience with this stuff. Formic has been around longer than oxalic
and it just received approval in the US a couple of years ago(gel pak).
The formic pads, just this year.

Doesn't seem like most US beekeepers have been on the cutting edge of
this one. It's just too easy to run for the pesticides and use them
routinely.

And when someone suggests or observes something out of the mainstream on
this list, most replys detail 101 reasons why it doesn't or can't work
And the most adamant are usually those who have no personal experience
in the matter! This response isn't atypical for the beekeeping
community. Could this be a factor why most American beekeepers are so
far behind the curve?

Regards
Dennis

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