Jerry said, about the sodium cyanide scare:

> Not being one to hide under the covers...
> This action by a few beekeepers is totally unacceptable,
> detrimental to the Florida Honey Producing Industry, and
> shows a blatant disregard for labeled chemical use.

Jerry's prior life as a mild-mannered employee at a large US
bee supply company who shall remain nameless, combined with
his current cape-wearing Florida State Apiarist regulatory and
educational role gives him a unique perspective to educate
his peers in just how widespread "blatant disregard for labeled
chemical use" really is among beekeepers and those who sell
and promote various toxic chemicals to beekeepers.

While handling sodium cyanide certainly presents unique risks
not commonly associated with beekeeping, let's just admit up
front that it was very popular in the past as a wax-moth
fumigant, that old habits die hard, and that there would
not have been anywhere near as much hue and cry if not for
the current focus on terrorism in the US.

The newspaper articles cited in prior posts said:

  "It is not illegal to possess the chemical, which is
  largely used in the commercial chrome plating and mining
  businesses, but it is against the law to use it for an
  unregistered purpose."

Hey!  Just like liquid formic acid!

Acute risks like chemical burns and incidents of inhalation
are much more likely with a liquid than they would be with
sodium cyanide powder, as one needs to get sodium cyanide
powder wet to create any deadly gasses, and liquid formic
acid is much easier to obtain than sodium cyanide.

Well Jerry, here's your chance to avoid tragedy before it
happens, and stop the blatant disregard for labeled chemical
use and uncontrolled use of very hazardous unregistered
chemicals in beekeeping.

1) Read the March 2004 Bee Culture article
   "The Status Of Formic Acid In The US", by Bill Ruzicka
   Note that the article advocates not only fraud, but
   also forgery and/or perjury as ways to violate the
   same exact law that prevents people from buying sodium
   cyanide for beekeeping use.

2) Note from his schedule:
   http://www.mitegone.com/forms/Agenda%20Dates%20and%20Location.pdf
   That he will be in your turf, and subject to Florida laws from
   Oct 15th - Nov 30th, and is apparently also scheduled to appear
   on Dec 2nd at the Escarosa Beekeepers Association meeting.

3) Do the right thing.


Here's a few quotes from Bill's Bee Culture article:

  "Suppliers don't ask what customers are the acid for;
  however, if customers say they want it for bees,
  suppliers will not sell it to them."

So the only way a beekeeper could use Ruzicka's device
in the manner that he openly advertises, to kill mites,
would require the beekeeper to lie.

  "Beekeepers must buy formic acid, then, declaring
  one of many legal uses - from bleaching concrete or
  tanning leather, to bleaching fabric, or cleansing
  food packing equipment in a brewery or dairy."

So, while there are LEGAL uses for formic acid, beekeeping
and killing mites are not among them.  So just what part of
the phrase "illegal use" is unclear?

  "Purchasers of formic acid have to sign and receive a
   declaration that they are an industrial user and
   they and their staff are trained in the safe handling
   and use of formic acid..."

Beekeeping is clearly not an "industrial" activity in any sense
of the word.  Proper Haz-Mat training suitable for handling formic
acid is expensive, and takes at least a week of classroom time.
The simple term for signing any such document would be "fraud".

Note that "MiteGone" should not be confused with the other
Canadian formic product "Mite-Away".  The "Mite-Away" folks
are obeying US law, and will soon have their ethical approach
rewarded with a full EPA Section 3 approval for their product.


       jim (A cow born 3 years ago in Canada and all
            her calves can be tracked down in a matter
            of weeks, yet illegal immigration remains
            a problem.  The obvious solution is to give
            away free cows at the US border.)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::