At 02:01 PM 2/18/2000 EST, George Imirie wrote:

>If Apicure has at long last secured the approval of EPA and the Drug
>Administration
>and the gel is designed by Shimanuki and other highly prominent bee
>researchers, I
>am not sure why you have a question.

I have a question because the Apicure literature contains language
indicating that the product might inhibit brood rearing in "early Spring"
without specifically indicating the extent to which brood rearing might be
affected, or specifying the "early Spring" condition(s) under which brood
rearing might be affected.  For example, if a particular time be meant,
conditions shall differ by location.  Such language might to cause a
reasonable beekeeper to ask the question I asked.

Design and approval of a product by competent and prominent persons does not
excuse reasonable users from understanding the characteristics of that
product.  We may not fully appreciate the goals and tradoffs considered by
the designer.  It is possible that Dr. Shimanuki might be horrified by some
innocent-seeming application of his design not specifically covered in the
product literature.  To ask reasonable questions demeans neither the
designer nor the product.

>Liquid Formic Acid or Mite-Away Pads are illegal in the U.S. and we already
>have too many people exceeding the speed limit.
>Our government agencies, universities, EAS and ABF Foundations spend tons of
>money hiring scientists to research treatments for our bee problems.  Too may
>people, rather than giving money to these qualified researchers are spending
>money
>on anecdotal so-called cures conjured up by unqualified personnel.
>
>I have been in personal contact with Medhat concerning IPM, and of course the
>use
>of Formic Acid has been legal for quite some time in Canada, but that does
>not give we Americans to right to use it.  One can't drive 100 mph on I 95
>just because the
>German Auto Bahn has no speed limit.


I never suggested so much as consideration of the use of any illegal
substance, but merely asked for an explanation of the functional
relationship between the product legal in the USA and the chemically related
product legal elsewhere.  We US citizens (Canadians also abide in the
Americas) should be able to ask the questions needed to understand the
relationship between the tools available to us and those available elsewhere
without incurring reproof.  Suppression of such questions would not edify
the beekeeping community.

Bill Morong