Perhaps a contrarian view, this is BEE-L after all. 

There are many conflicting incentives in bee research. Ike warned us of the "Industrial military complex". We are now (IMHO) suffering from the academic institutional complex visavee bee research. What serious beekeepers want is answers that they can take to the yard and solve problems. What academics want is funding and in order to obtain that they need to convince, most often the government but sometimes private institutions that they have a project worthy of support. With the "bees are dying" crisis that had its roots with the introduction of varroa a popular ground swell created a "fountain of funding" that has attracted a generation of researchers. Little of this funding goes to practical applied research and its companion extension. The fountain may or may not have peeked but for certain the population of researchers has grown considerably. For them and their institutions POP "preservation of position" is of paramount importance. As the well runs dry it could get ugly. 

A by product of the crisis is a huge increase in hobby beekeepers and that has attracted the notice of commercial interests all with the goal of cashing in. Some will fund "research" of spurious validity in order to sell product. Some will make claims unsupported by fact of the value of their product be it bees, medications, or stuff. Others sell "information" self reported by unreliable sources. I predicted the end of this fad long ago and have been dead wrong so far. 

Then we are in the position trying to get approval from EPA, USDA, FDA to use what applied practical solutions have come up. They do have an important roll to play in protecting us from ourselves but POP can not be denied here again as a major incentive. 

A look at the history of the craft and the giants of modern beekeeping, Langstoth to Brother Adam, the list is long, none were classic academics. There is president for good practical research coming from people not involved in the academic institutional complex. Has anyone mentioned Randy Oliver? We beekeepers and our organizations would do well to put our money where our mouths are. 

Paul

  

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