From: "huestis" <buzzybee@capital.net>
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 09:57:33 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: line-by-line: 61-63

Hi all,

> Requirements regarding bee forage strike me as being one of the most
> problematic issues to assess and comply with.

I quite agree. This is what I was getting at in my earlier post. What
about this scenerio? Beekeeper keeps hives in a hay belt area(forage is all
types of clover,maples, vetch, basswood, locust, mixed berries, alfalfa,
ect.). The general area is typical. What about the locals using pesticides
in their gardens? Down the road a mile you discover a small road side stand
that sells veggies and along with its fields. Pesticides...don't know?? How
would this affect certification? Would chemical ferilizes effect
certification?

Well to be honest I have not one but three road side stands about a mile
from one of my apiaries. Surely they must use some pesticides! However
this particular apiary has any abundace of forage in the immediate area. I
doubt colonies need forage over a half mile(but they could). I have never
had problems with pesticides as of yet. Funny thing about
pesticides(insecticides) is if there was a problem wouldn't my bees be dead?

> -What criteria should be used:
> what radius do we consider the bees to get the vast majority of
> their forage?

Different every time. How could we make a set in stone rule?

> given that bees can probably go outside of that radius, would it be
> reasonable to set a tolerance percentage of non-organically produced
> forage? if so, what percentage?

Bees WILL go outside eventually. As to the second part I don't know.

> -Under what conditions should the CB's establish a !bee radius such
> that it is different from site-approval criteria?

I don't know. They make the rules. We comply or not. However this radius
will be different in every case.

Clay