From: "T & M Weatherhead" <queenbee@gil.com.au>
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 18:39:28 +1000
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Clean wax for Organic Production?

> You say the commercial beekeepers in Australia are mainly migratory, and
> most wax is from this source above. Then you say they produce honey ( a
> surplus!) and consequently beeswax is not produced. I assume here they are
> filling combs already drawn and you take before capping then, still green?

The surplus is not collected on pollination. On honey flows, wax is
produced. Honey taken conforms to the international standard for honey. If
not we can have it rejected by packers or at best a financial penalty is
applied. We have to as we are an exporting country. Most Americans who
visit Australia are surprised at the extent of QA and emphasis that is
placed on producing residue free honey. They say they wish this sort of
committment would be practiced in the USA.

> Question: Are pesticides applied to the crops? herbicides? Fungicides? Yes
> or No? Are any antibiotics used throughout the year? Yes or no? Are combs
> stored with PDB? Yes or No?

Yes they are but most of our honey comes off native trees such as eucalypts
which are in areas of State Forests where no cropping is carried out. State
Forests are there to p[roduce timber. Most commercial beekeepers store comb
in refrigerated shipping containers. For ourselves, our container is held
at -5 centigrade for a week and then switched off. Again we have to be very
careful about residues as we are an exporting country. We do not even use
things like butric anhydride (Bee Go) to take off honey because it produces
a residue. Honey is taken off with clearer boards (I think Americans call
them escape boards) or blowers where the bees are blown out. The countries
we export to require this high stanndard.

> So you are telling me no chemicals are applied on crops in Australia, and if
> I were to look would find no labels approved on the books from chemical
> companies for various crops. Yes/No?

Chemicals are approved and applied to crops in Australia but, unlike
northern hemisphere, most of our honey does not come off ground flora. It
comes off trees in areas where crops are not grown.

Hope this helps.

Trevor Weatherhead

www.superiorbee.com.au