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Honey
1. Feed of
Bees:
a. Honey
from a known certified origin is permitted.
b. Bee
pollen from a known certified source is permitted.
c. Sugar
or sugar syrup, if starvation is imminent, is permitted.
d. Use
honey as the major source of feed.
e. To feed
sugar or sugar syrup during any honey flow is prohibited.
2.
Control/Prevention of Disease:
a. Keep
strongest hives and destroy weak hives.
b. Select
good locations.
c. Check
hives regularly (i.e. once every 2-3 weeks).
d. Keep
obviously diseased hives in "hospital yards".
e. Feed
colonies terramycin or oxytetracycline only in cases where American
foulbrood is a problem. (See approved method #8 at the end of this
section).
f. Use of
menthol to control tracheal mite parasite is permitted.
g. Use of
antibiotics to control or prevent the following diseases is prohibited:
Nosema, Chalkbrood, European Foulbrood and Sacbrood.
h. To
extract honey from brood chambers in which antibiotic has been used, is
prohibited.
i. Sulfa
products and other chemical products are prohibited.
3.
Foraging Areas:
a. Apiary
locations in non-industrialized area.
b. Apiary
locations in areas where insecticides are not sprayed on commercial
crops.
c. Apiary
locations for spring buildup in or near wooded and naturally undisturbed
areas.
d. Plants
of abundant and continuous bee forage crops in close proximity to bee
yards is encouraged.
e.
Apiaries may not be located within 5 miles of garbage dumps, sanitary
landfills, or sources of contaminated water.
f. It is
prohibited to locate apiaries within 2 miles (3 km.) of flowering
agricultural crops that have been sprayed with pesticides that are
unacceptable to these organic standards.
g.
Apiaries may not be located with 2 miles (3.25km.) of major townsites or
cities or 5 miles (8.25km.) of major traffic polluting areas.
4.
Beeswax:
a. Use
pure beeswax in hive - preferably your own.
b. Wax of
dubious origin is prohibited.
5. Honey
Treatment:
a.
Beeblower or smoker to remove bees from hives may be used if necessary.
b. Heat to
no more than 35C (95F) and keep this process as short as possible.
c.
Mechanical uncapping of combs preferred to uncapping with heat.
d. Allow
debris in honey to settle out by gravity. Fine mesh filter is not
permitted.
e. All
surfaces honey contacts should be stainless steel or coated with beeswax.
f. Honey may
not contact galvanized metal or metal with surfaces that oxidize.
h.
Extracting facility should be very clean and tight to prevent robbing and
spread of disease.
i.
Extracting facility should be washed down daily with copious amounts of
fresh, clean, hot water.
j. Honey
must be stored in food grade containers.
k. Chemical
bee repellents are prohibited.
l. Use of
chemical agents such as calcium cyanide as a fumigant is prohibited.
6. Honey
Storage:
a. Honey
stored longer than two years may not be sold as organic.
7. Queen
Rearing:
a. Cross
breeding of bee families is encouraged.
b. To prevent
spreading of disease, rear your own queens.
c. Making of
artificial swarms is permitted.
d. Purchase
of packaged bees is permitted.
e.
Artificial insemination is prohibited.
f. Killing
of bees in the fall is prohibited. |
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Individual standards The following constitute minimum standards of organic certification, and must be met or exceeded by all NSOGA members seeking to use the "N.S.O.G.A. Certified Organic" logo. (Click on each for more information) |
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