I don't like doomsday prophets saying - don't use this or that
pyrethroid, because varroa is resistant to Apistan.
 
Why? Because too many of those prophets (not all of them) are partly
guilty to varroa beeing resistent so fast to Apistan - and they
become 'famouse' because they didn't their job.
 
Discovery of resistant varroa has been done i Italy. Reports says
that italian beekeepers manufactured varroa strips themselfs -
dipping wooden sticks in solution with the active substance - because
it was much cheeper to do it so instead of buying Apistan. Making so,
you loose all controll over how much of fluvalinate you put in the
beehive. Reports even says that many beekeepers let the strips be in
the beehive for month, because 'the varroa was falling down, all the
time'  - due to the wrong dosage. Better strategy to manufacture
resistant varroa does not exist.
 
The researchers who discovered resistant varroa became 'famouse' and
being famouse means - much easier to get more money for 'research'.
I'm sad, when it's much easier to be famouse because doing nothing
instead of stopping the possibility to buy on the open market a
solution with the active substance. Instead of keeping seminars to
educate beekeepers and convincing them that they are becomming
suicide doing so.
 
Even if we still have other pyrethroids which are working, we should
stopp to use them - according to those prophets.
 
What kind of alternative those antipyrethroid prophets offer?
 
Formic acid, oxalic acid, or lactic acid.
 
Formic acid is very toxic to bees and results too much dependent on
the wheater conditions. Nasty substance for the user too. To many
beekeepers discovered that the efficiency is sometimes very low
(below 40%, and in some cases even below 10%). Thousands and
thousands beehives i Denmark, Germany and Austria (and not only
there) just died when beekeepers trusted prophets telling them - use
formic acid. When europian commerciall beekeepers recently
complained over the bad results, they has been  told by a
representant for a 'beekeeping research institute' that they know
nothing, because they are not even able to learn to use formic acid
properly.
 
Oxalic acid. Acording to Italian reaserchers is oxalic acid working
well against varroa.Test in Sweden confirmed those results, but all
bees died shortly after the test. I asked an  Italian resercher
working with oxalic acid when the oxalic acid shoud be applied - to
avoid killing bees. The answer was - in middle of december. In
december I  need skies to reach my beehives.
 
Lactic acid. Again - too low efficency, too many killed bees
reported, not possible to use for those having more then few
beehives - time consuming.
 
This is why I don't like doomsday prophets saying - don't use still
working pyrethreoids, because varroa in some countries is resistent
to Apistan - without giving beekeepers some realistic alternatives.
 
\vov