> Hello Peter & All,
>
>>  [OK, so now I have a stack of papers on my desk that show that
>> imidacloprid doesn't harm bees and another stack that show that 
>> miticides
>> do.
>
> Peter there is plenty of information from reliable researchers showing 
> IMID
> harms bees. The recent Penn State crab apple information quickly comes to
> mind.
>
> You are above saying miticides. Be specific when discussing. Say 
> Coumaphos.
> The above could include Formic, Oxalic and others.
>

>>You may not be using Checkmite but does your queen  breeder? pb]
>
> Peter I do not know of a single commercial beekeeper which has used
> checkmite for many years. Hobby beeks and the uninformed do.  On coumaphos
> we are in agreement. Not on the other miticides which are sold.
>
> Checkmite/ Coumaphos ( Bayer the maker . Yes the some company selling 
> IMID)
> is a nasty miticide. However the most effective varroa control ever 
> released
> on the market.
>
> Bayer said coumaphos was safe for bees and would not contaminate wax.
> Looking back beekeepers fell for the Bayer hype.
>

> Checkmite was far more effective than even apistan was when first 
> released.
> You could clear a hive *over threshold *in 48 hours.(mites not in cells)
>
> We were amazed! So effective and the maker said would not harm bees or 
> contaminate wax!
>
> At the time of the Checkmite coming on the market Apistan in testing at 
> the
> University of Georgia ( Dr. Delaplane article ABJ ) was shown to only be 
> 2%
> effective against varroa and the varroa population increased during the 
> time
> the strips were in the study hives.
>
> Commercial beekeepers backs were gainst the wall.
>
> Hives were crashing from varroa  in commercial yards from coast to coast!
>
> I do not need to search the internet to find out about checkmite. I was on
> the varroa front lines at the time.
>
> We knew comaphos was one of the most effective miticides ever used against
> varroa. Had been in use in Italy for several years without problems.
> Registered in Italy.
>
> We knew was an organphosphate and was dangerous to handle but seemed like
> what beekeepers needed to keep from losing a million hives.
>
> The rest of the story:
> Checkmite was not going to be released in the U.S. for varroa control even
> under a section 18.
> No the EPA said.
>
> Then a curious thing happened. The small hive beetle was discovered and a
> trap could be made from half a checkmite strip. Instant section 18.
>
> Fate came to the beekeepers rescue . of course all the time Bayer was 
> saying
> how safe Checkmite was.
>
> The next year after section18's were given problems with coumaphos causing
> queen & drone problems started showing up in Italy. Then in California 
> queen yards.
>
> Efficacy dropped in commercial bee yards and
> even in the U.S. Checkmite quit working in most operations after a couple
> years.
>
> varroa resistant to apistan/ fluvalinate it seemed quickly became tolerant
> of coumaphos. Most beeks quit using both products but some did return to
> fluvaliante some years later ( as per research of Dr. Delaplane).
>

>
> bob.
> 

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned 
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html