> If the MAQS pads are changing color and odor coming off of them has
> increased- Do you see this as a degradation of the product?
>
>
As a general rule I would say to never use MAQS passed the date.  However
you can tell when it starts to breakdown.  The colour starts to change to
change from white to a more off-white colour, there is more liquid in the
packages, it gives off a lot more formic fumes and the paper starts to
disintegrate.   When it gets to this state, it goes from being a gradual
treatment(the paper plays a part in this) to basically a 24 hour intense
flash treatment.  A 2-pad treatment with pads like this resulted in a >10%
queen loss for me a couple of seasons ago.  Now the first question I ask
before ordering  MAQS from a supplier is what is the expiry date of their
stock?  Freezing or keeping it in a cool place does seem to extend the
life.  NOD for their part have switched from warehousing a lot of product
to manufacturing to order.

I think a lot of the queen-loss issues that people report with MAQ's come
from using expired product.  I have noticed that applying it to colonies
that are mid-supercedure tends to result in queen-less colonies.

Adam
Barrie, ON

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