thriving
 
JC>From: John Caldeira <[log in to unmask]>
  >Date:         Tue, 23 Jul 1996 18:25:11 -0700
  >Subject:      Apistan Reuse
 
 
JC>  "There are published reports from Europe showing 99% effectiveness of
  >Apistan strips used five times over a period of five years (Pechhacker,
  >1993).  I have also received personal communication from knowledgeable folks
  >outside the U.S. attesting to good efficacy with multiple use.  This issue
  >needs to be resolved as soon as possible."
 
Yes this was very true in the early production of the strips, but the
company is not that dumb and the formulation has been changed to the
point that the chemical is exhausted very quickly, and in fact some
reports show that there is some thought that there is some variation in
the amount of active material the strips now contain when new and it may
be less then the desirable amounts in a percentage of the new strips. If
this was translated to "some production runs", it would explain why so
many beekeepers report seeing live mites when removing the strips after
the proscribed use period.
 
When any farmer allows someone else to apply pesticides to his crop
there is always room for costly error. It is sad that the bee industry
is though to be so low on the professional scale of things that they
must only use this product which contains a few cents worth of material
and is NO more then a conveyance but wasteful applicator of a chemical
that can and is being used by farmers and beekeepers in other places
with out problems when used with the same caution and common sense we
all use with hazardous remedies. If the rest of agriculture were treated
as beekeepers are when it comes to making decisions on the health
management of their crops farmers would be marching in the streets of
Washington and food prices would be higher then fuel cost are today.
 
                       ttul Andy-
 
 
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