I suppose I'm a little late coming into this discussion but I switched
to api-life var 5 years ago from Apistan in my 20 hive sideline
operation. These colonies are spread over six different locations with
no more than 5 colonies at each location. The mites never got resistant
to the apistan but I switched because I was concerned about comb
contamination and wanted a "softer" treatment.

The apilife I use is in the form of a wafer impregnated with solution. I
split each wafer into quarters and place them on top of the hive and try
to space them around the periphery of the cluster after I have removed
the honey from the hives, usually in late September. All my hives
consist of two deeps. This is done in three treatments, 7-10 days apart.
No need for a spacer as the wafer fits nicely under the inner cover.
This time of year seems to work best for me as the temps in South
Central Kansas are usually in the working range of the product. The mite
loads are pretty high at this time of year and DWV is usually apparent
but the colonies are populous and strong.

I'm happy with the results so far. My losses are usually <= 10% and I
have never observed killed brood or unusually high queen losses that I
would attribute to the product. I do notice a slight thymol smell
lingering in the hives when I open them for the first time in the spring
but that is usually gone a few weeks after the initial spring
manipulations, which I do around March 15. This is the only treatment I
do all year.

I've been a BEE-L lurker for over a decade now. I thought it time to
give a little back. Now working on my 11th season as a beekeeper.

Billy Smart
B Smart Apiaries
Rock, KS

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