Studying beeswax is particularly interesting because most of the pesticides and acaricides are fat soluble, non-volatile and persistent, and so accumulate easily herein. Moreover, these chemicals resist the wax melting temperature. Therefore they can accumulate for decades as it is a common beekeeping practice to recycle wax almost continuously in the form of foundations on which bees will construct a complete comb.
The above quote taken from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4391733/#CR5
Reading the literature and papers attached it seems to me a very weak link. The research that shows cumaphous hard on queen development was in massive doses. I see lots of data on bad queens at 100mg/per kg or 100 ppm, and up to 1000 ppm.
Looking at several points of data, and for discussion sticking with cumaphous, I see average levels in the 250 ppm range, but it appears that this does not dissipate much with time, meaning to me that very little is transferred to the brood. so if brood is exposed to it, seems to me its completely harmless unless it transfers. If it transfers that is a one time exposure, so if say cumaphous transferred at a rate of 1ppm per day, the hive would be clear in a season. but thats not whats happening.
I do understand that other chemicals respond differently, we were actually discussing cumaphous and fluvalinate. Understand that chemicals in bee bread are going to be consumed, and certain chemicals are going to fluctuate up and down a bit
But here is my real point I think maybe, we are using "contaminated wax" as the reason for colony decline, when as I see it its really just a value for the crap the colony has already been exposed to, maybe in no way a prediction of future health? IE drug test shows what we have been exposed to, not whats going to happen tomorrow.
So if use a strip when mites are high, are we selecting for evils? IE killing mites at the risk of a high exposure to this round of brood and bees, understanding we are going to remove that said level very shortly as soon as the immediate danger has passed. Right now some of us are avoiding those for the fear of wax contamination, but is that risk real Or just a measurement of what has been in the past?
seems to me concept of chronic exposure is only with merit if the molecules are transferred. If they are transferred, they are now gone with that bee which got a tiny dose. Yes that bee may be effected but thats going to be a short window from wax contamination Much different than the continuation from incoming food.
Charles
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