Tau-fluvalinate, the active ingredient in APISTAN is hydrophobic meaning
that it will not easily pass into water-soluble materials such as honey.
APISTAN can be used at any time of year (but depending on country-specific
labelling legislation) as the product is regarded as "safe"; the European
Commission classified it under Annex II, NO MAXIMUM RESIDUE LIMIT NECESSARY
due to the low toxicological and residue profile in hive products.

However, the active is more attracted to fats, including beeswax but unless
your strips are really embedded in the wax, there should not be any
appreciable residue transfer to the wax. What residues have been found in
wax in studies over the past 13 years are pretty low (average below 1 ppm)
which in toxicological language is negligible.

Tau-fluvalinate will not transfer from wax to honey unless forced -
requiring huge contamination of the wax beforehand. Once in the wax, the
molecule is stable and will not degrade over one season. The wax residue, if
indeed measurable, should not affect honey subsequently in the same frame.

This is a brood frame, and chances are you won't extract honey for human
consumption anyway. When that brood frame is eventually melted down for
cleaning/recycling, some of the tau-fluvalinate (if there ARE residues) will
be destroyed and otherwise the concentration, what little there may be, will
be dissipated.

The APISTAN is placed between brood frames. Supers should not be in contact
with strips. Very occasionally there may be trace residues in cappings on
supers following APISTAN treatment but this is not common. Needless to say,
any traces that may be found will be tiny and not at all of toxicological
importance.

If you're still concerned, use the APISTAN outside the honeyflows.


Regards,


Max

Dr Max Watkins

Vita (Europe) Limited                           Tel     44 (0) 1256 473177
Brook House, Alençon Link,                      Fax     44 (0) 1256 473179
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 7RD, UK