BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Bob & Liz <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 20 Feb 2002 09:29:40 -0600
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (48 lines)
Hello All,

Dee Lusby said:
> ...it says to me there is no alternating of treatments between
* apistan and coumaphos... you can only go... harder and harsher.
*

Actually the position of the USDA has been to  move away from chemicals and has been so for quite awhile.  Coumaphos was only a quick fix as far as varroa control (as I said many times on Bee-L) while other ways of controlling varroa could be found.


Not one new chemical has been added to the list  published in *The Varroa Handbook* (1989).
 For various reasons I do not see any other of the 100 chemicals tested for varroa use registered and none off the list are in the process of being registered that I know about.

When in a battle like the beekeeping industry is with varroa you have to make hard choices . The Usda helped guide us through a tough time. Without Checkmite the beekeeping industry would have lost half its hives again for the third time.

 First being when tracheal mites arrived. Second being when varroa arrived. The third would have been when Fluvalinate resistant mites took their toll. Thanks to the reigstration of checkmite  most of us did not have to go through the third round of heavy losses.

Jeff Pettis  of the Beltsville Bee Lab at the ABF convention in Savannah explained about the Coumaphos resistant mites found in the bees in Maine and in Florida.

Jeff said the coumaphos resistant mites were found in a large commercial operation which had been monitered by the USDA . He asured us at the Apiary inspectors meeting that the operation had not been using any illegal methods . The outfit had been using Apistan according to label prior to finding fluvalinate resistant mites three years ago.

 The outfit had used Checkmite three years according to label.  From my notes Jeff said after 25 days of checkmite treatment the hives were still infested with varroa.  All hives were eyther rolled and the average amount of varroa found in the jar was 145 mites.  Apistan was tried on the hives to clear the varroa but only a small amount of varroa fell from the Apistan and those varroa WERE NOT DEAD. The varroa were still resistant to fluvalinate after three years.  Most of the beekeepers hives were so far over threshold they later died.

New none chemical solutions:

At the American Beekeeping  Federation meeting Dr. Patti Elzen told me she is working on formic acid gell at the Westlaco lab.   Still hoping to solve packaging problems and work out the proper dose for the formic acid gell.   Good news for the organic beekeepers.

Beekeepers will be able to order Api Life Var from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm according to page 36 of their 2002 catalog in July 2002.  Api Life Var is composed of Thymol, Eucalyptol, Camphor and menthol.  The ad says ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS.

Add a few IPM measures Dr. Shiminki gave us and treat at the proper time as both of the above are temperature sensitive. Requeen with either the SMR or Russian queens given  to us by the USDA bee labs  and  I believe we might be able to get off the chemical treadmill.

One of the first things I ever came to realize keeping bees is that there are many ways to keep bees. Success can be had using many methods. I wish the Lusbys success with their methods. I believe those following the USDAs current plan will also get off the chemical treadmill.

 I keep hearing there are areas of the U.S. Apistan is still working which I find hard to believe if Apistan has not been alternated with another chemical but those claims were made at the ABF convention by some beekeepers.

I know there are areas in the U.S.in which Checkmite is still working but believe its effectiveness is soon to be over.

Research has shown that mites resistant to Fluvalinate are resistant to Amatraz . I would never have guessed Coumaphos resistance would be had at such a level after only three years of use.


I am done with both Apistan and Checkmite.  and am stepping away from chemicals and plan to use the alternate  items I outlined above.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri

Ps. It is sad to lose the bee labs and researchers which  (in my opinion) showed us the way off the chemical treadmill.  The makers of Apistan and checkmite will continue to sell and push both for the next decade. I thank the makers of both Apistan and checkmite for their registration of both which helped me through a difficult time but time for me to step away from chemicals.  I advise careful monitering of hives before, during and after treatment if you are going to play the chemical treatment game. by alternating Apistan and Checkmite.  Alternating  might have worked if done at the start but alternating  now is a risky game in my opinion.

ATOM RSS1 RSS2