Hello Jim & All,
I have got many friends among bee inspectors. The bee inspectors I have
talked to will look the other way many times when beekeepers are prevented
from using the products they need to save their bees  by *red tape*. When a
product such as Apilife var is withheld by red tape when we all expect the
product to get a full registration before long is silly.
One foot in the next state the product is legal but one foot into Virginia
the product is not.
*Bee inspectors will not look away when products are used for varroa control
which will contaminate honey and wax.*
I seriously doubt most bee inspectors would consider making a fuss over a
beekeeper using Apilife var  to keep his hives from dying  even if not
approved in Virginia but as  Jim said you would still be breaking the law
and each bee inspector is different.

Jim said:
or I could get some "gray market" ApiLife-VAR from another beekeeper in a
state with an ApiLife Section 18, which would (all together, now) also be
breaking the law.

I believe Api Life var gives good control of varroa as long as you follow
the label instructions. I used Api Life var on problem Italians last year
and plan to use again this year.

I will say it is of no use to ask a bee supply house to ship a chemical
under a section 18 into an area without a section 18. Even close friends at
the bee supply houses know better than pull a stunt like that as they can
get in big trouble.

Jim said:
But strictly speaking, the only treatment that is effective and legal in VA
for varroa is Apistan.  As luck would have it, I have not seen
resistance.Not yet, anyway.

I am surprised at the number of places which do not have fluvalinate
resistant varroa. I got my first in 1998. Apistan has been used in the U.S.
since 1987 I believe. Ten years was the time limit we were told before we
would see fluvalinate resistant varroa without another chemical to rotate
with.

Even after 4-6 years attempts to return to Apistan has been met with poor
results. A single Apistan strip will drop a couple hundred varroa in a hive
*infested with varroa* in 24 hours with a sticky board . Should be around
three thousand.

 Bob

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