>Can someone shed some definitive light on the reported Fluvalinate
>resistance of the Varroa mite in Italy?
 
I was just at the Calif. Beekeepers Assoc. Meeting, and Oscar Coindreau of
Zoecon presented some info that looked pretty solid that there is
fluvalinate resistance in Italy and in Switzerland and southeastern France.
The claim is that it was caused by homemade strips using Klartan
(fluvalinate containing plant miticide) and leaving the treatment in too
long. Apparently the beekeepers there are switching to another product
containing a different active ingredient. Zoecon is apparently working on
other varroa treatments, but my hunch listening to Mr. Coindreau is that
they are making so much money off of Apistan, that they don't have any
incentive to introduce a new varroa treatment. By the time our bees develop
resistance to Apistan, though, they will probably have a new more expensive
one to take its place. Does anybody else think it is crazy that we have to
pay Zoecon $6 for 4 plastic strips that probably have a cost of production
of $.02 ea and that these people have been given a monoply with no
competition, while our university professors and beekeeping extension
personnel wring their hands and tell us over and over that we must pay all
this money to this giant pharmaceutical company. Folks, there is something
wrong with this picture, the bee disease treatment apparatus in the US is
broken and our college professors and extension apiculturists are not doing
anything to fix it.
 
Mark Jensen-Double J Apiaries           [log in to unmask]
Los Altos Hills, CA, USA                     fax 415 941 3488