Richard Barnes asks questions about the use of this miticide for bee mites.
 
Richard:  Which mites are identified on the label?  The reason the label
says that the spray won't hurt bees is because it is not usually sprayed
during bloom periods.  The language means that if bees come into contact
with the miticide on the sprayed surface it won't hurt them (noticeably).
This does not mean that if the bees are sprayed with the product it is
equally harmless.  If Honey Bee Tracheal and Varroa mites are not indicated
on the label, the product is not labeled for these mites even if it is
stated that bees will not be harmed.
 
It would be nice to find a product that could be used on nucs, or on
colonies not producing honey.  But some bee breeders do produce honey.  We
must remember that the wax in these hives will be put into the industry wax
supply at some point in time.  There is no guarantee that the beekeeper
will remember which equipment had been treated with a special product and
keep it separate from other sources.  Generally speaking everything put
into a commercial operation becomes part of the homogenious mix of frames,
comb, supers, apiaries, truck loads, warehouse, honey tanks, and wax
blocks.
 
James C. Bach
Yakima WA
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