Apistan should not bee used on honey bees

> Since 1998, V. destructor populations have been documented to have resistance to fluvalinate in geographically distant regions of the United States (Elzen et al. 1999). Subsequently, an organophosphate acaricide coumaphos (CheckMite, Bayer, Kansas City, MO) was approved for use in controlling V. destructor. Coumaphos was relied upon to control V. destructor in the United States until the demonstration of resistance by mites in Florida (Elzen and Westervelt 2002). Resistance to coumaphos is expected to spread rapidly, as honey bee colonies are moved throughout the United States for crop pollination.

Formic Acid Treatment for Control of Varroa destructor
PATTI J. ELZEN, DAVID WESTERVELT, AND RAYMOND LUCAS
J. Econ. Entomol. 97(5): 1509-1512 (2004)

> We have always considered fluvalinate a relatively “safe” material for honey bees; however its history is unclear with potentially significant implications for honey bee health. The original formulation of fluvalinate (racemic or having multiple forms) had an established lethal dose that killed 50% of the tested population (LD50) at 65.85 μg/bee for honey bees, which is considered relatively non-toxic (Atkins et al. 1981). However in the early 1990’s racemic fluvalinate was replaced with tau-fluvalinate (having a single form) resulting in a 2-fold increase in toxicity of this material to honey bees. With or without the addition of PBO or other adjuvants, fluvalinate is now considered to be a highly toxic material to honey bees. Based on its prevalence in wax, wide-spread resistance in varroa and its toxicity to honey bees, fluvalinate appears to have outlived is usefulness.

What Have Pesticides Got to Do with It?
Maryann Frazier, Chris Mullin, Jim Frazier and Sara Ashcraft
Department of Entomology; Penn State University, 501 ASI Building, University Park, PA
American Bee Journal, June 2008

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