Trevor asked:
Has anyone on the list had any first hand experience with using or
receiving queen bees in cages that have Apistan tabs in them?

Answer:

My experience that Apistan tabs could effect the queen introduction
acceptance and performance. The extent of this effect could vary based on
the length of exposure to the Apistan. There is a publication by Rob
Currie in American Bee Journal on this subject. You can contact Rob at:
[log in to unmask]
 for a copy of the paper.

The best options for reducing risk of transfer of mites via queens:
1. Ship queen cells from colonies treated with Apistan. the probability of
finding mites in queen cells is very low (1:1000), unless the cell builder
is heavily infested.
2. Harvest queens from treated colonies or nucs.
3. Treat queen banks

In all cases, it is advisable to check attendant bees and queens for
mites.


medhat

Medhat Nasr, Ph. D.
Provincial Apiculturist
Crop Diversification Centre North

17507 Fort Road
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5Y 6H3
Tel: (780) 415-2314    Fax: (780) 422-6096
Mailto:[log in to unmask]

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