>Also, I don't know the saccharide polymer, nor the outside paper but
acidic degradation of the strips themselves might just convert a
significant amount of your formic acid into formate over time.

Mark, that's exactly the point of the MAQS formulation--the reversible
creation of the ester form of the organic acid.  Back when I first heard of
using formic acid for mite control, I spoke to some chemists at the time to
see whether beekeepers might use the formic-formate-formic transformation
to create a slow-release miticide (driven by the release of the acid in the
ester form due to exposure to the water in the hive environment).  Imagine
my surprise when years later NOD came up with exactly such a product!

FWIW, I purchased an out-of-date pallet of MAQS last season, then stored
them in a warm area for a couple more months before using them.  By the
time we used them, they were brown and very sticky, but we still got good
efficacy in our treatments.  But I checked for efficacy after more days
than did Walter.

We are applying some 2000 MAQS this week--will let the List know how they
work out.


-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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