EPA Issues Advisory on Pesticides Used to Control Varroa Mites in Beehives, Including Coordinated Efforts to Support the Beekeeping Community

Today, EPA is issuing an advisory to clarify what pesticide products and active ingredients are registered to control Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) in beehives, what tolerances or exemptions under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) apply to those products, and how the Agency views the use of unregistered products to treat beehives for one’s own personal use. Additionally, EPA remains committed to collaborating with and supporting the beekeeping community and is providing an update on those efforts. This includes working with the beekeeping community to register new tools for managing beehive pests and working with our federal and local partners to advance valuable research.

Additional Efforts to Support the Beekeeping Community

In the past several months, EPA has registered two new Varroa mite control products (i.e., Varroxsan™ and Ex-Ox™ tablets) containing oxalic acid as the active ingredient. Each product allows for easier application of oxalic acid, and in the case of Varroxsan™, a slower release and longer acting application of oxalic acid in the honey bee colony. In approving pesticide products for use, EPA completes a robust evaluation and determines that uses of these products will not pose any unreasonable adverse effects when used according to the label instructions. EPA will continue to prioritize the registration of pesticides that target Varroa mites and continue to provide helpful information about these products.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html