>    "Can Apistan strips be reused?    No,  with  one  exception.
>    There  is  no  sure way of knowing if enough fluvalinate re-
>    mains in a strip to guarantee that it  will  work  a  second
>    time.
>
>    "The  exception:  If the strip was used once, only for three days
>    to detect mites, and if the strip was then stored prop- erly
>    between use, you might reuse the strip.  You might  re- use  it
>    for either detecting mites for a 3-day period or for one 42-day
>    treatment.
 
I know that many (frugal) beekeepers will not bee able to resist
trying to re-use strips no matter how we reiterate the gospel.
 
This is false economy of the worst sort, HOWEVER I have heard one
idea that seems to me to be harmless and perhaps beneficial and will
satisfy the need to wring every last drop of usefulness from each
strip without going to far from the letter of the label.  (Comments
are welcome, here, 'cause maybe I'm going out on a limb).
 
IF the correct number of new strips are put in according to the
label, and there is some question of whether another half strip
*might* be called for, placing a (marked) used strip or two in the
hive -- WITH the good new strip(s) -- will supply some additional
unknown amount of additional pesticide, and satisfy the beekeeper's
urge to 'use it right up', while doing some unknown amount of good.
 
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]
Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>