Not too long ago Apistan(R) has been legally admitted in Holland as a legal means to cure Varroatosis in Honeybees.
This is raising questions about honey contamination by the active ingredient, Fluvalinate. These questions and their answers are probably old news for those who live in countries, where Apistan(R) has been common practise for many years now . I am looking for a somewhat thorough text on the subject of honey contamination by fluvalinate( in which possible dangers for mankind of Fluvalinate when
ingested orally in minimal dosages are described in full
detail).
In APIS newsletter of april 1992, an article in Bee Science
(Slabezki et.al.; 1991, vol.1, nr.4) is quoted, and in short term treatment no residues were found in honey. After prolonged treatments of over 6 months, however, the residue
level in honey reached 0.06 ppm ( " above the level established in the US by the EPA " ).
Still, some questions remain:
 
1. why is the Apistan(R) instruction for use so outspoken about not treating during honey production and/or harvesting?
How justified is the A.- producers' fear for honey contamination , and how realistic is the supposition that, once the strips are removed, the fluvalinate is also absent from the colony ( given the lipofilic character of Fl., and the fact that it concentrates in beeswax) ?
 
2. what exactly is the limit of detecting minute amounts of Fl. in honey in the present day laboratory ( I'm told that
the detection limit may well be in the same range as the residue levels in honey after prolonged treatment with A.:
around 0.03-0.05 ppm . I'd very much like to read a scientific
text on this, before thinking further about A.
This might shed new light on the often encountered statement:
" no detectable levels of F. found in honey when application is according to instructions"
 
2. Is anything known about the actual hazards from pyrethroids generally, and Fluvalinate specifically for
humans ?
 
Here in Holand and in  neighbouring country Germany, discussions on these topics are far from closed.
 
 
Please answer to the list or to my adress below
 
sincerely, Hugo
 
                                Hugo Veerkamp
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