Hi Dee and Everyone,

In regard with the discussion on selecting honeybees that are resistant
to varroa by selecting those colonies with the slowest varroa population
increase and continuing to treat with acaricide so as to prevent loosing
colonies to varroa so the selection can be continued Dee asked the
following:

"I now ask:
So how does one then successfully stop the treatments and
get the residues out of the colonies? Since it probably
cannot be done overnight, can you explain the steps for
successfully accomplishing this? I don't want to seem
picky, but clean pure honey, what with the china scare
staying in my mind, and I am sure others's also.

Also is there a way for backing off of coumaphos
successfully too?"

When varroa mite levels are continually low enough in the colonies one
can discontinue treatment ( once mite populations remain below the
economic threshold ).  Once treatments are stopped no additional
residues are being added to the combs but of course you still have the
issue of any residue already in the wax.  This will decrease with time
but if you want to be sure you have no residue you would have to replace
the combs that were exposed to treatment.  The foundation you use either
will have to contain no beeswax or contain beeswax from a source that
does not have acaricide residues.  So there, you eventually do have to
replace the combs if you want to be 100% sure there are no acaricide
residues in the combs.  Most beekeepers would be very pleased to be able
to simply stop treatments and be confident that no additional residues
were being added and therefore any residues present would decrease
somewhat over time.  How fast to they decrease?  That depends on the
chemical.  For most of us just getting off the chemical treatment
treadmill is accomplishment enough I guess.

FWIW

blane




******************************************
Blane White
MN Dept of Agriculture
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