Hello Bill & All,
Bill asked:
> Need some help here, but my understanding of resistance development
> would make the practice of reduced treatment result in faster
> resistance development.

We were told the above by the maker of Apistan also but what we found in 
testing showed that one Apistan cleared the hive of varroa as well as using 
four as recommended by the maker.

We did side by side testing.

Actually same results with checkmite.

Unless you rotate varroa chemical strip treatments then resistance is bound 
to come. Our tests showed using one strip actually took us two years farther 
than those beeks using up to four strips as far as losing varroa control.

Very few beeks actually test for varroa loads. At meetings I am not 
interested in talking varroa controls with those beeks other than to point 
out the error of their ways.

I run a small orchard (smaller than the apple orchard Brian A. runs) and 
like Brian I use most chemicals at half label strength. I have done so ever 
since i gave up organic a couple decades ago.

I get the exact same control as those which do sprays by the calendar with a 
fraction of the spray cost, residue in fruit & field and less labor 
involved.

the big difference in using IPM & organic from the folks which follow a 
printed book which tells which sprays to use and how often ( available at 
the county ext. office) is monitoring your orchard for problems.

It used to be you could place a strip in a beehive and be sure you would not 
lose a hive to varroa. Not today! Now you need to check varroa load and 
treat if necessary and *more important *check after treatment to see if the 
treatment worked.

Looking back on my using only one strip instead of four when apistan & 
checkmite was released did not bring resistance to those chemicals faster in 
my bees. Provided excellent control plus in my opinion less wax 
contamination and saved me a hell of a lot of money!

Now in most areas both apistan & checkmite are almost worthless as varroa 
control so I would not recommend trying a single strip. If one does you need 
to check to see if works.

I might add that using less strips is a *legal* method which i pointed out 
at a national ABF meeting. The meeting was stopped while the  maker of 
apistan made a quick phone call and agreed I was right.

However he pointed out my methods would make resistant to fluvalinate mites 
quicker ( and cost the maker a hell of a lot of lost sales he should have 
added).

I also pointed out using less of a chemical spray was not against label at a 
fruit growers meeting.

bob

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