Controlled time-release of formic and oxalic acids for Varroa control

MSU has developed a controlled-release formulation for formic acid
and oxalic acid that has the potential to be used as an effective miticide
in honey bee hives. The strategy involves hyperbranched poly(esters)
(HBPE) from “natural”, biodegradable building blocks to which the
active ingredient is covalently bonded. As the HBPE degrades, it
releases the miticide in a slow, controlled rate. The release rates of these
formulations have been studied in numerous laboratory trials. The rate
is dependent on temperature and humidity, but the release of formic
acid from the HBPE is slower than MAQS under similar conditions,
and lasts long enough to kill mites in the brood cycle, not just phoretic
mites. The cost of the raw materials is low and the synthetic process is
simple and inexpensive.

Most importantly, recent hive tests have been successful. Hives with
low initial mite counts (0–1 mites per sugar roll) remained unchanged
over nine weeks (still 0–1), while untreated hives from the same batch
of bees became heavily infested (40). Other trials showed that hives
with significant infestation (17–18) were reduced to zero mite count
five weeks after a single dose.

Proceedings of the 2018 American Bee Research Conference

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