There probably is little danger of poisoning friends or relatives who
consume honey from comb exposed to Apistan strips. In tests conducted
by Zoecon Corporation, the manufacturer, the active ingredient in Apistan,
fluvalinate (a broad-spectrum, cyanopyrethroid contact miticide), showed
low mammalian acute toxicity and no apparent oncogenic, teratogenic, or
adverse reproductive effects. Studies also showed few or no detectable
residues in either honey or wax.
 
At worst, the recipients of your honey have had minimal exposure to
any synthetic toxicants, and probably run no more risk of injury than
they would in consuming the "natural pesticides" present in foods.
However, it is prudent to minimize as much as possible one's exposure to
synthetic pesticides in the diet. In any case, as EPA has established no
tolerance levels for fluvalinate in honey, it would be illegal knowingly
to sell or give away potentially contaminated honey.
 
Tom Culliney
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