REGARDING           RE:Apistran Strips - Duration?
 
    Mark Egloff writes:
"I have heard of different Apistran strategies:
     Some state place apistran in the spring for 60 days prior to supering
     and again for 60 days after harvest.
     Some state place apistran only once, on July 1, then remove on 1 Aug
     and place supers for fall flow [Approximately 30 days].
     Some state place apistran once, for 60 days beginning the middle of
     August.
 
        Ok, folks.  What is the story here?  What strategies have worked
     for you.
 
        My own experience in Dayton, OH has been that if I wait until
     September to treat, its too late -- the bees are goners unless
     something else happens."
 
I think that part of the problem is that different sections of the country
experience honey flows at different times.  I can only speak from experience
here in southeastern Michigan (USA).  Wherever possible, I try to keep the
strips on for 45 days, because the miticide will weaken signicantly after
that, possibly stimulating development of resistant strains of mites.  I put
the strips on in spring, giving up the spring flow, and in late summer, giving
up the fall flow.  Usually our major honey flow here occurs between these
periods.  However, if your major flow is at another time, you would just have
to remove supers, put on the strips for 45 days before that flow, then put the
supers back on.  Seems like a lot of work, but it may be necessary to save the
colonies.
 
As to minimum time, 30 days should be OK.  It will hit one cycle of mites with
maximum strength, and if you can get another period of 45 days at some time in
the year, you ought to be able to control them.
 
Ted Fischer