Dear Laura,
 
                Unless there is an extremely high varroa pressure in your
     area, I would try to do just one Apistan treatment per year, using new
     strips. If there is bee brood pretty much all year round and the
     varroa infestation levels are again very high (say more than 100-150
     mites falling to the bottom boards through natural mortality) after
     you've done your summer treatment and had your autumn honeyflow(s)
     then OK you may need to treat again but unless you are seeing these
     potentially damaging varroa mite levels in late Autumn I would hold
     off treatment until the following year.
 
     One or two mites won't devastate colonies over the winter. The bees
     better protection by checking them again in the spring and, if
     necessary, treating them then.
 
I'd double-check with your State Apiary Inspector first that this is permissible
under local State/US law.
 
 
Best regards,
 
 
 
Max
 
___________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Multiple treatments of Apistan
Author:  [log in to unmask] at INTERNET1
Date:    8/6/96 9:55 PM
 
 
How many treatments of Apistan can be made successively (using NEW strips
EACH time)?
 
Here in Maryland, our State Inspector, has told us to put strips in right
after the honey flow, in July, which I did.  I am getting ready to remove
these strips and wonder when I can put in the next set of strips.  Do I
put them in right away, replacing those in 45 days, and continue new
applications until cold weather sets in?
 
Last year, I placed two NEW sets of strips from Summer into Fall, timing
the usage of the strips to be completed with the onset of cold weather.
I did not put them in immediately after last year's honey flow.  (Both of
my colonies survived through the Winter.)
 
There will be another honey flow here in the early Fall.  However, this
honey is not to be used for human consumption.  This will become the
winter stores for the bees, so there is no concern about having supers in
place any more this year.
 
 
Laura Downey
Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
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