Hello Jim & All,.
Jim said:
Ummm, sorry Bob, but Bayer has never "registered" CheckMite.  It remains a
year-by-year "Section 18 Emergency Treatment", as it has been for years. I
doubt if Bayer would be able to obtain a full registration for CheckMite,
as the EPA, even under the current administration, has maintained the very
reasonable goal of eliminating organophosphate use in agriculture as a
whole.

Thanks to Jim for the clarification. Coumaphos will NEVER be given a full
registration for the reason stated by Jim! Even getting a section 18 was
hard for Bayer.

Bayer was talked into bringing Checkmite to market (section 18) by
beekeepers as coumaphos was the last chemical from the list of chemicals to
control varroa which provided around a 99% control.

I am puzzeled why ApiLife Var full registration is being held up. I thank
the EPA for allowing two section 18's in many states (like Missouri) as
normally they only allow one section 18 for a specific use.

Checkmite came at a desperate time in beekeeping and with a high price in my
opinion. Fluvainate resistance was widespread (tests in Georgia by Delaplane
actually showed varroa loads increased while the Apistan strips were in in
some hives).

Research at time of the first section 18 for checkmite did not show over a
10PPM future coumaphos contamination problem in brood comb. After a few
years Jeff Pettis announced to commercial beekeepers the contamination was
higher and many beekeepers (myself) started culling brood comb.

The high price is the contamination of brood comb. 25 PPm the first year and
50 PPm after two years of use. Long term use (4-5) years  only produced a
high of 75PPM.

Many beekeepers (commercial) are not concerned with a 50-75PPM coumaphos
level in broodcomb. I am and have been doing a brood comb removal program
which has about removed all brood comb which ever had checkmite used .

The above levels are from correct label use of Checkmite. Illegal use of a
coumaphos product (I have been told by bee inspectors) produces a level of
coumaphos contamination so high bees    dwindle and die and will not even
raise brood in the comb. A sure sign they tell me is patches of brood
scattered through the hive.

Bob

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