Tom,

As you say, it would be best to use a variety or an "alternance" of
treatments in an integrated approach to varroa control, wherever possible.
The pyrethroid resistance in the UK is [currently]limited to an area around
the Devon/Cornwall borders and its appearance was not created but was
accelerated by the mis-use of hive treatments. Resistant mites could indeed
spread to Ireland just as easy as non-resistant varroa did but the risk of a
home-grown resistant strain emerging can be offset by using different
biomechanical techniques such as drone trapping, use of OMFs etc and legal
hive treatments. Rotation of treatments will help suppress any imported
resistant strains also.

At present there is only one treatment available to Irish beekeepers but our
thymol gel product APIGUARD is under registration as a veterinary medicine
in Ireland (and indeed across Europe)and will be available to you very
shortly. This alternative treatment works well against pyrethroid and
organophosphate-resistant mites so will be a useful tool for beekeepers
internationally.

Don't know about Irish conditions, but it works well in my native country,
Wales, and we have only marginally less rainfall and foul weather than you!


Best regards,.

Max

Dr Max Watkins
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