When Should bees use Apiguard?
A: Apiguard can be applied at any time of day but for best results treat colonies in the late afternoon or evening when the temperature is lower and the bees are in or returning to, the hive.
Is apistan the same as Apivar?
Apistan works to kill mites by exciting their nervous system to exhaustion. Apivar causes excitation, then paralysis of mites. In both cases, mites fall off the backs of bees and cannot climb back. Apistan and Apivar do not directly kill Varroa mites.
How long will Apiguard last?
We’ve received a few queries about how long Apiguard can be stored. We know that, as long as the product has not been stored in hot conditions (in direct sun or above 30°C), Apiguard is stable for at least four years and probably up to six years in the sealed aluminium tray pack.
How effective is Apiguard?
Under normal conditions it gives an average efficacy of 93%. Often the control levels are higher and sometimes a little lower.
Can I feed my bees while treating with Apiguard?
Q: Can I feed my colonies while using Apiguard? A: Yes and No. The recommendation is not to apply Apiguard while feeding simultaneously in case the bees spend all their time taking the feed and not bothering to clean out the Apiguard gel.
Can I use Apiguard with honey supers on?
7. Q: Should I use Apiguard when supers are on the hive? A: It is preferable to remove supers before treating with Apiguard. Apiguard may taint honey in supers, but it is unlikely, especially if the honey stores are sealed.
What is the active ingredient in apistan?
tau-fluvalinate
Apistan® controls mites as bees come in contact with the strip. Featuring the active ingredient tau-fluvalinate, Apistan® strips provide up to 8 weeks of control. When the bees interact within the strip, the active ingredient is released to control mites.
What happens if you leave honey supers on during Apivar treatment?
Instructions say don’t treat when supers are on, so if they’re off, it won’t get in your honey. But it will get in any stores in any brood boxes and will impregnate the wax in any combs which are present.
Does Apiguard taint wax?
Apiguard may taint the brood wax, and low traces may reach the wax of the supers. If you do use Apiguard when supers are in place, make sure that the Apiguard is positioned immediately above the brood nest and that the bees have enough room to get into the tray and to walk through the gel.
When should I remove Apiguard?
Although uncommon, sometimes hygienic bees do not recognise brood (possibly being masked by the thymol odour), and will remove a small area. If this is observed, remove the Apiguard from the hive and feed the colony.
Does Apiguard contaminate honey?
A: It is preferable to remove supers before treating with Apiguard. Apiguard may taint honey in supers, but it is unlikely, especially if the honey stores are sealed. Apiguard may taint the brood wax, and low traces may reach the wax of the supers.
Does Apiguard work on capped brood?
Apiguard treats phoretic mites (mites attached to adult bees) and does not penetrate cell walls to kill Varroa in capped brood.
When should I use apistan?
Apistan can be used at any time of year but its use is recommended in late summer after the honey harvest. The active ingredient, fluvalinate, is supplied as impregnated polymer strips, two of which are hung vertically in the brood box, between frames 3 & 4 and 7 & 8.
How do you use apistan?
Apistan® is probably the best and simplest defence against the varroa mite. Since the 1980s it has been the benchmark treatment and is now registered for use in more than 40 countries. It is very easy to apply – simply insert two strips in the brood box of a standard colony for six weeks at the end of the season.
Can you eat honey that has been treated with Apivar?
The only catch is that you shouldn’t use it if it’s still above 80F in the daytime and you still cannot consume the honey or beeswax that was on the hive during the treatment. If it’s Fall and you need to treat, but don’t want to remove honey supers, the best way to get rid of mites is with oxalic acid.
Does Apivar taint honey?
Residue studies have demonstrated that when Apivar is used per the label instructions, no residues of Apivar’s active ingredient amitraz were detected within comb or honey samples, and the treatment has no negative effects on honey bees.
Is Apiguard toxic to humans?
: Causes irreversible eye damage. Harmful if swallowed or absorbed through skin. Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.
How many apistan strips does a hive have?
2 strips
Just insert two strips into your Brood Box for the recommended period, any honey supers must be removed before treatment. The strips are normally left in the hive for 6 weeks to cover two brood cycles. Apistan is packed in pouches of 10 strips, 2 strips per hive.
How toxic is Apivar to humans?
Researchers have found there is little risk of toxicity for bees or for humans directly (during treatment), or indirectly (through hive products), exposed to amitraz in Apivar strips.
Can you eat honey from a hive treated with Apivar?
Can you feed bees while treating with Apiguard?