- Make careful to remove the strips after 6-8 weeks.
- Use apivar strips just when you need to treat for mites. Alternate treatments such as apiguard, oxalic acid, or formic acid.
- Unless a hive has a mite level of 0-1 and is dealing with mites, every hive should be treated. ...
What is the efficacy of Apivar for mites?
- At the end of the treatment, Apivar efficacy is up to 99%.* The plastic polymer of Apivar strips has been developed to continuously release amitraz over all the duration of a 6 week treatment, killing several successive generations of Varroa mites.
What is Apivar used for?
Apivar is the only amitraz-based apiary treatment that treats many generations of Varroa mites. It can lower mite numbers in the hive by up to 99%. When administered as indicated, Apivar’s controlled-release technology distributes Amitraz over a minimum of six weeks, ensuring healthy and productive hives.
How to use Apivar strips for bees?
Hang each strip between two comb frames in the brood area or the bee cluster, with a minimum distance of two frames between strips. Suspend Apivar strips in the brood chamber so bees can walk on both sides of the strips. 5 Leave strips in the hive for 42 days minimum and then remove. DO NOT re-use the strips.
How do you use Apivar treatment with honey supers?
Apivar treatment with honey supers on There is only one way to be certain: use them and watch what happens. First, conduct a mite test to determine the mite level in your hive. Then apply the therapy and leave it in place for 6 weeks.
How long do you leave Apivar strips in?
Suspend Apivar strips in the brood chamber so bees can walk on both sides of the strips. Leave strips in the hive for a minimum of 42 days, and then remove. DO NOT re-use the strips.
How do you use Apivar mite strips?
0:363:54Tutorial: How to use Apivar strips? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn using the beat method. And of course you can use a small stick or toothpick as these strips doMoreIn using the beat method. And of course you can use a small stick or toothpick as these strips do have a small hole in top to accommodate them ensure that there is at least one frame of be spaced.
Where do you place Apivar?
Hang the strips in the area of the highest bee activity. Apivar strips are suspended in the brood chamber in such a way that the bees can walk on both sides of the strips. Leave the strips in place for at least 6 weeks before removing.
When should Apivar strips be installed?
Apivar strips work best in the early Spring (2 months before the start of the honey season) and the Fall. Since you have to take the honey supers off of the hive, using the strips in the Fall can be difficult.
What happens if you leave Apivar strips in too long?
If you leave the strips in too long every time you treat, over and over again, the low level exposure might result in mites that are resistant to that miticide.
Can you eat honey after Apivar?
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.
Can I feed with Apivar?
Yes, Apivar does not interfere with feeding in any way (unlike thymol-based products). In fact, feeding increases activity in the colony and therefore increases the spread of active ingredient throughout the hive.
What temperature should you use Apivar?
There is no temperature constraint when using Apivar: It can be used in any season when the supers are not placed on the hives.
Can I use Apivar with supers on?
If you treat with Apivar, you may place Supers on the hive two weeks after treatment removal. You should not use it more than two times per year. It is important to rotate with other chemical controls. Apivar has a notable advantage in that it is safe and effective unless there is mite resistance.
What is Apivar?
Apivar is an Amitraz laced polymer strip used in the treatment of varroa mites. Amitraz paralyzes varroa mites and causes them to detach from the host honey bee. This causes the mite to die of starvation at the bottom of the hive.
Why use Apivar?
Not only is it a highly effective varroa mite treatment, but it is also safe for your bees! Apivar leaves no residue in the hive and is safe for both brood and bees when used properly in the hives.
When to use Apivar?
Apivar is best used as a spring and fall treatment. Use in the spring before adding any honey supers to your hive. Fall treatment should be after honey supers have been pulled from the hive. It’s especially important to treat your hive in the fall as varroa mites can weaken winter bees and affect the winter survivability of the colony.
Where can I purchase Apivar?
Mann Lake is an Apivar approved retailer. Apivar is available conveniently in both a 10 pack and a 50 pack for whatever your beeyard needs are. Try it today, your bees will thank you!
APIVAR INSTRUCTIONS
Apivar is simple to use and is highly effective. Click the button below to view Apivar’s Instructions For Use.
What is the Apivar treatment?
Apivar kills the varroa mite with a synthetic drug called amitraz. These strips are quite successful at destroying the mite population. However, this drug has been abused in some locations, and varroa mites have developed resistance to it. Apivar is ineffective in these locations.
Apivar side effects
The disadvantage of Apivar is that amitraz is harmful to people. When working with it, you must exercise extreme caution. You are also exposing your bees and honeycomb to this corrosive poison.
Apivar treatment with honey supers on
There is only one way to be certain: use them and watch what happens. First, conduct a mite test to determine the mite level in your hive. Then apply the therapy and leave it in place for 6 weeks. After the therapy has worn off, conduct another mite test. If your mite level is below 2, the strips are still effective.
How to use Apivar
Remove any honey supers that does not contain brood from your hive and, if possible, consolidate brood boxes.
Where to place Apivar strips?
Apivar works by contact only. It is therefore very important to position your strips in an area of high bee activity, and nearest to the Varroa breeding area in the brood area.
Why do bees need autumn treatment?
The aim of the autumn treatment is to decontaminate the colony before winter bees are produced and is considered the most important treatment in most beekeeping systems to prepare the colony for a good wintering, in addition with correct feeding when needed. It should be initiated as soon as honey supers are removed.
What is the purpose of spring honey treatment?
Spring Treatment. The aim of the spring treatment, with the removal of the strips before adding the honey supers, is to decrease the mite populations before honey collection and to be sure that there will be no risk of colony collapse during the season up to the Autumn treatment and to maximise honey yield.
How long does it take for amitraz to degrade?
Other studies have also proved that the amitraz is fully degraded after 10 days in honey.
What happens if you don't treat a bee colony?
If you don't treat a colony that is infested with Varroa mites effectively, you are condemning it to certain death, within a year in many cases. These mites weaken the bees by feeding off their haemolymph (blood). Bees become far less resistant to other diseases, their lifetime is greatly shortened and their wings become atrophied.
Does Amitraz harm honey bees?
A study applying Amitraz at a dosage 5 times more than that recommended, shows no effect on honey bees, queens and brood. Toxicity for human beings. This safety is controlled with the MRL system that fixed a maximum limit of residues that are allowed into products dedicated to human consumption.
Does varroacid kill mites?
It does not kill mites directly, but is rather considered as a sub-lethal miticide with an original mode of action from neurotoxicity type, different from other current Varroacides. Acting on the synaptic transmission of mites, it leads to constant excitation and paralysis, followed by mite drop from the bee’s back.
