10% for Gavin: 10% for Jon

[chris]

You'll have to excuse me if this is old hat, but it's new for me:o
Bayer CropScience is going to commercialize a new varroa control product. The first authorisations in Europe are programmed for 2012.
The product,based on the new technology "Entostat", combines a food quality powder (refined from the wax taken from a particular variety of palm tree) with thymol. The powder is applied to the tops of the frames and fixes itself to the bees' wings by electrostatic attraction.
When these bees move around in the hive,the powder is spread over the other bees and over all the surfaces,including the brood.

[Neils]

That's a new one on me.

I attended the IBRA varroa conference a couple of years ago and the guy from Vita (who make Apistan and Apiguard) was basically saying that there weren't likely to be any more "magic bullet" treatments on the immediate horizon. Pyrethoids and similar pesticide based treatments were relatively simple to adapt from existing products so it's not entirely surprising to see another variation of a theme with this particular product also using Thymol.

It'll be interesting to see the guff on this, by and large I think thymol is generally the best of a bad lot in that the bees obviously hate the stuff and it's very temperature dependent but at the same time chances of resistance appear to be low and it generally doesn't seem to leave residues for any length of time.

[gavin]

Are you trying to imply that Jon and me have a parasite problem? I find that a regular dunk in hot bath water cleans them up no problem, especially if you use lots of soap.

On the other hand maybe you were talking about Varroa. A local guy was selling Exosect years ago. Not sure if it was legal or not at the time. Sounded like mumbo-jumbo at the time, but folk are persisting with this wax powder stuff so you never know. Has some real ingredients in it too, so it should be better than powdered sugar and wishful thinking, separately or alone.

[Jon]

No head lice here either chris. very little decent hiding places left for them on my head.
I have used a thymol product, Apiguard, for 3-4 years now and have not had a serious varroa problem in that time.
that bees I am talking about now rather than myself.
I have had the odd colony drop 1000 mites in September but most have a lower infestation than that.
If it is less irritating to the bees than Apiguard, and is equally efficient it might be worth a try.
Can't see it catching on at biobees.com if the Great Satan is behind its commercialization.

[The Drone Ranger]

Are you trying to imply that Jon and me have a parasite problem? I find that a regular dunk in hot bath water cleans them up no problem, especially if you use lots of soap.

On the other hand maybe you were talking about Varroa. A local guy was selling Exosect years ago. Not sure if it was legal or not at the time. Sounded like mumbo-jumbo at the time, but folk are persisting with this wax powder stuff so you never know. Has some real ingredients in it too, so it should be better than powdered sugar and wishful thinking, separately or alone.

Exosect was legal, the marketing was poor though

I found the bees could exit the hive pronto when the tray went in the front and they weren't happy :)
There was messing about to get the entrance width exactly to the tray size
But also the young brood near the floor got flung out onto the landing board sometimes
It did work but not better than apiguard or Api Life Var

[Jon]

It did work but not better than apiguard or Api Life Var

Anyone used api life var?
I have stuck with Apiguard and a winter oxalic treatment on the basis of 'if it ain't broke...
I do get the odd colony which reacts badly and starts uncapping pupae.

[Adam]

I used some last year. It seemed to work as well as apiguard but more expensive as I buy apiguard in a large tub. The advantage of apilife var is that it is supplied in a bit of oasis type material so you don't have to use an eke with it; just put it on the top bars and put the crown board on.
Some bees would entomb it in propolis; others would remove the lot; others would ignore.
I guess the removers would be hygenic bees???

[HJBee]

I have just ordered my Apivar prescription from a Vet who has interviewed me to ensure it was appropriate. He was very clear that Beekeepers should restrain from trialling different forms of control as this only contributes to multi resistance and a treatment should be applied for 3 years minimum before changing.

[EmsE]

I have just ordered my Apivar prescription from a Vet who has interviewed me to ensure it was appropriate. He was very clear that Beekeepers should restrain from trialling different forms of control as this only contributes to multi resistance and a treatment should be applied for 3 years minimum before changing.
Well that's made my mind up then, I should stick with Apiguard for another year? I have some Apiguard left from last year and was considering Apivar for any remaining hives but hadn't got round to the paperwork.