Apistan

[The Drone Ranger]

Drone Ranger, I don't have a varroa problem I was just reading the FERA leaflet about Varroa control and wondered what people thoughts were I suppose it is up to the individual, typical beekeeping.

Well spotted -- very strange

[chris]

Apidologie 41 (2010) 353–363
Varroa mites and honey bee health: can Varroa explain part
of the colony losses?*
Yves Le Conte1, Marion Ellis2, Wolfgang Ritter3

This paper contains the following phrase:

To avoid residues in honey
a chemical treatment can be done only after the
harvest.

it adds, however,

At this time, the mite population has
often already reached injurious levels.


So that should indicate what you choose between.

[nematode]

It was my impression that the active chemical is highly fat soluble and not very soluble in nectar and honey at all. I thought this meant that the eating of the honey was ok and the eating of the honeycomb was a complete no no. I had a bad varroa problem earlier in the year and I had to treat and choose apistan after taking advice and researching a bit. I believed this would give me the option of adding a super if they needed the space which they did in the end.

One thing that did set me thinking was the prospect of using any of the wax in a treated hive for anything. I assume the wax might be unusable for melting and using in skin care products etc no matter what time of year? I don't know, just thinking out loud.

[gavin]

You are right that the pyrethroids move into the wax and are at very low levels in the pure extracted honey. The responses that you've seen are typical ones. Most beekeepers are cautious about such chemicals and don't want even small traces in their honey.

Some of the research published by Maryann Frazier and colleagues showed shocking levels of contamination of wax in particular by some of the treatments used by some beekeepers in the US. The suspicion is that arose from mistreatment, perhaps with non-approved sources and means of applying the chemicals.

If you are cautious in what you apply, sticking to label recommendations and going beyond that by not treating while supers are on, then the wax from your super comb should be pure enough for most folk if you are planning making cosmetics.

[Neils]

There has been a UK based study this year into what's in wax, it'll be interesting to see what the results of that are. I suspect that the biggest contaminate will be pyrethoids despite me not ever having used them.

[Adam]

I've not used pyrethroids either. I wonder if the cheap wax from Thornes (imported I believe) is better than the 'luxury' wax which I think is UK sourced.

Nellie, how are you getting on with your foundationless frames?

[Neils]

Generally not too bad. I took a reasonably pragmatic approach and alternated them with foundation. I have had a couple of mishaps where a frame has been drawn out too far, especially at the top where they place stores but it is pretty straightforward to rectify. My biggest complain in some respects is that when you've only got one or two foundation less in a brood box they draw the whole lot nicely as drone comb, but a fair few of my frames are a right old mishmash of work and drone comb.