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IPM for Varroa mite
For a brief introduction to IPM for the control of Varroa mite see Brenda Jager's article on this site:
http://www3.telus.net/conrad/bz2.htm
A web-facsimile slide show is designed to accompany the information contained below is located at:
http://www3.telus.net/conrad/ipm-bees.htm
You may also want to checkout background material which is mirrored here for "one-stop-shopping" in case you want to print everything out at once-- but I'd encourage you to go to the original site to view the accompanying graphics which I did not include below
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http://www.honeycouncil.ca/chc-ccm/winric00.html
IPM for Varroa Control
Exploring an IPM Approach for Varroa Control
Printed in Hivelights Vol 14 #1 Feb 2001
By: Nathan D. Rice and Mark L. Winston
Dept. of Biological Sciences,
Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, B.C.,
Canada V5A 1S6
Phone: (604) 291-4163
Fax: (604) 291-3496
ndrice@sfu.ca,
Beekeepers in Canada have been coping with the varroa mite since the early 1990's and have come to accept that management of this pest is a part of required beekeeping management. We have been fortunate to have the pesticide Apistan available for varroa control, and have come to depend on it to keep our colonies close to mite-free. However, through misuse, over-application, and the lack of other control methods that are as effective and easy to use as Apistan, mite populations in North America are becoming resistant to the single most important tool we have in controlling this devastating pest.
There are other means of treating varroa. For example, formic acid was recently developed in Canada to control both varroa and tracheal mites, and there is a wealth of information available on cultural practices that can be used to lower mite infestation levels. In addition, the organophosphate coumaphos was recently registered for emergency use in the United States to control the varroa mite and the small hive beetle. The registration of coumaphos, however, is a temporary solution, as beekeepers will soon be faced with the same pesticide resistance treadmill that has become all too common in agriculture generally, and now beekeeping. Farmers are forced to apply more and more pesticides to control pests that are becoming increasingly resistant to the chemicals already being used.
The beekeeping community is currently in a unique decision-making position about this chemical dependency. Do we hop onto the treadmill with so many other agricultural systems, or do we adopt a pest management ideology that may be more time consuming, but will allow honey and other bee products to keep their "natural" reputation? We've already taken the first steps down the pesticide pathway, and they have been useful steps. What we need to decide now is how much farther down the path we want to go.
The idea of Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, may provide the balance between pesticide use and overuse. IPM has the potential to allow beekeepers to keep their operations relatively chemical free and also has the power to prolong the life of existing pesticides such as Apistan. IPM relies on multiple control methods as the best approach to pest management. If only one pesticide is being used to control a pest, there is an excellent opportunity for resistance to develop. The goal of IPM is not to eliminate chemical use, but to reduce the amount and frequency of pesticide applications.
The varroa problem is a perfect candidate for IPM. We already have several different control methods available to us: Apistan, formic acid, drone comb trapping, hygienic queen selection, modified bottom boards, essential oils such as thymol, and others. What we need to determine is how these control methods can be used in concert, and compare them to Apistan.
My research is comparing an IPM treatment (thymol + modified bottom boards + hygienic queens) to Apistan to determine if the IPM system could provide similar varroa control. The three control methods I am combining are simple and have been used separately by beekeepers. Thymol is a natural insecticidal substance found in plants of the Thymus family, including such familiar kitchen spices as thyme, basil, and oregano. Modified bottom boards prevent mites that have fallen off of bees from returning to the hive using a screen over a dead air space so that mites fall through the screen into the empty space below, are unable to hitchhike back into the colony, and eventually starve. In addition, some lines of bees are genetically predisposed to be more hygienic that others. All bees will clean out dead, or diseased brood, but hygienic bees do it more quickly and thereby can prevent mites from completing their reproductive cycle. Using a simple brood kill method, a colony can be tested for hygienic behavior and new queens from that colony can be cross-mated with drones from a separate hygienic colony. Those new queens produce offspring that expresses the hygienic behavior.
I also am testing alternating Apistan with thymol in fall and spring treatments, since alternating compounds can eliminate one of the main causes of resistance, repeated application of a single substance.
I measure four variables: brood population, adult bee population, honey production, and mite population, to determine colony health and what effect these treatments are having on colonies. To date, there has been no statistical difference in the adult bee or brood population in any treatment during the experiment (Figs. 1, 2), nor has there been any effect on honey production (Fig. 3). Thus the treatments are not detrimentally effecting adult bee or brood levels, and honey production is not compromised.
What about the mites? Treatments that received Apistan in the fall have significantly lower mite levels than those that received thymol in the fall or had the IPM system in place (Fig. 4). However, since there is no difference in adult bee levels, brood, or honey production all of the systems are maintaining mite populations to levels below an economically important threshold. Apistan alone may be the best for mite control, but the other systems are good enough and have the added advantage of reducing the likelihood of resistance. There may not be a need to eradicate mites, but only to keep them below the economic threshold.
This is only the first set of data in a long-term experiment, but if the trends shown in the first year continue throughout subsequent years it may call into question some of the mite control methods currently being practiced, especially the emergency registration of chemicals such as coumaphos. Apistan is a useful tool, but it is a chemical pesticide and needs to be respected as such. The boom in organic food production illustrates a trend among consumers towards more natural products, as does the popularity of products designed to remove pesticide and chemical residues from fruits and vegetables. Bee products have always enjoyed the reputation of being natural and it is important to maintain that image. We need to ask ourselves if the application of even more pesticides is the way to do this.
We are at a critical juncture. The decisions we as beekeepers make now will have far-reaching effects. We need to ask ourselves if we want to continue on the pesticide application treadmill that has proven so costly for other agricultural commodities, or if we want to be the vanguard of a new pest management ideology. We are set up to be a perfect example of how IPM can and does work to control pests. With a little extra time and commitment for all of us, we can succeed at reducing pesticide use in bee management.
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http://www.agr.state.ne.us/regulate/bpi/ent/apreg.htm
TITLE 25 - - CHAPTER
NEBRASKA APIARY ACT REGULATIONS
001.04. Ether roll shall mean a detection method for Varroa mites where approximately 400 bees are collected in a glass jar and treated with ether to dislodge any mites present.
file http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Rules/2001/iac/021iac/2122/2122.pdf.
Iowa Agriculture and Land Stewardship[21]
CHAPTER 22
APIARY
All honeybees offered for sale in Iowa must meet one of the following two requirements:
1. Colonies are apparently free of Varroa mites according to the detection methods listed below.
2. Colonies are under treatment with a miticide approved by EPA for control of Varroa mites in honeybee colonies and have an average of 10 or fewer Varroa mites per 300 adult bees or 500 or fewer Varroa mites per sticky board.
Detection methods to be used for the Varroa mite are the ether roll method with at least 300 adult bees per colony from 20 percent of the colonies in the apiary or the sticky board method with an EPA- approved miticide in 5 percent of the colonies in the apiary.
21-22.4(160) Certificate of inspection required.
All honeybees transported into Iowa shall be ac- companied by an approved certificate or permit issued by the state of origin or the state of Iowa. The certificate or permit shall indicate that the bees meet one of the two following requirements:
1. An average of 10 or fewer Varroa mites per 300 adult bees was detected by the ether roll test.
2. Colonies are under treatment with a miticide approved by EPA for control of Varroa mites in honeybee colonies at the time of shipment.
...21-22.7(160) Varroa mite treatment.
If upon inspection an average of more than 10 Varroa mites are detected in 300 bees by the ether roll method or 500 mites per colony by the sticky board method, then the apiary shall be quarantined and the owner of the apiary ordered to depopulate or treat all colo- nies with an EPA-approved miticide within ten days from the day the owner is notified. If an average of 10 or fewer Varroa mites by the ether roll method or 500 or fewer mites by the sticky board method are detected, then the apiary shall be quarantined and the owner of the apiary shall be notified and given instruction on the nature of the mite infestation and the best method of treatment. Such treatment of all colonies in the apiary shall be initiated no later than October 15 of the same year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.holoweb.com/cannon/varroa_mite_treatment_page.htm
Here in Washington State, USA, I have been recommending a survey be done in late February. If 50 or less mites are found, treat in mid August. If more than 50 or 100 mites are found in any one colony treat in late February (daytime temperatures 50F. or above) for the length of time prescribed on the label or until you put the first super on, whichever occurs first. Even if you can only leave the strips in the hive for two or three weeks in February/March you will lower the Varroa population significantly, and probably not experience any colony collapse in the fall. Use a complete treatment in mid August (>50F.) after removal of honey supers. Once you treat colonies, you probably can rely on only one treatment per year if you are in the northern US. In the UK, follow the Bayvarol label and any recommendations provided by research, or government agencies. Don't rely on beekeeper recommendations because you will here all kinds of them. That is one reason why many beekeepers in the US are continuing to lose significant numbers of colonies to Varroa; they don't follow the label, for economic reasons.
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http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis_2000/apfeb_2000.htm#2
THE POWDERED-SUGAR SHAKE: DETECTING VARROA WHILE NOT KILLING BEES
Why did it take so long? That's a question that comes to mind when contemplating the newest technology to determine the number of Varroa mites in a colony. The powdered-sugar shake is taking Florida apiculture by storm. The technique separates Varroa mites from honey bees, as is the case for the ether roll, but the bees survive the procedure. This was first reported by University of Nebraska graduate student Paula Macedo according to the January 2000 edition of Bee Tidings, a cooperative publication of the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Service and the Nebraska Honey Producer's Association, written by Dr. Marion Ellis <http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/entomol/beekpg/tidings/btid2000/btdjan00.htm#Article2>. Dr. Ellis suggests three reasons why this might work:
Varroa mites have a sticky pad called the empodium that helps them adhere to their host. The presence of powdered sugar could make it difficult for the mites to adhere to their host.
Powdered sugar stimulates the bees' grooming behavior.
The powdered sugar on the mites' bodies stimulates them to release from feeding to groom themselves.
To use the technique as described in Bee Tidings, one needs the following:
A wide-mouth canning jar with two-piece lid.
#8 mesh hardware cloth or any other mesh that will retain the bees while letting Varroa pass through.
Window screen or any other fine mesh hardware cloth that will let the sugar pass through but retain the Varroa.
Cut the #8 mesh screen to replace the circular, center portion of the lid. Collect 200-300 bees in the jar. A funnel can be used to facilitate the process. Replace the modified lid and add about a tablespoon of powdered sugar through the screen. Roll the jar to distribute the sugar. Wait a few minutes, swirl the jar again, and pour the sugar and mites through the screen into another container. The mites can be separated from the sugar by pouring the mixture through the window screen. The bees can be returned to the colony where their hive mates will lick them clean.
This technique works well, according to the article. It is superior to the ether roll, separating up to 90 percent of the mites from the bees. The Florida bee inspection service has found this to be the case and is shifting over to its use. The chief, Mr. Laurence Cutts, believes the powdered sugar shake may well mean more Varroa testing by beekeepers now that their bees don't have to be sacrificed as part of the procedure.
When Varroa was first detected in Florida, Dr. William Ramirez of Costa Rica <http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis99/apmar99.htm#1>described to me his experimental treatments using dust to control Varroa. I believe he used flour, but he said anything would do, including crushed, dried leaves. Again, his reason was that any dust would prevent the mites from hanging onto the bees. Unfortunately, Dr. Ramirez' studies, conducted I believe in France, could not be replicated to others' satisfaction and so the idea never really caught on. Dr. Marion Ellis in Bee Tidings writes that the powdered-sugar technique cannot be used as a treatment. It only dislodges a few mites, and those Varroa that fall off simply crawl back onto the bees. In addition, mites in brood are protected from dust treatments.
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http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis97/apaug97.htm
FOLLOWING UP VARROA TREATMENTS
My recent journey to Europe suggests that beekeepers must not become complacent concerning Varroa treatment. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the current material Apistan is so foolproof that U.S. beekeepers tend not to follow up with inspections to determine a subsequent infestation level. As a result of the same situation, many in Italy and France were taken by surprise when their standard procedures began to falter as mites became resistant. There are many possible reasons treatments could fail. These include improper application, emergence of resistance and product formulation failure.
In Florida there have been several revealing incidents. Recent bee kills blamed on pesticides, tracheal mites, viruses and diseases, when investigated closely, appeared to be caused by large undetected infestations of Varroa. The beekeeper apparently had treated the colonies, but did not determine how effective it was. These occurrences, common sense and evidence found elsewhere suggest that failing to follow up Varroa treatment by confirming the size of the resultant mite level is a prescription for disaster.
One of the problems with inspections has been that treatment thresholds for Varroa mites have not been strictly defined (see April 1992 APIS). Thus, it is difficult to determine what the effectiveness of a treatment should be. Dr. Keith Delaplane at the University of Georgia recently published some information on treatment levels based on a 300-bee "ether roll test." He and Dr. Mike Hood in South Carolina found that Varroa-infested colonies installed as packages in April had highest colony survival, highest colony populations and no secondary brood disease symptoms by December when treated with Apistan in August (American Bee Journal, Vol 137, pp. 571-573, August 1997). August treatment was called for based on about 15 mites in an ether roll or a natural drop (not using pesticides) of about 117 mites on a sticky board overnight (about 19 hours). The authors also state that these thresholds are different in other parts of the country, citing California (August: 1-2 mites in an ether roll; 20-200 on a miticide-assisted sticky board), Michigan (summer: more than ten mites on a non-miticide assisted sticky board for 24 hours), and Nebraska (August: more than six mites in an ether roll). In Florida an official treatment level has yet to be defined, but Mr. Laurence Cutts, chief apiarist recommends treatment if more than 20 mites are found in an ether roll.
The ether roll detection technique is universally used in Florida by commercial beekeepers. Although only a crude test and quite variable, it is simple, one-step and produces immediate results. For information on Varroa detection using this technique, a video I produced continues to be available. It is VT 249, Detecting Varroa Mites, available by sending me a blank VHS video tape.
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http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_AA140
The Varroa Bee Mite1
Malcolm T. Sanford and H. L. Cromroy2
Varroa jacobsoni is potentially the most serious pest ever to threaten world beekeeping. Reports from other areas where the mite has been introduced show that great losses of colonies have occurred. The same has been true in the United States.
It is important to ensure that Varroa is not confused with the honey bee tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi). There has been and continues to be a great deal of controversy about the latter mite which lives in the breathing tubes of bees. The tracheal mite is difficult to find and the damage it inflicts on colonies is a matter of great debate. The Varroa mite should also not be confused with the bee louse, Braula coeca, which has six legs that extend from the body (Figure 1).
The Varroa mite, by contrast, is an external parasite of the honey bee. It is visible to the naked eye (Figure 2), reddish brown with a characteristic oval shape and has eight legs tucked under a shell (Figure 3).
Some generalizations concerning the Varroa mite which have been true in other infested areas of the world are: 1.Russian and European experiences reveal an infestation is usually fatal to colonies of European bees (Apis mellifera) within three to seven years.
2.Low levels of infestation are extremely difficult to detect.
Figure 1. Bee louse. (SEM photo by H. L. Cromroy and W. C. Carpenter.) 3.It is a 7-10 year process to get chemicals registered, a process often costing millions of dollars.
4.Many of the 140 or so chemicals used worldwide for Varroa mite control are toxic to bees and beekeepers and their use risks contamination of honey and wax.
5.The Varroa mite develops resistance to chemicals in a short time. This is especially true when the chemicals are not used properly and/or dosage rates have not been adequately investigated.
Figure 2. Adult female, ventral and dorsal views, comparing size with hind leg of worker honey bee. (SEM photo by H. L. Cromroy and W. C. Carpenter.) Based on the above information, several things are apparent. The Varroa mite is a serious pest leading to death of European bees in most cases. Mite populations are difficult to detect in incipient stages, and may take years to build up to levels where colony death is imminent.
LIFE CYCLE OF VARROA
Numerous studies have pieced together the life cycle of the Varroa mite (Figure 4), but it has yet to be cultured artificially and many aspects of its complicated biology are unknown. The adult female leaves the brood cell and attaches to an adult worker or drone where she begins to feed by cutting a hole in the intersegmental membrane of the bee's hard outer skeleton. Little is known about the length of time required for this phase. Next, the well-fed female drops off the adult into a brood cell and hides in the brood food (jelly).
Normally, once the brood food is consumed by the host, the female then begins to feed on the larvae itself by piercing its delicate skin. She then lays a number of eggs of both sexes which hatch into six-legged larvae. After 48 hours, these become eight-legged protonymphs which, after feeding on the bee larva, molt into a deutonymph. Three days later, the last molt to an adult occurs. Approximately twenty-four hours later the mites mate inside the capped honey bee brood cell. The males die after copulation in the brood cell and the female mites emerge to begin the cycle again.
The female mite does not lay its eggs all at once, but at prescribed intervals (See Figure 4). This means that the longer the brood cycle, the more time there is for subsequent mites to develop. It is thought that drones are preferentially parasitized because their developmental cycle is longer (24 days) than that of the worker (21 days). It is also believed that bees with shorter developmental times [Apis mellifera scutella, the African honey bee, and the Asian bee, Apis cerana (Indica)] are more resistant to Varroa because mite populations do not develop as quickly as in the European races.
CONTROL STRATEGIES
Control of the Varroa mite must be accomplished using several strategies in concert with each other, similar to integrated pest management techniques commonly used in much of agriculture. Dr. W. Ritter of the German Federal Republic in "Varroa Disease of the Honeybee Apis mellifera," Bee World, Vol. 62, Figure 3. Adult female, showing curvature of body and legs covered by the shell. (SEM photo by H. L. Cromroy and W. C. Carpenter No. 4, 1981, pp. 141-153) suggests a combination of the following: 1.Develop and use more effective treatment methods.
2.Control importation of all species of honey bees.
3.Diagnose infestations in the latent stage (before damage is seen).
4.Isolate infested colonies and those in the immediate area.
5.Control and coordinate treatment of infested colonies.
According to Dr. Ritter, the aim in the German Federal Republic has been to isolate the source of infestation and eradicate the mite in specific localities. However, where it has been spread over a wide area, infestation can at best only be reduced, particularly where there are feral colonies.
He also states that unsuitable highly toxic substances are coming into use and their improper application can contaminate honey. Frequent underdosing can also result in resistant strains of mites, already observed in Japan with phenothiazine. Frequent use of chemicals can also make beekeeping unprofitable, says Dr. Ritter, and a biological control should be a first priority in research for a long-range answer to Varroa control.
CHEMICAL CONTROL
Using chemicals to reduce mite populations can in no way be compared to experiences by beekeepers with Terramycin® to control American foulbrood. Therefore, beekeepers are urged not to use chemicals for mite control unless they are registered. Not only is the practice of using unregistered pesticides illegal, but it can also create undesirable effects. Among these are chemically-resistant mites, contaminated wax and honey, and susceptible lines of bees which are more prone to parasitization.
Figure 4. Life Cycle of Varroa Bee Mite.
Again, it is emphasized that USE of any unregistered chemicals by beekeepers is potentially HARMFUL to the beekeeping industry. It should be remembered that chemical control can only be considered a short range objective--more long-range research will be required to find suitable biological control and/or resistant strains of bees.
HONEY CONTAMINATION
Although pesticide use may be impermanent, or at best, changing as more and more chemicals are used for mite control, it is a certainty that more and more honey will be screened for chemical contamination in the future. Should pesticide contamination be found, the resulting adverse publicity could severely damage the honey industry. Witness the use of aldicarb on watermelons and the Alar® scare on apples. If there is a tradeoff between mite control and contamination of honey, the bias must be for protecting the name and reputation of honey in the decision-making process.
CONTROL BY MANAGEMENT/ MANIPULATION
Experience has shown that Varroa mite control is possible by reducing the mite populations through management/manipulation. Because the mite needs access to brood to complete its life cycle, bees can be removed from brood (broodless times in cold climates may also be taken advantage of) for a period of days by placing them in packages or empty boxes.
Adult bees removed from infested colonies can be established on foundation or broodless comb that has been stored for a few days and is free of mites. Other manipulations including the use of drone combs as Varroa traps and heat treatment of infested combs may be useful for small-scale beekeepers.
SAMPLING FOR MITES
Beekeepers are encouraged to regularly sample their own bee colonies for presence of Varroa in an effort to monitor mite population. The videotape, Varroa Mite Detection, VT 249 is available on request by sending a blank VHS tape to Extension Apiculturist, PO Box 110620, Bldg. 970, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620.
Adult female mites are pale to reddish brown and measure about 1.1 millimeters long by 1.5 millimeters wide. The following methods are recommended for detecting Varroa in a colony: 1.Examination of hive debris: Collect debris from hive floor with brush and dustpan and examine on a sheet of white paper. At least one commercial brand of mite detection board is on the market.
2.Examination of adult bees: a.Collect 50 to 100 bees from open BROOD COMB. Place in washing solution- gasoline, 25% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, detergent-water mixture or hot water, and shake vigorously for 1 to 10 minutes. Recover mites by straining through fine screen mesh.
b.Collect 100 live bees from open BROOD COMB. Place in small cage with wire mesh bottom on white paper. Place in oven at 46-47 degrees C. (114-120°F.) for 10 to 15 minutes and examine white paper.
c.Put about 1.3 pint (200-300) of live bees from open BROOD COMB in a glass jar, add a one-second squirt of ether and alcohol (commercial engine starting fluids can be used), shake and roll bees around in jar. Look for mites on side of glass jar. Mites are reddish in color and uniformly shaped.
It is emphasized that for all tests listed above, bees samples MUST COME from the brood nest, NOT the entrance.
3.Examination of brood cells and combs: a.Uncap brood (drone brood is preferred by the mites, but they can also be found on worker larvae) and remove white pupae with forceps. The dark colored adult mites are easily seen against the bee larvae and/or pupae which are glistening white.
SANITATION
Although the possibility of Varroa being transferred from one hive to another by humans is considered slight, it cannot be totally discounted. Adult mites have also been found on other insects, but are not thought to be able to reproduce except in honey bee colonies. Mites cannot live if separated from honey bees for more than four days. Mite infested clothing stored away from contact with bee colonies that long will not contaminate other colonies.
DAMAGE AND SYMPTOMS
Bees in temperate climates with harsh winters appear to be more at risk (i.e. dying from harsh conditions--winter loss) than populations in other climatic zones. In hot climates, where brood is reared year around, mite populations reach their zenith sooner than in cooler climates. In Florida, under ideal conditions colony death can occur within 6-9 months. Most authorities agree that all European bees (Apis mellifera) that become infested with Varroa must be considered in extreme jeopardy.
It is emphasized that it may take a long time for the mite population to build to levels where extensive damage is seen. The most observed symptom of the disease is deformed larvae, pupae and adult bees, which are often thrown from the colony and can be seen near the entrance.
This information was developed by a special Varroa Mite Task Force, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services. It is being made available electronically and in print by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.
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Footnotes
1. This document was published November, 1992 as ENY-127, and supercedes Hints for the Hive No. 127, Florida Cooperative Extension Service. For more information, contact your county Cooperative Extension Service office.
2. Professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.
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http://www.nal.usda.gov/ttic/tektran/data/000011/24/0000112425.html
A NOVEL IPM APPROACH TO MANAGING VARROA JACOBSONI MITE (ACARI: VARROIDAE) LEVELS IN HONEY BEE (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) COLONIES
Author(s):
SAMMATARO DIANA
OSTIGUY NANCY
FINLEY JENNIFER
FRAZIER MARYANN
HOFFMAN GLORIA D
WARDELL GORDON
Interpretive Summary:
The history of integrated pest management has shown that a combination of treatments to control pests often provides better control than any single treatment. We applied an integrated pest management approach to control of Varroa mites in honey bee colonies. The control measures we tested were: mite-tolerant queen lines, screens that prevented mites that fell on the bottom board from climbing back on to comb, an essential oil (Thymol mixture) with miticidal properties, and combinations of queens and essential oil, queens and screens, and screens and oils. Control colonies received no treatment. The essential oil caused a quick drop of mites which was significantly greater than other treatments. The queen/screen combination had the lowest mite drop. The location of the test apiary site also had an influence on the efficacy of the treatment. The test apiary located in an open field had significantly fewer mites than the sheltered apiary site. Control and queen/oil colonies at the sheltered site had larger mite drops than the other treatments. Results from this study demonstrate that a combination of treatments probably will be the best strategy for controlling Varroa mites in honey bee colonies.
Keywords:
crop pollination pollinators honey bee foraging behavior non apis species computer models pesticides parasitic mites
Contact:
USDA, ARS, HONEY BEE RESE
2000 EAST ALLEN ROAD
TUCSON
AZ 85719
FAX: (520)670-6493
Email: medley@tucson.ars.ag.gov
Approved Date: 2000-04-27
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http://www.xs4all.nl/~jtemp/dronemethod.html#OVERVIEUW
An Overview of the Drone Comb Method
Catching mites in early springtime:
During the first spring inspection, a frame with drone cell foundation is placed in the middle of the brood nest. This frame is removed when the majority of the drone cells are capped. Before the swarm season, one drone brood frame should always be present in the hive. This way the drone brood frame will be quickly built and mite infestation is checked. According to research from The University of Wageningen, it appears that the mite population will be stable at this point, and not be able to grow.
Catching mites during the swarming season:
In this method sequence, we will work with two hives. There is also a one hive sequence The actions will include creating a broodless period on one hive and swarm prevention split on the other hive. The result will be three relatively swarm proofed mite-free hives.
The broodless part:
Take all of the worker brood from hive 1 and install into hive 2
The result is all the mites that are left in hive 1 are on the bees and these mites can now be caught by an "egged / larvaed" drone cell frame. This drone frame had been built up during the week before this event by putting one frame of drawn drone comb into the hive. This frame stays in the hive to catch the mites. Two days before they are capped the mites will enter them. By the time new worker brood of hive 1 are ready to be capped the mites are already trapped in the capped drone cells. When enough drone cells have been capped (500 cells per 2.2 lb.. bees), the frame can be removed, uncapped, and pupae cleaned out along with all future varroa for this hive.
The split:
At the moment hive 2 gets the brood of hive 1, one drone cell frame is put in the middle of the old queen's broodnest and a queen excluder in between the hive bodies. After one week it will be easy to make an artificial swarm without any brood, using the old queen, the bees of 6/7 frames, and the drone frame. When this drone frame is capped, removed and cleaned, the fight on the varroa in the artificial swarm hive is finished.
Since Hive 2 is left queenless, a new queen will be raised since brood in all stages were present. This may be a great opportunity to requeen or you can let them raise a new queen. During the remaining weeks Hive 1 will supply this hive with "egged / lavaed" drone frames. Two egged drone frames are moved from hive 1 to hive 2 (one week between them). As those frames are closed, removed and cleaned, the fight on the varroa in hive 2 is finished off.
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http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/Disorders/Varroa_mites.htm
Varroa Mites
Varroa destructor
Varroa mites are external, obligate parasites of worker and drone honey bees. Varroa mites are visible with the naked eye and look somewhat like a tick. They feed on the hemolymph of adult bees and the developing brood. The reproduction cycle of the mite takes place inside the cells. Female mites (foundresses) enter the brood cells of last stage worker or drone larvae just prior to the cells being capped. There she will deposit five to six eggs over a period of time while feeding on the brood. The first egg laid will be unfertilized and develop into a male. The subsequent eggs will be fertilized and develop into females. The eggs hatch and the young mites begin to feed on the developing pupa. It is normal for mating to occur between siblings. The adult female mites along with the original female mite(s) leave the cell when the bee emerges. The female mites will enter another cell or attach themselves to an adult bee to feed. Varroa mites are transported from colony to colony by drifting or robbing bees.
Varroa destructor is a common mite found on Apis cerana, the Asian honey bee on which it does not cause serious damage like it does on Apis mellifera. These mites were accidentally introduced into the United States in the mid 1980s. Before this time, honey bees were found coast to coast across the United States. Now only an estimated 2% of the feral honey bee population remains, and even this derives annually from honey bee swarms from beekeeping operations. Practically speaking, the wild honey bees have become extinct in the United States due to infestation of the Varroa mite.
Visible symptoms of Varroa mite damage can be evident on newly-emerged bees which is due to the mite feeding on the immatures within the cell. The newly-emerged bees may be smaller than normal, have crumpled or disjointed wings, and shortened abdomens. The lifespan of the newly emerged bee is also reduced. Severe infestations of Varroa mites within the cell (5 or more foundresses) can cause death to the pupa. Other symptoms of mite infestation are rapid colony decline, reduced adult bee population, evacuation of the hive by crawling bees, queen supersedure, spotty brood, and abnormal brood with symptoms resembling European foulbrood and sacbrood disease.
Infested colonies will die within 1 to 2 years if the beekeeper does not take necessary actions against Varroa mites. If upon initial examination of your colony you do not see visible mites, use a capping scratcher on drone brood to see if Varroa are inside cells. Varroa mites prefer drone brood over worker or queen. If mites are detected you may need to treat in order to save your colony. At this time there are only two chemical treatments available for Varroa mite control in the US: Check Mite+ strips (active ingredient coumaphos) and Apistan (active ingredient fluvalinate). Always follow manufacturer's instructions when using Apistan or Check Mite+ strips. Also, never treat during a nectar flow because the chemicals can contaminate the honey, and never leave strips in hives after the recommended time because this encourages resistance. In recent years mite resistance to Apistan strips has become a problem throughout the world. Therefore, rotating chemicals, delaying treatment and using cultural controls are recommended to manage mites in a more sustainable manner.
Delaying treatment can be accomplished if you monitor the level of Varroa infestation in your colonies. Treatment is justified only when the economic threshold is achieved. Economic thresholds are defined as the pest level that justifies treatment in order to prevent the pest from reaching damaging levels. For the southeast Piedmont region, the economic threshold has been determined to be:
mite populations: 3172-4261
ether roll levels: 15-38
overnight sticky sheets: 59-187
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Ether rolls are easy to do and require little work. Take a quart jar and fill with about 300 bees (1.5 inches of bees) (Fig. 1). Then spray some ether engine starter fluid into the quart jar and replace the lid (Fig. 2). Shake the jar for 30 seconds. The mites will dislodge from the bees and stick to the sides of the jar. Count the number of mites and compare them to the numbers above. If the numbers are at or above the economic threshold, you should treat your colony. If the numbers are below then you can wait. Overnight sticky sheets can also be executed with little effort. Various beekeeping equipment vendors sell sticky sheets (Fig. 3). Place these into your colony and the next day (18-24 hours) remove them and count the number of mites (Fig. 4). If the mite number exceeds those above it is ime to treat.
Cultural methods for Varroa mite control include using drone comb or bottom screens to trap Varroa mites. Varroa mites prefer drone brood. Using a few frames of drone comb per colony draws mites into the cells which are then capped by the worker bees, trapping the mites within. The frames are removed and put into the freezer 24-48 hours to kill the mites.
Bottom screens are also an effective control method. They are basically a wood-bound screen that is placed underneath the brood chamber. The mites fall through the screen onto the bottom board or ground. The mites are thus separated from the bees and eventually die. It should be stressed that these two treatments alone will not rid your colonies of all Varroa mites and should be used as a means to delay the economic threshold and the need for a chemical application. Hopefully in the future, genetic bee stocks resistant to Varroa mites will become more available to beekeepers.
Honey Bee Disorders / UGA Honey Bee Program / UGA Entomology Department
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://ag.udel.edu/extension/information/beekeeping/varroa%20mites.htm
by
Dewey M. Caron
University of Delaware
The mite, Varroa jacobsoni, is an obligate parasite of the honey bee, Apis mellifera. The mite, introduced in 1987, is now well established in the United States. It's a major threat to Delmarva beekeepers.
Varroa jacobsoni was first reported in 1904 in Apis cerana in Java. By 1963 it was found in Malaya on Apis cerana and in Hong Kong on Apis mellifera. In 1968, the mite was reported in India, China, and Russia. In 1975, Bee World warned "Varroa jacobsoni is a prospective pest of honeybees in many parts of the world." In September 1987, a Varroa infestation was discovered in the United States in an apiary in Wisconsin. Today, Varroa jacobsoni is a worldwide parasite of Apis mellifera.
The adult female mite is about the size of a pin head and can be seen with the unaided eye. Although the mites may be observed crawling on any part of the adult bee body, they are most likely to be found between the over-lapping abdominal sternites or on the thorax. Here the mites are protected and have access to the intersegmental membranes which they pierce in order to feed on haemolymph.
Life Cycle of Varroa jacobsoni
To reproduce, the Varroa mite leaves the adult bee and enters the brood cells of developing larvae. The mite prefers drone larvae. It crawls down the side of the cell to the bottom where it submerges itself in the liquid food of the larvae which has been supplied by the attending bees. It lies motionless in the liquid and waits for the cell to be capped. After the cell has been capped, the mite attaches itself to the developing bee larva and begins to feed on the larval haemolymph. In severe infestations, several mites may enter a single cell. Mating takes place within the cell and four days after the cell has been capped, the mite begins to lay single eggs at thirty hour intervals. The Varroa mite matures to an adult within eight days and the female mites emerge with the eclosing adult bee. Male mites die within the brood cells.
The adult female mite is about 1.1mm long, 1.5mm wide, and reddish-brown in color. It is important to note that the bee louse, Braula coeca, resembles Varroa jacobsoni in size and color, but Braula coeca has six legs rather than eight. The Varroa mite causes reduced life expectancy of bees, due to microbial invasions, and causes bees to emerge as adults with shortened abdomens, misshapen wings, deformed legs and weighing less than healthy bees.
Visual Examination of brood.
Varroa mites can easily be seen on pupae after removal of cell cappings. With a sharp knife remove cappings and dislodge the pupae onto a clean white surface. An alternative method is to pierce cells of capped drone pupae with a cappings scratcher and pull them out of their cells. Pupae can then be examined and mites easily observed. Unfortunately, we can determine if mites are present with this technique but visual inspection is not reliable as a treatment threshold.
The Ether Roll Test
The ether roll test is a quick method for detecting the presence of mites. Collect 200-300 bees from the brood area of a hive into a quart jar. Using a can of aerosol ether-based starter fluid, spray into the jar for approximately one second. Close the jar immediately and gently shake the bees for 20 seconds. Then turn the jar on its side and gently roll the bees. Any Varroa present will stick to the sides of the jar and be seen as brown, pin-head size mites. Due to numerous variables, ether roll is not reliable for determining a control threshold.
Shake & Wash Method
Varroa jacobsoni can also be detected by collecting 200 to 300 bees in a quart jar. After tapping the jar to settle the bees to the bottom add approximately 1 pint of 70% alcohol or a soapy water mixture. Shaking the jar for 1 minute will dislodge 90% of the mites. Remove the bees from the solution by pouring through a wire screen with 8-12 mesh/in. The mites can be removed by passing the liquid through a coffee filter or cotton cloth and examining it for the presence of mites. If 25 or more mites are on the filter/cloth mite control should be applied.
Sticky Paper Test Method
The sticky paper test method samples mites that die or fall off bees within the colony and is the most effective method to detect Varroa jacobsoni. To use a sticky board, clean the bottom board of debris and cut a thin white piece of cardboard that can be inserted and removed easily. Spray a thin layer of Pam®, (cooking oil) or petroleum jelly on the piece of cardboard so fallen debris will adhere to it. Construct a frame from ¼ inch by ¼ inch wood sticks and sandwich the frame between the white cardboard and a piece of #8 mesh wire. Use staples to secure the cardboard and wire screen to the frame. The wire mesh will
prevent bees from removing any mites that fall through the screen and the mites reattaching to workers. After 4 to 7 days, the frame can be removed and inspected for mites. If 100 or more mites/day are found on the sticky surface, a mite control should be utilized.
Once Varroa increased in abundance within apiaries and spread among the population of honey bees in the U.S., the serious effects of this parasite (often called a disease) quickly became evident. Once infested, colonies cannot be kept free of Varroa. Losses during the winters of 1994-95 and the following winter were especially heavy on Delmarva. Commercial beekeepers quickly adopted chemical control of Varroa mites - the bee industry which during the 70's and 80's was seeking methods to survive major instances of pesticide poisoning of their bees quickly adapted to using a pesticide directly inside the colony in the 90's.
Chemical Control
The recommended product for the control of Varroa jacobsoni is Apistan®. The active ingredient in this product is a pyrethroid (fluvalinate). It is easy to use as it comes in the form of impregnated plastic strips that are hung between the frames twice a year - in early spring and late fall in southern locations and once a year - in early fall in Delmarva and in northern areas. Besides ease in use, Apistan is extremely effective in killing mites without apparent side effects.
In 1998 the inevitable occurred with Apistan when bees resistant to the chemical were confirmed. Mites are well known for this quality especially when subjected to continued use of chemicals in a control program. Resistance should expand and eventually this chemical will not provide effective control. Another chemical, Coumaphos (Bayer Bee Strips®) utilizing a highly toxic organophosphate, has been registered under Section 18 provisions for use on resistant mites (and a new pest, the small hive beetle) in 1999. It is unclear how long use of this chemical will be permitted as all OP's are slated for elimination on foods as specified in the latest U.S. law on pesticides.
Another chemical, formic acid has been used by beekeepers for Varroa mite control. It is a dangerous and difficult to use chemical (for the user - not for bees) but development and registration of a gel formulation, expected to be completed in 1999, will likely lead to adoption of formic acid in Varroa control. it is less effective than Apistan but still helpful in reducing mite numbers and the chance of colony loss in the fall.
A large number of essential oils have been tested for effectiveness as Varroa mite chemical controls. Some essential oils (thyme, bay oil, oraganum) seem to reduce mite numbers but treatment protocols are still not perfected. Some of the essential oils, because they are so concentrated, may be toxic/irritating to beekeepers and bees. Careful experiments have not demonstrated their unquestioned effectiveness. Some properly applied essential oils may lead to reductions in mite numbers.
Biorationals
There may be some alternatives to miticides. Hormone mimics or chitin inhibitors might be developed to interfere with mite reproduction - there is some evidence hormone disruption may be why some bee populations (such as africanized bees in South America) are less seriously affected by Varroa mite infestations. Mites are delicate and susceptible to dehydration. There is some research on dessicant materials that might hold promise for mite reduction in the future. Yet another promising research approach is determination of the effect of smoke or smoke with additives of tobacco (pipe tobacco), grapefruit leaves or staghorn sumac bobs on knocking mites off bees and trapping them on sticky bottom board traps.
Non-chemical Control
There are a number of alternative control possibilities for reducing Varroa mites in bee colonies. These non-chemical or IPM techniques will not serve as "rescue" treatments to quickly reduce mite populations and "save" a bee colony but they may be used - perhaps in combinations - to reduce the numbers of mites and thus alleviate the need to use a miticide chemical inside a bee colony.
Cultural Control
There is good evidence to demonstrate that restricting queens for a time period that results in a break in the brood cycle can reduce mite population levels. An alternative is to place drone comb inside colonies to serve as a mite attraction "sink" and then removing the comb and killing the mites by freezing the drone brood before the mites hatch inside the colony. Small cell size (such as using foundation for africanized bees) has been shown to reduce the reproduction rate of mites since fewer develop to the adult stage inside the smaller cells.
Physical/Mechanical Control
Using sticky bottom boards (paper with a sticky substance like adhesive, PAM® cooking spray or petroleum jelly attached ¼ - ½ inch beneath an 8 mesh screen) reduces bee mite populations inside bee colonies. Forty percent of mites falling to such boards are alive and capable of reacquiring an adult bee host if not held by a sticky surface. Modification of the bottom board so that mites that fall off hosts end up ½ to 2 inches below the surface where adult bees walk (such as a screen bottom board in place of the solid wooden bottom) are also effective in mite reduction. It is believed that use of modified/sticky bottom boards combined with smoker additives or organic acid/essential oil chemicals may reduce reliance of miticides. Use of a technique of heating the hive with hot air also has been described as effective in desiccating mites and reducing their numbers.
Genetic Control
It is hoped that honey bees more resistant to Varroa mites can be developed and distributed via queen rearing to the bee industry. USDA studies of a Russian bee stock hold great promise. Thirty percent of European worker larvae harbored mites and 80% of drone larvae had mites compared to 7% worker larvae and 40% of drone brood in one comparison study of the Russian bee stock. It has been demonstrated that some mites are less virulent than others and it has been suggested that this difference can be exploited genetically. Different bee stocks vary in their hygienic behavior - those most hygienic groom mites from sisters in their hive at a greater rate than less hygienic stock. This difference needs to be exploited to help reduce mite populations.
Biocontrol
Some bees remove bee mites more rapidly than other bees. Such a stock has been selected in Arizona but unfortunately the bees are africanized and too defensive to consider for use outside the areas where the Africanized population now exists. The search is on for predators/diseases of Varroa mite, especially in Asia where they have existed on Apis cerana for a longer time period, but so far more have been discovered.
IPM - Integrated Control
Instead of reliance on a miticide, beekeepers need look to an integrated approach to Varroa mite control. The miticide Apistan still provides control for the majority of the bee population with mites but continued use, misuse and excessive use will speed development of resistant mites. Techniques, most likely in combination, may reduce potential losses and help extend use of current miticides.
Determination of a threshold level of mites using a monitoring technique such as sticky boards should allow miticide treatment of only those apiaries (or individual colonies for hobbyists) that require treatment. This spot treatment will help extend usefulness of chemicals for a longer time period.
Since Varroa mites seem to be a factor in Bee PMS and stress factors probably lead to greater damage in bee colonies integrate disease management such as the following are recommended:
4/9/99
D.M. Caron
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(NOTE FROM CONRAD: Resistance may also be derived, at least, from breeding bees with shorter larval periods or which have a greater propensity to remove bees from one another in grooming behavior.)
Regarding biological control possibilities (there are no currenly recommended bio-control agents)
from http://www3.telus.net/conrad/nepalbee.htm
Inside the hives (of Apis cerana, in Nepal) ... were a couple of small creatures which appeared to be a cross between a spider and a scorpion-- which, as arachnids, they are indeed related. I explained to my companions that the arachnids were called pseudoscorpions. The animals are too small to prey on the bees themselves and too large to act as ectoparasites so they are probably no threat to the principal apine inhabitants of the hives-- although there has been speculation that they may feed on the body fluids of larvae. It is more likely that they feed on small insects and other arthropods that invade the hive. Liz noted that the local beekeepers referred to the creatures as "the beekeepers' friends" but she was not sure why, nor were the several beekeepers to whom we subsequently spoke. The tantalizing possibility exists, also raised by those few researchers who have published information on the subject, that, through grooming of the bees whose living space they share, these arachnids assist in keeping down the population of varroa mites, which I observed to be present in very low numbers. (Of course, there are aspects of the biology of Apis cerana-- such as relatively shorter larval stages, the bees own grooming behaviour, tendency to abscond, etc.-- which imbues them with a relative resistance to varroa mites compared to Apis mellifera.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://64.26.129.82/label/23000-23999/23023.pdf
98.12.11
APISTAN(R)(MD)
AGRICULTURAL
ANTI-VARROA MITE STRIPS
KILLS VARROA, NOT THE HONEY BEE
NO-MESS APPLICATION
READ THE LABEL BEFORE USING
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
GUARANTEE/: FLUVALINATE-TAU.....10.25%
REGISTRATION NO. 23023
PEST CONTROL PRODUCTS ACT
100 STRIPS(600 g)
WELLMARK INTERNATIONAL
P.O. BOX 20040, WOODLAWN POSTAL OUTLET
GUELPH, ONTARIO
N1H 8H6
DIRECTIONS FOR USE
WEAR CHEMICAL RESISTANT GLOVES WHEN HANDLING THE STRIPS.
Just before application, remove the required number of APISTAN
STRIPS from the pouch. Unused strips should remain in original
package.
For best results, use one strip for each 5 frames or less of
bees, in each brood chamber. For example, hang one strip between
frames 3 and 4 and the second strip between frames 7 and 8, in a
ten frame colony. APISTAN STRIPS must be in contact with brood
nest at all times. For best chemical distribution, use APISTAN
STRIPS when daytime high temperatures are at least 10'C.
For Control: Remove honey supers, place APISTAN STRIPS in hives,
and remove strips after a 42-day treatment period. Honey supers
may be replaced after the APISTAN STRIPS have been removed.
Effective varroa mite control is achieved during the treatment
period. Hives are only to be treated in the spring before the
first honey flow and in the fall after the last honey flow.
For Detection: Place white sticky paper below the frames (sticky
side up). Remove honey supers before application of APISTAN
STRIPS and do not replace until the end of the survey period. At
various intervals, check for Varroa on withdrawn white, sticky
paper from below the frames. Remove strips from the hive within
7 days and replace the honey supers.
PRECAUTIONS: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. Wear chemical
resistant gloves when handling strips. Wash hands thoroughly
with soap and water after removing gloves. Harmful if swallowed.
Do not expose honey intended for human consumption directly to
APISTAN STRIPS. Do not store strip separately form box. Do not
re-use strips. After treatment, do not use beeswax for human
consumption. Fluvalinate-tau is toxic to fish. Do not
contaminate aquatic systems with fluvalinate-tau by storage or
disposal of Apistan Anti-Varroa Mite Strips.
FIRST AID: IF INGESTED - Contact a physician or a Poison Control
Centre immediately. IF ON SKIN - Wash affected area thoroughly
with soap and water.
STORAGE: Keep strips in original, unopened package until ready to
use. Do not store in direct sunlight. Do not store unused
strips in anything other than the original package. Do not store
near pesticides or chemical substances that could contaminate the
strips and result in bee toxicity. Do not contaminate food, feed
or water by the storage and/or disposal of this product.
DISPOSAL: Do not re-use strips or empty packages. Make the empty
package unsuitable for further use. Dispose of the package and
used strips in accordance with provincial requirements. Openburning
of Apistan Anti-Varroa Mite Strips is prohibited. For
information on the disposal of unused, unwanted product contact
the Provincial Regulatory Agency or the Manufacturer.
NOTICE TO USER: This control product is to be used only in
accordance with the directions on this label. It is an offence
under the Pest Control Products Act to use a control product
under unsafe conditions.
NOTICE TO BUYER: Seller's guarantee shall be limited to the terms
set out in the label and subject thereto. The buyer assumes the
risk to persons or property arising from the use or handling of
this product, and accepts the product on that condition.
APISTAN is a registered trademark of Wellmark International.
[[INSERT]]
APISTAN(R)
ANTI-VARROA MITE STRIPS
Kills Varroa, not the Honey Bee.
No-Mess Application.
AGRICULTURAL
READ THE LABEL OF POUCH AND OUTER BOX BEFORE USING
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
GUARANTEE: Fluvalinate-tau.....10.25%
REGISTRATION NO. 23023
PEST CONTROL PRODUCTS ACT
EPA Est. No. 2724-TX-1
To separate strips, hold firmly at corner, near tab, and pull
along scored line, from top to bottom.
Wellmark International
P.O. BOX 20040, Woodlawn Postal Outlet
Guelph, Ontario
N1H 8H6
100 STRIPS 600 g
PRECAUTIONS: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. Wear chemical
resistant gloves when handling strips. Wash hands thoroughly
with soap and water after removing gloves. Harmful if swallowed.
Do not expose honey intended for human consumption directly to
APISTAN STRIPS. Do not store strip separately from box. Do not
re-use strips. After treatment, do not use beeswax for human
consumption. Fluvalinate-tau is toxic to fish. Do not
contaminate aquatic systems with fluvalinate-tau by storage or
disposal of Apistan Anti-Varroa Mite Strips.
FIRST AID: IF INGESTED - Contact a physician or poison control
centre immediately. IF ON SKIN - Wash affected area thoroughly
with soap and water.
DISPOSAL: Dispose of the package and used strips in accordance
with provincial requirements. For information on the disposal of
unused, unwanted product, contact the Provincial Regulatory
Agency or the Manufacturer.
30551B
APISTAN is a registered trademark of Wellmark International.
******************************
This label transcript service is offered by the Pest Management
Regulatory Agency to provide efficient searching for label
information. This service and this information do not replace
the official hard-copy label. The PMRA does not provide any
guarantee or assurance that the information obtained through this
service is accurate, current or correct, and is therefore not
liable for any loss resulting, directly or indirectly, from
reliance upon this service.
+))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://ace.orst.edu/cgi-bin/mfs/01/pips/fluvalin.htm
E X T O X N E T
Extension Toxicology Network
Pesticide Information Profiles
A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Oregon State University, the University of Idaho, and the University of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program.
EXTOXNET primary files maintained and archived at Oregon State University
Revised June 1996
Fluvalinate
Trade and Other Names: Trade names include Apistan, Klartan, Mavrik, Mavrik Aqua Flow, Spur, Taufluvalinate, and Yardex.
Regulatory Status: Fluvalinate is a moderately toxic compound in EPA toxicity class II. Some formulations may have the capacity to cause corrosion of the eyes. Pesticides containing fluvalinate must bear the Signal Word DANGER on the product label. Fluvalinate is classified as a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) because of its high toxicity to fish and aquatic invertebrates. Restricted Use Pesticides may be purchased and used only by certified applicators.
Chemical Class: pyrethroid
Introduction: Fluvalinate is a synthetic pyrethroid which is used as a broad spectrum insecticide against moths, beetles and other insect pests on cotton, cereal, grape, potato, fruit tree, vegetable and plantation crops, fleas, and turf and ornamental insects. It is available in emulsifiable concentrates, suspensions and flowable formulations.
Formulation: It is available in emulsifiable concentrates, suspensions, and flowable formulations.
Toxicological Effects:
Ecological Effects:
Environmental Fate:
Physical Properties:
Exposure Guidelines:
Basic Manufacturer:
Sandoz Agro, Inc.
1300 E. Touhy Ave.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
References:
References for the information in this PIP can be found in Reference List Number 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.apistan.com/msds_specimen/msds.html
Date Issued: February 1998
Supersedes: April, 1996
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
ZOECON® APISTAN® ANTI-VARROA MITE STRIP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer: Wellmark International
Address: 1000 Tower Lane, Suite 245, Schaumburg, Illinois 60106
Emergency Phone: 1-800-248-7763
Transportation Emergency Phone: CHEMTREC: 1-800-424-9300
Product Name: Zoecon® Apistan® Anti-Varroa Mite Strip
Chemical Name/Synonym: tau-Fluvalinate: (RS)--cyano-3-phenoxybenzl N-(2-chloro-,,,-trifluoro-p-tolyl)-D-valinate
Chemical Family: Synthetic Pyrethroid
Formula: C26 H22 CI F3 N2 O3
EPA Registration No.: 2724-406
RF Number: 318G
Inventory Control Number: 86055F
Component
(chemical, common name)
CAS Number Weight Tolerance
tau-Fluvalinate: (RS)--cyano-3-phenoxybenzl
N-(2-chloro-,,,-trifluoro-p-tolyl)-D-valinate 102851-06-9 10.00% Not established
Inert ingredients
(nonhazardous/trade secret) 90.00% Not established
PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT
KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN
CAUTION: DO NOT GET IN MOUTH. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY WITH SOAP AND WATER AFTER HANDLING STRIP. DO NOT PLACE STRIPS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH COMBS CONTAINING HONEY INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. AFTER TREATMENT, DO NOT USE BEESWAX FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (INCLUDING HONEYCOMB, CHUNK HONEY, AND WAX FOR CONFECTIONARY PURPOSES).
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF OVEREXPOSURE
Clinical symptoms may include salivation, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea. In certain individuals, a temporary sensory effect (itching, tingling, numbness) may occur which usually subsides without medical-treatment.
PRIMARY ROUTE OF ENTRY
Dermal/Eye: Yes
Oral: No
Inhalation: No
ACUTE TOXICITY
Oral: LD50 (rat): > 3000 mg/kg/bwt (highest dose level tested)
Dermal: LD50 (rabbit): > 2000 mg/kg/bwt (highest dose level tested)
Inhalation: Not known
OTHER TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Skin Irritation: Slight (rabbit), may cause temporary peripheral sensory phenomenon (paresthesia) in some individuals.
Eye Irritation: Mild (rabbit)
Sensitizer: Non-sensitizing
Eye: Very unlikely to occur due to product form. If eye contact should occur, flush immediately with water. If irritation persists, get medical attention.
Skin: Wash thoroughly with soap and water. If irritation appears consult a physician.
Ingestion: Very unlikely to occur due to product form. If swallowed, contact physician.
Inhalation: Very unlikely to occur due to product form.
Note to Physician: Treat symptomatically.
NFPA Rating:
Health: 1
Fire: 0
Reactivity: 0
Flammability Class: Combustible solid
Flash Point: Not applicable
Explosive Limits (% of Volume): Not established
Extinguishing Media: Water, CO2, dry chemical, foam
Special Protective Equipment: Firefighters should wear full protective clothing and self contained breathing apparatus.
Fire Fighting Procedures: Normal procedures. Do not allow fire fighting water to escape into waterways or sewers.
Combustion Products: Hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride may form on burning.
Unusual Fire/Explosion Hazards: None known
Steps to be taken: None needed due to product form and packaging
Absorbents: Due to product form, no absorbents should be necessary
Incompatibles: Strong oxidizing agents
Handling: Wear gloves (e.g. latex) when handling the strips. Wash hands, face and arms thoroughly with soap and water after handling product.
Storage: Do not contaminate water, food, or feed by storage. Store in unopened protective pouch. Do not open pouch until ready to use. Do not store unused strips in anything but original package. Do not store in direct sun light.
Exposure Limits: Not established
Ventilation: Use with adequate ventilation.
Personal Protective Equipment: Wear gloves (e.g. latex) when handling the strips. Wash hands, face and arms thoroughly with soap and water after handling product.
Appearance and Odor: Light golden colored, clear plastic strip, very low odor.
Boiling Point: Not applicable
Melting Point: Not determined
Vapor Pressure (mm Hg): Not determined
Vapor Density (Air = 1): N/A
Specific Gravity: N/A
Bulk Density: N/A
Solubility: None
Evaporation Rate: N/A
pH: N/A
Stability: Stable
Reactivity: Non-reactive
Incompatibility with Other Materials: Strong oxidizing agents
Decomposition Products: Hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide
Hazardous Polymerization: Will not occur
CHRONIC TOXICITY [Specific to Active Ingredient(s)]
Rats received tau-fluvalinate via gavage. No oncogenic potential was shown. The NEL was 1 mg/kg/day. Mice were fed diets containing tau-fluvalinate. With the exception of skin lesions, no compound-related toxicity was observed. No oncogenic potential was shown. The systemic NOEL was considered to be 20/mg/kg/day. Dogs were treated with racemic tau-fluvalinate daily for six months. Vomiting and diarrhea occurred at 50 mg/kg/day and skin lesions at the 3 highest levels. The NEL was determined to be 2 mg/kg/day.
DEVELOPMENTAL/REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY [Specific to Active Ingredient(s)]
Rats were administered racemic tau-fluvalinate during presumed gestation. The developmental NEL was 10 mg/kg/day. Skin lesions were observed at 100 ppm and above. Treatment-related mortality occurred at 500 and 1000 ppm. In the first generation, pup growth was inhibited at levels of 250 ppm and above during lactation. The NEL was 20 ppm. Rabbits were administered tau-fluvalinate during presumed gestation. Signs of maternal toxicity were anorexia, depression, and decreased body weights. The NEL was 25 mg/kg/day.
MUTAGENICITY [Specific to Active Ingredient(s)]
The weight of evidence suggests tau-fluvalinate is not a mutagen.
OTHER
In rats, oral administration of 60 mg/kg daily for 7 consecutive days resulted in histopathological evidence of neurotoxocity in the peripheral nervous system. However, the changes were not persistent and were no longer evident following 2 weeks without treatment.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE [Active Ingredients Only]
Hydrolysis: Main mechanism of dissipation at basic pH
Photolysis: Degraded rapidly in sunlight and artificial light
