Using Api- life var

[Mintaphil]

Any experience/advice on using ApiLife Var in central NC for varroa mite control? I have used HopGuardII and MAQS before and wanted to switch up to thymol product and I purchased ApiLife Var (perhaps mistakenly) last spring. Thanks

[iddee]

No experience, but here are the specs for N. C.

http://www.ncagr.gov/SPCAP/pesticides/labels/ApiLifeVAR.pdf

[riverbee]

hi mintaphil and a hearty WELCOME to the forum!!!
thanks for joining and posting a question! 

for all, mintaphil sent me a pm asking about a comment i made about the use of api-life var.  i replied, but i will also reply here to the question.

i don't treat my bees very often ( i keep russians, russian queens, and russian mutts purchased from an rhba member (russian honey bee assciation).  these bees are pretty mite resistant for the most part.

in the past, when i have treated with api life var, the bees are driven out the front of the hive. the fumes from these strips are powerful. i have experienced queen problems after using these strips, and these strips (in my experience) have left a smelly residue in empty comb. it does work to kill mites but did not like some of the effects so i stopped using it.

if i need to treat my bees i will use a thymol product......apiguard.  for me, i like it better.

i think it's good to change up our mite treatments so a resistance is not developed.

keep an eye on your mite counts mintaphil, it may be that you might not need to treat as recommended. 

good luck, and let us know how your bees are coming along!

oh, and you too!........fall can be and is stressful sometimes when we are concerned about mite loads, and overwintering to spring months.

please keep us posted!

oh ps forgot!
introduce yourself in the welcome forum, tell us a little about yourself, and most of all keep coming back, and enjoy!

[kebee]

 Welcome Mintaphil to the forum, never used Apilife Var so cannot give any advice on it, I use an oxalic vapor in my hives to get rid of the mites.

Ken

[Barbarian]

Welcome to the forum, Mintaphil.

I have not used Apilife Var but another beek with whom I share an apiary has. This was a few years ago. I could smell the product, in the hives, from several yards away. The product has been available in the UK for several years but does not seem to have raced away.

100g of product contains: 76.6g thymol, 16g of eucalyptus oil, 3.7g of camphor and 3.7g of menthol.

A major UK supplier, Thornes, suggests that Apiguard is "the best weapon to fight resistant mite strains".