Formic Pro

[Jen]

I need to learn up on Formic Pro, mainly because I'm a mentor for our county. I have never used it, but I know many beeks that use it in the spring. I'm a fraidy cat. I know it isn't as hot a treatment as MAQS. I have two queens that are going into 4 years old and still laying like champs. I just don't want to kill them.

[Bakersdozen]

One of the best tools I have found to know about mite treatments is the guide written by the www.honeybeehealthcoalition.org.  Under resources, at the top of the page, go to Varroa Management Guide.  On page 19, of the varroa management guide, you will find all the pros and cons of Formic Pro, how to apply it, and when to apply it.
Some friends who have been keeping bees for decades, reported last year that they used Formic Pro will terrible results.  No mortality, it just didn't work. It would seem the mites had built up a tolerance to it.  But that doesn't mean it won't work for you.  This is another good reason to rotate mite treatments.

[The15thMember]

I've used Formic Pro several times and never had any issues with it until the last time I used it, when one of the packages didn't seem to work very well.  It was only the one package I though, so that could have just been a batch issue.  I used MAQS once before they reworked it into Formic Pro, and Formic Pro is a much nicer product.  It's easy to use and organic, but I always used it at the lower end of the acceptable temperature range.  Since temperature is what controls the rate of release of the product, I think that's probably why I never had any troubles.  The parent company Nod Apiary Products has a great FAQ section for Formic Pro on their website.  It answered all my questions, and I have wondered if they put more of this information on the label if people would have better success with the product, as there is a lot of information on the website that the package doesn't mention. https://nodglobal.com/frequently-asked-questions-formic-pro/   

[Jen]

Hi Baker and 15th, two of my best bee buddies use it every spring, then Apivar in the fall. They haven't had any problems with the Formic Pro that they know of. But some beekeepers have had some trouble with a few dead bees and dead queens. That could be an application problem, maybe climate too hot. Plus, it is advised to not use it in your Fall treatment. It says that the treatment doesn't kill the queen, that the bees supercede the queen after the treatment. I'm thinking that maybe the treatment does something to the queens pheromones?

Anyway, My two best hives every year have a 4 year old queen and a 3 year old queen. They are Italian queens, I love Italian queens. Anyway, I'm concerned about the age of these two queens and the Formic Pro. I know that the bees will make another queen of the same genetics, but I'm rather attached to these two queens and want to keep them as long as I can.

Baker the link from honey bee healthy coalition is pretty cool! 15th I'll take a look at your link next.
Thanks Ladies 

[The15thMember]

But some beekeepers have had some trouble with a few dead bees and dead queens.

Something to keep in mind about formic is that it will take out sick bees.  So it can lead to some dead bees, but if they were sickly or harboring viruses, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. 

Plus, it is advised to not use it in your Fall treatment. It says that the treatment doesn't kill the queen, that the bees supercede the queen after the treatment. I'm thinking that maybe the treatment does something to the queens pheromones?

 
I have used it in the fall, at the low end of the acceptable temperature spectrum, and not had queen troubles, but again, that's just me.  I have heard people say that it causes queen failure and supercedure, but I haven't experienced that personally.