Apivar

[BeeNovice24]

Last winter I left some of my hives with a super whilst treating with Apivar, as they were low on stores. I marked the supers so that I would know these were left on with treatment.

I have now made a terrible mistake and accidentally included one of the treated supers with my honey extraction. I know that my honey is now spoilt and can’t be used for human consumption, but rather than discard my 6 buckets of honey, can I keep this honey and feedback to the bees in the spring?

 

[Wilco]

Surely they ate the stores and then refilled them with fresh honey this season?

 

[Sutty]

Surely they ate the stores and then refilled them with fresh honey this season?

Not an unreasonable assumption considering they were left on as short on stores.

 

[The Poot]

Is it feasible that all six buckets could be affected? Do you know the order of extraction - at what point in the process was the affected super included and which buckets had been filled prior to that?

 

[BeeNovice24]

Not an unreasonable assumption considering they were left on as short on stores.

Yes, but I’m not 100% sure they were fully consumed, so I’m concerned there was at least some contaminated mixed in.

 

[BeeNovice24]

Is it feasible that all six buckets could be affected? Do you know the order of extraction - at what point in the process was the affected super included and which buckets had been filled prior to that?

I was able to save a few buckets that I know were from other hives. Unfortunately for these six I’m not sure which has the affected batch as they were all extracted on one day, and I only discovered the error today when I was taking the supers back off the hives after I let the bees clean them out. Has certainly taught be a tough lesson on not rushing during the extraction process !

 

[Sutty]

Yes, but I’m not 100% sure they were fully consumed, so I’m concerned there was at least some contaminated mixed in.

Though if left on over winter with little other stores it would only be the equivalent to some stores remaining in a treated brood box which could then get moved up as the brood nest expands.
Though it may not fulfil the precise letter of the instructions I'm not sure there is a real problem. Though I've never used Apivar.

 

[Sutty]

This is of interest.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs...d that no,application in all treated colonies.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

have now made a terrible mistake and accidentally included one of the treated supers with my honey extraction. I know that my honey is now spoilt

how? why?

 

[Erichalfbee]

one of the treated supers

I know that my honey is now spoilt

Hmmmm
I tend to agree with JBM

 

[BeeNovice24]

how? why?

I had marked on the side of the super, so I knew it was the treated one. However when I started taking off the supers to extract, I missed that it was marked and so I spun it off with the rest. It was only when I was putting the frames in the freezer did that I noticed the marking on the side of the super. Stupid mistake because I was rushing to get my supers off!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I had marked on the side of the super, so I knew it was the treated one. However when I started taking off the supers to extract, I missed that it was marked and so I spun it off with the rest. It was only when I was putting the frames in the freezer did that I noticed the marking on the side of the super. Stupid mistake because I was rushing to get my supers off!

that still doesn't answer my question.
Do you honestly believe that you can never ever again use a box/frames for honey harvesting once it has been in contact with Apivar?

 

[Sutty]

If you look ar the likely amount of residual "treated" stores, take into account the length of time elapsed, and the dilution, I suspect it's a non-problem to be under the allowed residual levels of amitraz (as metabolites) at 0.2mg per kilogram.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It's a funny thing. You put Apivar in a brood that has stores in. it. Some are at some time moved into a super....so is any super on top of an Apivar treated brood at risk?
Apivar and the substances it degrades into go into the wax not the honey...is my understanding

 

[Moobee]

On a similar topic..... does anyone here just use OA to treat for mites? I have ApilifeVar I was considering using this year for my autumn treatment but really can't be dealing with the faff of having separate supers & frames marked up for use with miticides. What i've done with OA in the past is remove supers, vape & put back after about 10 minutes. So i'm thinking I could just vape this season instead - give them a blast now, another in December and again early spring. Is that a sensible plan? Or not......?

 

[Erichalfbee]

On a similar topic..... does anyone here just use OA to treat for mites? I have ApilifeVar I was considering using this year for my autumn treatment but really can't be dealing with the faff of having separate supers & frames marked up for use with miticides. What i've done with OA in the past is remove supers, vape & put back after about 10 minutes. So i'm thinking I could just vape this season instead - give them a blast now, another in December and again early spring. Is that a sensible plan? Or not......?

I vape solely.
If you want to try that you need to vape four times at five day intervals just now and in spring. Check the 24 hour drop after each dose. Some colonies need more than 4
There’s a thread here https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/new-vaper-convert-confusion.57431/#post-915362

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

On a similar topic..... does anyone here just use OA to treat for mites?

many on here probably.

 

[Moobee]

I vape solely.
If you want to try that you need to vape four times at five day intervals just now and in spring. Check the 24 hour drop after each dose. Some colonies need more than 4
There’s a thread here https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/new-vaper-convert-confusion.57431/#post-915362

Ah thanks. Missed that thread. Thought that was the case but wanted to check as I also treated myself to a shiny new InstaVap recently.

 

[rossbyjove]

Ah thanks. Missed that thread. Thought that was the case but wanted to check as I also treated myself to a shiny new InstaVap recently.

I just bought a second hand unimel extractor from a guy who is mentored by a Ukranian.
He showed me the Ukranian version of the instavap.
I should have taken a pic of it , cobbled together from bits and pieces.
Looked like a dystopian sci fi weapon !

 

[Jules59]

This is of interest.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00218839.2021.1918943#:~:text=The results demonstrated that no,application in all treated colonies.

Thanks for that.

It made me think about Apiguard; where supers are to be removed during the month long application. Its basically thymol.
What do we know about residual thymol levels in wax and honey after treatment?

I put a couple of extracted supers back on above the crown boards to be cleaned out whilst Apiguard was still being given. Probably not a good idea really. But I wonder how much thymol would they have absorbed in the 3 days they were on.

We feed thymol augmented syrup and dont seem to worry about the thymol getting into any supers that are on at the time or where the syrup ultimately ends up.