Hopguard

[Black Comb]

http://www.vita-europe.com/vita-starts-registration-process-for-green-varroa-control-treatment/

 

[pargyle]

http://www.vita-europe.com/vita-starts-registration-process-for-green-varroa-control-treatment/

Don't know much about this but as it is, apparently, a 'natural' treatment then it looks very promising to those of us who are averse to 'chemical' products.

There's some good comments about it here: (You need to read past the first bit complaining about the pack instructions).

http://www.honeybeesuite.com/hopping-mad-at-hopguard/

Just found another thread as well ... one post:

"I talked to some people at Mann Lake and some of the beekeepers that used it, and from what I understand HopGuard works best in damper, cooler weather (I am not exactly sure what that means) and it works for about 3 days before it dries out. And I hear it has a great mite drop. It sounds like it could be a great treatment for brood-less periods or a low mite level, but if you have brood you're not going to kill at least half the mites. "

If that's the case then the majority of the UK is a prime market for it !

 

[For want of a better word]

Mackeson would be as good... by golly!

A long-lasting television advertising campaign with the actor Bernard Miles contained the catch-phrase that Mackeson "looks good, tastes good and, by golly, it does you good."

 

[pargyle]

http://www.vita-europe.com/vita-starts-registration-process-for-green-varroa-control-treatment/

So ... a bit more internet searching yields the fact that it's been available in the USA since 2010 ... some really good reports of highly successful mite drop for the first three days of using the strips. People who have used it report that three treatments in consecutive weeks seem to work best as it only affects the phoretic mites. Can't find any reports that are critical of it - except pack instructions are poor and really it needs to be used with a mite drop count regime to determine the effectiveness in local conditions.

Active ingredient is: PIKE (Oh no ... not fish again !).

http://www.hopsteiner.com/products/pdf/2012/08_09_Pike.pdf

Allegedly used in brewing industry and commercially available so could be a home brew (Oh no ... not again !) possibility !

 

[Skyhook]

Sounds like it could be another useful tool in the box, though whether as an alternative to thymol, or as a 'crikey there's a lot of mites, and it's only June' fallback, remains to be seen.


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