Varroa Gate

[justsmith]

Anyone heard anything about this ?

https://beecare.bayer.com/media-center/news/detail/a-new-way-of-protecting-bees-against-varroa-mites

Not that i expect it would be allowed in the uk anyway

 

[Beefriendly]

Thanks for the link, very interesting.
It should be allowed in UK if they are using one of the already accepted acaricides.

 

[B+.]

Thanks for the link, very interesting.
It should be allowed in UK if they are using one of the already accepted acaricides.

at NHS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BopnuGfJDpk

 

[Beefriendly]

at NHS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BopnuGfJDpk

Sorry B+, don't have 50 minutes to spare, perhaps you can tell me what it's about?

 

[Erichalfbee]

At the spring convention trade show Bayer had Polyvar that looks like your varroa gate. A new product containing Flumethrin

 

[Beefriendly]

And commercially available to buy.
https://www.agradi.com/polyvar-bee-strip-yellow-yellow.htm

 

[Erichalfbee]

And commercially available to buy.
https://www.agradi.com/polyvar-bee-strip-yellow-yellow.htm

How wonderful. A teeny dose of insecticide/acaricide every time a bee goes in and out. Lovely

 

[B+.]

How wonderful. A teeny dose of insecticide/acaricide every time a bee goes in and out. Lovely

Yes. I wonder how many times a bee comes/goes and how many doses it gets

 

[Beefriendly]

How wonderful. A teeny dose of insecticide/acaricide every time a bee goes in and out. Lovely

Not much different from using Apivar/Amitraz strips etc inside the hive, except it targets the older flying bees with less time left to live.
Ohh and a different acaricide before someone points out the obvious!

 

[maddydog]

I may be wrong but it appears to target the Varroa threat from without rather than an already infested hive?
How long does the block release pesticide for?

 

[Kenson]

Yes. It was posted on this site a few months ago.

As I remember the response was "luke warm", some of the suggested negatives were:
1. "Low dosing" builds up resistance faster (along the lines of desensitisation courses, see D Pearce's experience).
2. It is "just another (expensive) chemical treatment".
3. Someone felt it could work as a "pollen trap".
4. Someone felt it was "A drugs company marketing gimmick".
5. As is pointed out above, it can treat "flying bees", but not brood, much of the Varroa is in the brood. IF the argument is that it does "gently transfer into the brood from the bees movement", why not just stick a strip in and really massacre the Varroa, or Vape to give them a real nightmare.

Personally, all efforts to knobble Varroa are laudable, BUT, "Low dose" does ring alarm bells in my head, because it is how WE as humans overcome most things like smallpox (cowpox) and Flu, is there a danger that this method will "Train" Varroa to be resistant to it?

K

 

[Beefriendly]

is there a danger that this method will "Train" Varroa to be resistant to it?

K

Its active ingredient is Flumethrin and resistance to it is already reported from usage of strips in several areas.