get xen-tari BT approved for wax moth

[MichaelW]

A while back I emailed Valent Biosciences using this form.

http://www.valentbiosciences.com/contact_us/contact_us_4.asp

and requested they work on getting xen-tari approved for wax moth. The guy that responded was interested and seemed to have little knowledge about beekeepers need to control wax moths. He asked some questions and I answered as best I could but have not heard any thing else. It could be a good idea to send email to let them know it would be a worthwhile market to enter. Here is one question he asked I had a hard time comming up with an answer for.

"How much product would the average bee keeper need per year to control this pest?"

Hopefully approval wouldn't backfire to where it would be as expensive as Certain, but I would think they couldn't really raise the price like that when they already sell the same thing for vegetable crops.

[Sundance]

I talked with a few folks at Valent
reqarding approval of Xen Tari for
wax worms in beekeeping. I told
them that the market is not a small
one, nor is is a large one.

The reality is the product is really
only attractive to smaller bee operations.
Larger operations scoff at the idea of
spraying every comb when they can pack
1000's of boxed into a building and
gas them. I don't blame them.

I hung a new 14 x 13 door yesterday for
a beekeeper that runs 6,000 colonies and
is headed back to Texas this week. I did
mention Bt and he had no interest due to
the labor issue.

[MichaelW]

Good point Bruce,
Anyone care to calculate the number of small to sideling operations and the amounts they could use?

In TN, thats really all we have, but you see bee hives all over the place.

[ainsof]

Sundance:

What kind of gas is used? Is this like ethylene oxide or something?

[Sundance]

I believe it is ainsof....... the one
I am referencing hires an exterminator
to come in.

[ainsof]

Whew... "EO" is really nasty stuff, but it kills everything.