Apistan Results

[BilllBee]

First year beek, trying to get a handle on varroa mite treatment. From August 4 to 9 I recorded a sticky board mite count of 140 mites in a 10 frame double deep hive. I began treating with Apistan strips as per directions on August 9. On August 25 - 27 I did another mite count with a sticky board and recorded 190 mites. That would be 80 per day.

Is this a good sign? Does it mean the Apistan is working or do I have an extreme mite infestation?

Should I continue to treat with the Apistan for the remainder of the 6 weeks, or do I switch to something more powerful?

[BEES4U]

or do I switch to something more powerful?

The mites have developed natural resistance to Apistan.
Thaks for doing the mite drop counts so that you know where the bees stand on mite loads.
You might consider using Apiguard before the mite load kills the hive.
Good Luck,
Ernie

[Velbert]

The mite has to be on the bee and the bee has to crawl on the strip to be effective. You need to leave them in for no less than 25-30 days to kill any mites that are in the sealed brood giving the bees a chance to come in contact with the strip to rid them of the mites that may be on them

[beemandan]

Is this a good sign? Does it mean the Apistan is working or do I have an extreme mite infestation?

It seems to me like its too early to tell. If you leave the strips in for the recommended interval and then remove them....then do your sticky sheet test and compare it to the one done before treating.
If your bees (and mites) have not been exposed to fluvalenate for several years then the mites may no longer be resistant. Since you've already embarked on this treatment, I'd allow it to go its course and check again.

[Dave W]

Your Apistan only killed 52 mites per day (140/5=28, 80-28=52).
Based on my past use of Apistan some 6 years ago, something is very wrong.
You should see THOUSANDS of dead mites.

[beemandan]

You should see THOUSANDS of dead mites.

You're thinking that the mite kill would be linear over the entire period that the strips were in the hive. Without knowing what the mite kill was for the first two weeks you don't really know how well or poorly it has worked. For all you know it may have killed thousands for each of the first few days. Once again, in my opinion you won't know how well it works until after it has been in for the recommended interval and after removing it you do a count.

[Michael Bush]

I would say they are Apistan resistant. Back when it worked it would kill thousands a day in a hive that had a 140 a day natural drop.

[pgayle]

I am thinking about using apiguard. Haven't put it on yet.

My natural mite drop was 200 over about 40 hours, big hive with brood in 3 deeps. I probably need to do something.

I'd like to monitor the mite fall after (IF) I put it on, but not sure how to set it up. You have to close off the screened bottom board, making my sticky board under the screened bottom board useless.

[Dave W]

>200 over about 40 hours . . .
That 120 mites per 24 hrs. Thats a very, very high number for any size colony.
Is your hive a "package-colony" started this spring, or an "second-year" hive?

>You have to close off the screened bottom board, making my sticky board under the screened bottom board useless . . .
The sticky-board is what is used to "close off" the SBB. The mites fall through the screen onto the sticky-board. You pull out the SB and count the mites. Whats the problem?

[MWillard]

I began treating with Apistan strips as per directions on August 9.

Have you considered another product like Mite Away II? This also treats for tracheal mites. The down side is that the day time temps must be between 50-75 degrees.