Taktic

[dcross]

On DDT, when I was in Madison an entomologist told us that one of his elderly colleagues used to eat DDT powder on crackers at their office parties.

He ended his story with "He's now over 80 and I STILL can't beat him at raquetball." He said the ban was largely because of bio-accumulation and declining effectiveness.

[MichaelW]

From what entomologists tell me, there's plenty of "dead from cancer entomologists" to contrast this fellows story with.

DDT certainly helped save many lives and suffering, now we are even more fortunate to not have to use this chemical any more due to developed alternatives and an understanding of the negative impacts of DDT.

There's plenty of old smokers out there that for whatever reason didn't die from cancer despite decades of smoking (yet). That doesn't mean smoking does not cause cancer.

[Kieck]

The problem I have with comments in this thread lies in the vein of, "You can't do this legally, and you shouldn't do this, so here's how to do this."

Some beekeepers have used sodium cyanide in their hives, too, so some information must exist on how much sodium cyanide effectively kills wax moths in stored honey comb, yet that doesn't make it "right" to use sodium cyanide in beehives.

Same with Taktic. Amitraz is not labelled for use in beehives. Therefore, it's illegal. Listing effective rates of amitraz applied against pests in beehives, to my way of thinking, suggests that amitraz can be used in beehives. It cannot, legally.

[magnet-man]

Listing effective rates of amitraz applied against pests in beehives, to my way of thinking, suggests that amitraz can be used in beehives. It cannot, legally.

I think the better way to put it is:

Listing effective rates of amitraz applied against pests in beehives, suggests that amitraz can be used in beehives. It can but not legally.

[BWrangler]

Want to mix to your own? Got your own time proven formula?

You'd better watch M. Frazier's March 8th video first. Half way through the video, toxicity of fluvalinate and the different and conflicting LD/50 ratios are discussed. And much more is known about fluvalinate than is known about amatraz.

http://www.BeeUntoOthers.com/

Sure you still want to mix it up? Save a few dollars?
Good luck. You're going to need it. And if you do, I feel sorry for your bees!

Regards
Dennis
Thank you DeKnow for the video.

[BEES4U]

Sunday, June 13, 2010
Are their any up-dates on the use of Taktic?
Ernie

[honeyshack]

I know that i am a Canadian posting on this forum.
Apivar (Amitraz) is a product that has seen emergency registration in Canada. It was aproved last fall and this spring. The emergency registration runs out on June 30,2010. However the Canadian Honey council and several of the Beekeeper ogranizations are trying to get it extended. Treatment time for the strips is 42d
Personally I have not tried it, it is costly, and i like Mite Away 2.
On the Mite Away 2, I hear that Nod is cancelling making it due to the talked about quick strips, and the registration is running out. And the makers have decided on not renewing the registration on the MA2 However, as touted these quick strips are, they have yet to make it on the market. Nod is also not registering these quick strips, figuring if there is formic on the market, why do they have to register the product.
Come this fall we Canadian Beekeepers might not have many choices for treating mites.

And on a note on the Apivar, it is a contact treatment. So, where you put it can greatly increase it's effectiveness. Some beeks had poor results with the product. Upon questioning them, it was found they used it in the fall, put it in the top brood box. In the fall, the top brood box becomes full of honey or syrup. So the product was not reaching the bees on the brood. It is recommended to put it where the bees are. And if it gets cold, they cluster or go to the bottom box and look after the brood that is left, leaving the strips up top redering them ineffective.

So, I guess my point of this post is....If it is registered in Canada, why can the Americans not get their Honey Council...what ever you call it to go to the Government and get Apivar or what ever legalized? Lobby your honey council to get it together.

[BEES4U]

honeyshack,

Thank you for your up-date,
Ernie

[Skinner Apiaries]

Yup. Even the canucks have it. America, epic fail. I wonder if there is anyone with more than 50 hives that isn't using it....

[BEES4U]

Re: I wonder if
More than 50.
How about by the thousands!
Ernie

[Skinner Apiaries]

lol yea.

[jim lyon]

I dont use it. Glad to hear there are more members of the club.

[Aurora]

I've posted some info on Amitraz on the Info on Aitraz thread. Fitting, right?

[Live Oak]

This is an older thread and topic but I thought this link might be of interest with respect to the use of various mite treatment chemicals including Taktic in a comparison. Not sure if this is old news but I didn't see it in this thread. If I missed it and this is old info. My apologies.

http://www.extension.org/pages/30844...hive-chemicals

[jim lyon]

Nice link liveoak interesting that they actually found more mites on hives treated with Coumaphous and copper naph. The brood viability numbers are also quite telling. It is a phenomena I have noted occasionally in the past. In treatments sometimes it seems more can be less.

[max2]

I came across this Thread because I noted " Tactic" - we have no Varoa here but reading the mix of chemicals some feel they need to use to keep bees make me wonder if I would want to kep bees?
Many years ago we used a product called Tactic on cattle for ticks and fleas - it got banned. If the stuff is bad for cattle , what will it do to bees?

[frazzledfozzle]

Apivar which is a strip similar in looks to Bayvarol is approved for use in New Zealand it's active ingredient is Amitraz we use it in Spring and use Bayvarol in Autumn.

It works perfectly and will help to slow down the spread of resistant mites by not using the same chemical in both Spring and Autumn treatments.

Anyone who uses miticides etc off label are brainless, it's a surefire way to accelerate resistance in your hives.

With commercially produced treatments the dosage is exact and the correct amount of chemical is released over the reccommended period of time the treatments are in the hives. If you start chucking chemicals on coasters and other random things you have no control of the chemical release resulting in small dosages lingering on those coasters/pads until someone takes them out.

The perfect recipe for encouraging resistance

[Ted Kretschmann]

Amitraz is on the trash heap of chems that were tried, worked by killing mites but harmed the bees. Let us all not repeat the past. There are newer softer chems on the market now that have great potential. Chems that I do not have to worry about poisoning some people with. I have not heard of anyone being poisoned by hops unless consumed in huge quantities which results in alcohol poisoning. Thyme also, most people have gargeled at one time or another with listerine. Amitraz failed do to too many unknowns about it effectivness. I was part of the mitacure class action lawsuit. TED Kretschmann

[frazzledfozzle]

Ted Amitraz may have harmed the bees when it was applied off label but it certainly has no ill effects on bees here in NZ.

[Ted Kretschmann]

It will with time...........You are twenty years behind us chemical wise......