I was at a store today and they had 2 bags of it. I asked the store guy about it and he said that they were allowed to sell their inventory. I looked at the expiry date and its over a year expired, so I didn't take it and he took it off the shelf to dispose of because it was expired. As I was driving away I wondered if I should have taken it anyway. I know that most things don't expire when they say it does and to date, we have no vets in VT that will prescribe it. So wondering if some expired antibiotic may be better than none. I do not have an issue at the moment, but who knows come spring. What do you think? J
oxytetracycline
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Tetracycline past it's shelf life can degrade into toxic elements that can cause kidney damage. I suspect oxytetracycline is probably very similar in it's characteristics and likely could do that same thing. Not sure I would test my luck on my honey bees with it.
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Time to go dumpster diving.
About a year ago. I spoke to a medical doctor who also keeps bees and had several colonies with active EFB. This person asked the best treatment, and I responded: oxytetracycline!! I told them that I had some oxytetracycline, but it was expired. The expiration caused NO concern to this person. Ultimately, they found oxytetracycline elsewhere, but it seemed as though they were fine with using expired oxytetracycline.
You said: "we have no vets in VT that will prescribe it". Can you contact your state apiarist, or apiary inspector? There must be a path to get the needed treatment.
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If you are near the Canadian border, you can cross over and buy it there. They even have an EFB mix ready to go.
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I think Dec. 10 is the cutoff date for availability here in Canada. Many small feed outlets have sold out and not been replacing stocks for quite some time. Some of the formulations I have seen for other livestock do not have dillution and feed directions specifically for bees. Directions for arriving at bee safe concentrations can still be chased down on the internet though.
Thanks for all the great responses. I am going to stop back in to the store tomorrow and bet I won't have to dumpster dive for it unless they are more organized than they look. The guy took the 2 bags and put them on a shelf next to the "back room". Probably will sit there for several months. Think Ill offer 50%. J
5J>>>
It looks like there are 7 Bee Vets in VT
see here:
https://www.hbvc.org/Veterinarians.php?s_states_licensed_in=VT
I'm pretty sure our own Chris Cripps of Betterbee is the creator of the honey bee vet consortium.
It looks like there are 7 Bee Vets in VT
see here:
https://www.hbvc.org/Veterinarians.php?s_states_licensed_in=VT
I'm pretty sure our own Chris Cripps of Betterbee is the creator of the honey bee vet consortium.
Honeybees don't have kidneys, so it's unlikely that any specific problem with their kidneys would develop.
Connecticut also doesn't have any veterinarians (at least the last time I checked on line) that listed themselves as being available to do consultations and prescribe appropriate antibiotics. The mechanisms put in place by the federal government that limit access to veterinary antibiotics (important for keeping humans healthy) don't meet the needs of people in the real world. I am uncertain whether veterinarians need to go through specialized training to be able to prescribe antibiotics to honeybees, or whether their general license would permit them to provide access to oxytetracycline.
Perhaps the vet who cares for your dog or cat would be willing to work with you to provide appropriate care for your insects...
I know a medical doctor who started out as a pharmacist and went on to become a medical doctor.He said not to worry too much on the expiration dates as they have to put dates on them also its a selling point.Expire and the pharmaceutical company sells more.Can you say more profits? Yep!!! The one thing he did suggest was to keep in a cool dark place until opened.After opened reseal and put in your refrigerator.
When you look at the site suggested by ClydeRoad (www.hbvc.org), look using the abbreviation for your state. Don't type out 'Connecticut', use 'CT'.
What you are looking for is Pennox 343 which is readily available online. It is oxytetracycline. It comes is a bit larger package but is reasonably inexpensive. Depending upon how much you use, it comes in a 20 lb. case which is even cheaper in bulk. These are 23.9 oz. packs. If you are on good terms with your veterinarian, he can provide you with a prescription so you can place the order.
https://www.qcsupply.com/pennox-343...MIt63exeyH3wIVCD0MCh2jDgQeEAYYASABEgJo_fD_BwE
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I got some OTC again this year, and they sent me a package that expired in early 2021.
So after a long drive, I exchanged it for one with one that expires in 2022.
I ordered the biggest possible package.
Kidney damage does seem to be one of the listed issues with expired OTC, but to be frank, I couldn't really find any reliable information on the subject.
In fact, I don't think anything has ever been published about kidney damage from OTC that has expired, which makes me believe that it's not something we have to be overly concerned about so long as we use up the OTC within a couple of years after it expires.
So after a long drive, I exchanged it for one with one that expires in 2022.
I ordered the biggest possible package.
Kidney damage does seem to be one of the listed issues with expired OTC, but to be frank, I couldn't really find any reliable information on the subject.
In fact, I don't think anything has ever been published about kidney damage from OTC that has expired, which makes me believe that it's not something we have to be overly concerned about so long as we use up the OTC within a couple of years after it expires.
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