Thornes email today

[Bridget]

Press Release

February 27th 2013, MAQS® Beehive Strip has received registration in the United Kingdom for beekeeper’s use. It has received approval by VMD (Veterinary Medical Department).

The beekeepers of the United Kingdom now have a new tool to combat the most serious threat to its honeybees, the Varroa destructor parasitic mite. Left untreated, Varroa mites will transmit viruses that weaken a honeybee colony. Millions of colonies across Europe have died in recent years from this parasitic mite.

MAQS® is a saccharide gel strip formulation of formic acid, an effective active ingredient that is naturally occurring in honey. Because the Varroa mites reproduce on the developing baby bee, transmitting viruses that deform the bee, their control is being approached as a brood disease. The saccharide gel formic acid vapours released from the saccharide gel strip penetrate the brood cap, stopping the mite where it reproduces. The initial target was the male mite, which never leaves the brood cell. However, trials show that it is also very effective on all stages of the female mite. It is the first mite treatment to successfully target Varroa mite reproduction.

The concept of MAQS® Beehive Strip was first developed in Canada, by NOD Apiary Products Ltd. operating in the UK as NOD Europe. NOD’s personnel worked with BASF’s scientists to overcome technical barriers, the solution to which was BASF’s biodegradable and compostable film Ecoflex®. The resulting treatment is just 7 days.

The physical product will be available in the UK from early April 2013

Please contact E. H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd, Beehive Business Park, Rand, Nr Wragby, Market Rasen. LN8 5NJ. Tel: 01673 858555 www.thorne.co.uk, sales@thorne.co.uk
or BCW Agriculture Ltd, Market Drayton Shropshire TF9 3UX. Tel: 01630 655 722 sales@bcwagric.co.uk, www.bcwagric.co.uk



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[Neils]

Heard this was on the way and offered a more beekeeper friendly way of applying Formic acid compared to previous methods and I will be looking at it with great interest as another potential addition to my IPM scheme. What's always put me off Formic acid is that it's pretty nasty stuff for the beekeeper. Handling acetic acid is bad enough.

[Bumble]

That looks interesting. Will other places be selling it?

[greengumbo]

Nice. Randy Oliver has a wee blog post on a trial he did with it. Some brood loss and bearding early on but then the bees catch up and excel. I think he noted 90% drop in the treated colony vs a 100% increase in mites in the untreated.

[Jon]

This is the Randy Oliver link

[Bridget]

Thanks. I knew nothing of this and was wondering if its worth thinking about.


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[GRIZZLY]

Having read the Randy Oliver link posted by Jon , I don't think I will be subjecting my bees to such a harsh "treatment" . The associated larval/adult bee losses are just not acceptable , and , the damage shown to the grasses in front of the hive illustrates the aggressive nature of the chemicals used. I have obtained good results using the oxalic acid/apivar regime which is what I will continue to use. My bees are stressed enough by our inclement climate without yet another extreme chemical onslaught. I don't think Thornes have done their homework on this one.

[drumgerry]

I agree - too many negatives you don't see with the likes of Apivar. And I don't want to even have the chance of queen loss associated with my Autumn treatment and it would seem that risk is there. Plus it's bleedin' expensive!

[Jon]

Grizzly, it might be an option if you perchance find a big colony in May or June with a massive varroa load but like you say, I think the key thing is to keep varroa levels low via the autumn thymol, winter oxalic regime.

[GRIZZLY]

Jon , I would be very dissappointed to find a colony with a massive varroa burden following my normal Spring/Autumn/winter anti-varroa regime. I am a believer in keeping on top of and ahead of possible infestation.