Apivar efficacy: the most efficient varroa treatment of 2021 in France

Four authorized varroa miticides have been tested on a total of 232 colonies in 2021: Apivar®, Apistan®, Formic Pro® and Oxybee® [Oxybee is a combination of oxalic acid and glycerol – only registered in the European Union].

The two long-term strip treatments, Apivar (amitraz) and Apistan (tau-fluvalinate) were applied to the colonies for a total of 10 and 8 weeks, respectively. Formic Pro (formic acid) has been placed on the top bars of the lower brood chamber for 8 days, and Oxybee (oxalic acid) has been trickled to worker bees in brood-free colonies, 25 days after caging the queens.

All tested varroa treatments were applied in compliance with the French product label and instructions for use. To measure the efficacy of the different formulations in the field, beekeepers applied control treatments after the tested varroa treatments. The new report has summarized data such as treatment efficacy in %, average number of residual mites remaining in the colonies after treatment, and the percentage of hives with a treatment efficacy of >95%.

After more than 25 years of effective treatment of French honey bee colonies against varroa mites, Apivar demonstrated the highest efficacy of all tested miticides in the trial. 67% of the Apivar-tested colonies achieved a treatment efficacy higher than 95%, more colonies than with any of the other tested treatments. The average treatment efficacy of Apivar in 129 tested colonies was 93.24%, again the best result of all formulations tested in this trial.

Despite local reports of amitraz resistance in France in recent years, these newest inter-regional field efficacy results from four authorized varroa treatments demonstrate that Apivar still remains the most reliable treatment option to beekeepers available today.

To preserve treatment efficacy in the future, it is essential that beekeepers follow product labels and instructions for use when applying any miticide. Further, beekeepers must only use authorized varroa treatments, as these have been tested specifically for use on honey bee colonies and have been dosed precisely to ensure high treatment efficacy as well as safety for honey bees and beekeepers during the application. Using only authorized products and respecting their instructions also contributes to reducing the risk of resistance development.

Following an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach in varroa control by rotating active ingredients and implementing seasonally adapted varroa management strategies will further enhance beekeepers´success in keeping mite infestations under control.

As producers of Apivar, Véto-pharma proudly continues to serve beekeepers globally with honey bee health solutions and says “Thank you!” to beekeepers in France and across the world. Your commitment to honey bee health by treating your hives with authorized varroa treatments only is currently leading to the development of new treatment options and products to support honey bee health in the future. If you want to learn more about Véto-pharma’s R&D initiative to discover new molecules against varroa mite treatment, click this link.