Apistan Strips have been the medicine of choice in the U.S. for the treatment of Varroa Mites for over 10 years. Unfortunately, because of its misuse by many beekeepers (leaving the strips in too long and feeding the liquid form of the chemical), many beekeepers are finding that the mites have developed a resistance to Apistan. This is unfortunate because Apistan is a pyrethroid, a class of pesticide that is relatively benign in its effect on the environment and the company that marketed it, Wellmark, has done a commendable and responsible job in its marketing. It is likely, however, that after a period of time, this resistance that has developed in some mites will wear off, and we will again have Apistan to use either in conjunction with or as an alternative to another environmentally benign miticide, Apicure. (Ship Wt: Box/2 lbs.)

How to use: Suspend 2 strips per hive between the frames in the brood chamber. To achieve maximum effectiveness in the North, we suggest placing Apistan strips in the hive immediately after the September honey harvest and leaving them there for 45 days.

How to determine if your mites are resistant to Apistan Strips:

Test 1: Determine the level of infestation with an "ether roll test". Brush 50 to 100 bees into a wide mouth jar. Kill these bees with 2 or 3 squirts of ether (starter fluid). Put the top on the jar and rotate the jar on its side several times. The number of mites sticking to the inside of the jar gives you a rough idea of your percentage of infestation.

Test 2: Hang two Apistan Strips in the hive. Smear a piece of white cardboard with Vaseline and place it on the bottom board. Check the cardboard after 2 days to see the amount of dead mites. If there is a good fall (of mites), Apistan is still working in your hives. If there is not a good mite fall, it's time to choose another miticide.

Test 3: The Powdered Sugar Shake: A more accurate technique to ascertain the extent of a varroa infestation in your hive has been developed by a University of Nebraska graduate student named Paula Macedo. It separates up to 90% of the mites that are on the bees in the test jar. You need a wide mouth canning jar, some window screen and some 8 mesh hardware cloth. Cut the #8 mesh screen to replace the circular, center portion of the lid. Collect 200 -300 bees in the jar. A funnel can be used to facilitate the process. Replace the modified lid and add about a tablespoon of powdered sugar through the screen. Roll the jar to distribute the sugar. Wait a few minutes, swirl the jar again and pour the sugar and mites through the screen into another container. The mites can be separated from the sugar by pouring the mixture through the window screen. The bees can be returned to the colony where their hive mates will lick them clean.