The Types of Varroa Mite Treatments Available - PerfectBee

The Varroa Destructor mite continues to be the greatest threat to hobbyist and commercial beekeepers alike across the country. Because of the devastation it can cause to honeybee colonies, we’ve dedicated a series of Snippets to managing mite levels and fighting the issues and diseases that varroa mites can bring to even the healthiest of honeybee colonies. Check out the “Learn More” section below to see all our Varroa mite Snippets.  

Link to APIBUZZ

We’ve covered what varroa mites are and how they impact bees, the importance of finding out and understanding mite levels within your hives, and how you can go about creating your own plan for proactively managing varroa mites. 

Even with all the right planning and preparation, mite levels can still spike within honeybee colonies, and it can happen quite quickly.  

If you’ve completed your monthly mite checks and have found levels of mites that are at or exceed the treatment threshold, it may be time to treat your honeybee colonies. In this PerfectBee Snippet, we’ll go over what to know about treatments that are available to combat Varroa mite infestations and how to choose the right one for you and your bees. 

Types of Treatments Available 

There are a few different types of Varroa mite treatments approved for use by the EPA in honeybee colonies within the U.S., classified by the ingredients used. Keep in mind that each state has different regulations on what treatments are allowed, so check with your local beekeeping club or state’s agriculture department for more details on the treatments you can use in your state.  

Here are the treatment types available and a couple of brand-name examples of each type:  

• Synthetic Chemicals: Apivar & Apistan 
• Natural Chemicals are broken down further into 2 categories:
  • Organic Acids: Formic Pro, HopGuard II, Oxalic Acid 
  • Essential Oils: Apiguard, Api Life Var 

Each treatment has varying active ingredients, efficacy levels, timing and temperature restrictions, methods of application, and colony-specific requirements. Read on for further information about available treatments.  

You should always refer to the EPA label on your treatment’s packaging for full application details and instructions, as well as any temperature or beehive setup restrictions. 

Treatment Application Considerations 

Most mite treatments have certain restrictions or regulations for use. Some can be used during hot weather; some cannot be used and may harm bees if used over the temperature recommendations. Some require hive entrances remain closed, and some require you to fully open all entrances and screened bottom boards. One treatment may work to kill mites under brood cappings, whereas another may only work to kill phoretic mites.  

It’s so important that we’re mentioning it again, you should make sure to always refer to the EPA label on your treatment’s packaging for full application details and instructions, as well as any temperature or beehive setup restrictions.  

Knowing what any restrictions are, and how the product is recommended to be used according to the label, is essential to treating your bees for mites safely and effectively. It’s important to understand these restrictions before you even decide on a mite treatment. Read on for further details to help you choose the right treatment for you. 

Mite Treatments Available to Purchase 

We’ve compiled some information about many of the popular Varroa Mite treatments available to purchase, separated by the type of treatment they are. Keep in mind that your state may have its own approval and regulation process, so double-check that the treatment is approved for use with honeybee colonies in your state before purchasing. Mite treatments in the PerfectBee Store will let you know if a treatment is NOT approved in your state, so please read item descriptions carefully!  

When choosing a treatment, ask yourself questions based on the information below. You’ll need to be thinking about things like “What are the outside temperatures in my area right now?” and “Did my colony already start rearing brood?”. 

Use this information to help steer you in the right direction, but make sure to always refer to the EPA label on your treatment’s packaging for full application details and instructions, as well as any temperature or beehive setup restrictions.   

Varroa mite treatment labels may change at any time, so keep an eye out for the most up-to-date version at the links below. 

Synthetic Chemicals

Apivar  

• Active Ingredient: Amitraz (3.33%), formamidine insecticide 
• Method (see label for full details): Strips are hung between the frames in the brood nest. Hang strips so that bees can walk on them on both sides. Add 1 strip per 5 frames of bees, and add more strips depending on colony size. Add up to 4 strips per large colony. No more than 2 strips per brood box is allowed (see label for details). The insecticide is distributed on bees’ feet and bodies. It impairs nerve function in the mites, killing them. 
• Efficacy: 95% 
• Treatment Duration (see label for full details): Between 42 to 56 days. 42 days is the standard treatment duration, but it can be extended by an extra 14 days. When the brood nest has moved away from the treatment, reposition the strips. 
• Daytime Temperature Requirements (F=Fahrenheit): None, but it’s best if treatment is applied in spring, before the honey flow, or in early fall after honey has been harvested. 
• Are Honey Supers Allowed with Treatment? (according to the label): No, wait for 2 weeks after completion of the treatment to add supers. 
• Brood Presence: Brood can be present, the length of the treatment time allows for killing mites under the capped brood. 
• Colony Size (frames of bees): Strong Nucs and colonies that have at least 5 frames of bees. 
• Other Considerations: Some mite resistance has been reported, treatment with Apivar should be rotated with other treatments. Don’t use more than 2 treatments per year. May cause some adult bee mortality. 
• Link to Recent EPA Labels: EPA Label for Apivar 

Organic Acids (Natural Chemicals)

Formic Pro

• Active Ingredient:  Formic Acid (42%) 
• Method (see label for full details): Pads are removed from outer packaging and placed directly across the top of the frames in the brood nest (see label for more details and instructional pictures). 
• Efficacy: 83-97% 
• Treatment Duration (see label for full details):  2 treatment options: 
  • 14 day treatment: Use 2 strips for 14 days  
  • 20 day treatment: Use 1 strip for 10 days, replaced with a 2nd strip for another 10 days. 
• Daytime Temperature Requirements (F=Fahrenheit): 50 F – 85 F during treatment. Temperature Sensitive – Temps are especially important in the 1st 4 days of treatment 
• Are Honey Supers Allowed with Treatment? (according to the label): Yes, supers can be left during treatment. 
• Brood Presence: Effective with brood presence as it does penetrate wax cappings and kills mites in capped brood. 
• Colony Size (frames of bees): The colony should be a minimum of 10,000 bees, covering roughly 6 deep frames. 
• Other Considerations (refer to label for full details): Remove entrance reducers to allow a full bottom opening. Ensure screened bottom boards are closed. Do not disturb the colony during the treatment, it is best if treatment is applied at least 3 days after inspection to minimize queen mortality and absconding. Dead brood removal and bee mortality may be observed at the entrance during and after treatment. 
• Link to Recent EPA Labels: EPA Label for Formic Pro 

MiteAway Quick Strips

• Active Ingredient:  Formic Acid (46.7%) 
• Method (see label for full details): Pads are placed directly across the top of the frames in the brood nest (see label for details). 
• Efficacy: 61%-98% 
• Treatment Duration (see label for full details):  2 treatment options: 
  • 7 days: Use 2 strips for 7 days or  
  • 21 days: Use 1 strip for 14 days, replace with a 2nd strip for another 7 days. 
• Daytime Temperature Requirements (F=Fahrenheit): 50 F – 85 F during treatment. Temperature Sensitive –Temps are especially important in the 1st 4 days of treatment 
• Are Honey Supers Allowed with Treatment? (according to the label): Yes, supers can be left during treatment. 
• Brood Presence: Effective with brood presence as it penetrates wax cappings and kills mites in capped brood. 
• Colony Size (frames of bees): The colony should be a minimum of 10,000 bees, covering roughly 6 deep frames. 
• Other Considerations (refer to label for full details): Remove entrance reducers to allow a full bottom opening. Ensure screened bottom boards are closed. Do not disturb the colony during the treatment, it is best if treatment is applied at least 3 days after inspection to minimize queen mortality and absconding. Dead brood removal and bee mortality may be observed at the entrance during and after treatment. 
• Link to Recent EPA Labels: EPA Label for MiteAway Quick Strips 

Oxalic Acid

• Active Ingredient:  Oxalic Acid Dihydrate 
• Method (see label for full details):  3 method options: 
  • 1. Vaporized with a special vaporizer at the hive entrance. 
  • 2. Oxalic Acid is mixed with sugar syrup and dribbled/trickled over the bees on and between frames in the brood nest. 
  • 3. Sprayed as sugar water solution on bees in packages. 
• Efficacy: 82% – 99% 
• Treatment Duration (see label for full details):  10 minutes or less 
• Daytime Temperature Requirements (F=Fahrenheit): No restrictions, but works best if temps are more than 37 F and less than 100 F 
• Are Honey Supers Allowed with Treatment? (according to the label): Yes, supers can be left during treatment. 
• Brood Presence: Does not penetrate brood cell cappings. Use in broodless colonies, packages, or swarms. 
• Colony Size (frames of bees): Can be used with packages and swarms. 
• Other Considerations (refer to label for full details): Can be used as a “clean up” Varroa treatment following the application of a different miticide, used when Varroa infestations continue to be problematic. 
• Link to Recent EPA Labels: EPA Label for Oxalic Acid 

Hop Guard 3 

• Active Ingredient: Potassium Salt of Hop Beta Acids (16%) 
• Method (see label for full details): Cardboard strips are hung between frames in the brood nest. Add 1 strip per 5 frames of bees, and add more strips depending on colony size. Use up to 4 strips per large colony. No more than 2 strips per brood box is allowed (see label for details). 
• Efficacy: 70% – 85% 
• Treatment Duration (see label for full details):  Use for up to 28 days (apply every 7 days) 
• Daytime Temperature Requirements (F=Fahrenheit): Above 55 F and under 100 F 
• Are Honey Supers Allowed with Treatment? (according to the label): Yes, supers can be left during treatment. 
• Brood Presence: Does not penetrate brood cappings, so the presence of capped brood lowers the efficacy. 
• Colony Size (frames of bees): Colonies, newly installed packages, and nucs. It works best if the colony is broodless. 
• Other Considerations (refer to label for full details): When treating colonies during hot and humid weather: fully open the hive entrance, remove inner covers (if present), open screened bottom boards (if present), and insert a shim or spacer under the outer cover. Leave strips in the hive for 14 days, but no more than 30 days. 
• Link to Recent EPA Labels: EPA Label for HopGuard 

Essential Oils

Api Life Var

• Active Ingredient:  Thymol (74%), Eucalyptus oil (16%), Menthol (4.7%) 
• Method (see label for full details): Flat tablets/waffles are placed directly on the frames, in the corners of the brood nest box. 
• Efficacy: 70% – 90% 
• Treatment Duration (see label for full details): 21-30 days (3 treatments at 7-10 day intervals). 
• Daytime Temperature Requirements (F=Fahrenheit): 64 F – 95 F 
• Are Honey Supers Allowed with Treatment? (according to the label): No, wait at least 1 month after treatment before adding supers. Don’t use during nectar flow. 
• Brood Presence: Doesn’t penetrate brood cappings, so the presence of capped brood lowers efficacy. 
• Colony Size (frames of bees): 8-20 Frames 
• Other Considerations (refer to label for full details): Apply in the early morning or evening (when temps are lowest). Do not apply when robbing is occurring. Reduce entrances and close screened bottom boards. 
• Link to Recent EPA Labels: EPA Label for Api Life Var 

Apiguard

• Active Ingredient:  Thymol (25%) 
• Method (see label for full details): Apiguard gel is inside a small tray, which is laid on top of frames in the center of the brood nest. The gel slowly evaporates, and bees help to spread it around the hive in trying to remove it. 
• Efficacy: 74% – 95% 
• Treatment Duration (see label for full details): Total of 28 days: 2 series of 14-day treatments, using new gel trays for each treatment. 
• Daytime Temperature Requirements (F=Fahrenheit): 60 F – 105 FTemperature sensitive 
• Are Honey Supers Allowed with Treatment? (according to the label): No, but you can add supers immediately after treatment is completed and gel trays are removed. Do not use during nectar flow. 
• Brood Presence: Does not penetrate brood cappings, so the presence of capped brood lowers efficacy. 
• Colony Size (frames of bees): Can be used with Nucs and small colonies. Combine weak colonies before treatment. 
• Other Considerations: Workers must have access to the gel – Allow at least 1/2″ of space between the top of the gel tray and the bottom of the inner cover. A shim or extra hive box should be added so that the gel can properly evaporate. Overdosing can cause absconding, increased mortality, and defensiveness in bees. 
• Link to Recent EPA Labels: EPA Label for Apiguard

Apistan and CheckMite+ are two synthetic chemical treatments that may also be available, but these are not recommended as mites have developed a resistance to them, and because the chemicals may stay in wax after use. 

Mechanical Approaches 

Though not as immediately effective or as impactful as chemical treatments for varroa mites, there are some mechanical approaches worthy of mentioning when it comes to managing mites. 

A mechanical approach to mite management is something that you, the beekeeper, will manipulate within the hive to help manage mites, or to help the bees to manage mite levels themselves.  

Many of these methods are more proactive in their approach, so take caution when using them in hives that could or do have higher mite loads. They may need to be used together with a chemical treatment to control mite populations. If they’re used early in the season, they may help to slow down mite population growth. 

Here are a few great mechanical options:  

• Drone Brood Removal – Since varroa mites prefer to use drone cells to reproduce in (as they are bigger to hold more mite eggs and have a longer time before drones emerge, allowing better mite development), drone brood can be used to “trap” varroa mites hiding out in the cells.  
  • One option is to add a green frame of “drone comb” (green allows the beekeeper to easily distinguish this frame from others) to a colony encourages drone production and allows a beekeeper to remove any mites that are hiding within those cells.  
  • You can also make 2 squared cutouts in the foundation in the bottom two corners, approximately 3”x6”. If you let bees build comb of their choosing in these corners, they’ll often choose to build drone comb there. The small section of drone brood is similar to the normal amounts of brood produced in the colony (over the full frame of drone brood), and it’s very easy to remove. Using cutouts in frames can also reduce the amount of drone brood built in between frames. Another simple option is to add “half frames”, like using a medium frame in a deep box or a frame with no foundations and starter strips only. This allows bees to build from the bottom; they’ll often build drone comb there. 
• After capping, remove all drone brood & keep in mind the timing is very important with either approach! Remove all drone comb after cells have been capped, but ensure it’s removed before drones emerge, or you allow extra mites to breed & emerge into your hive with them. Freeze the frame for at least 24 hours to kill any mites under cappings, scrape the cappings off, then return the frame back to the hive so bees can remove the drones or clean it out yourself. Then, the process starts over again.  
• If your colony is weak, they may not be able to clean out the dead drones themselves. You can remove most of the frozen drones yourself, but that’s a pretty gross task. If you or someone you know has chickens, they’ll happily clean the frames out for you!  
• Mite trapping in drone brood can be done in the spring/summer months but should NOT be done if you plan to consider queen rearing with that colony.  

• Screened Bottom Board – We’ve talked about how screened bottom boards can help you to easily obtain a rough estimate of mite levels in a hive, but did you know that it can work to help decrease mite invasion into brood cells, too? By using a screened bottom board instead of a solid bottom board, any phoretic mites that have fallen off or been groomed from bees within the hive fall through the screen onto the tray below and have difficulty climbing back into the hive and back onto bees. Because fewer mites enter brood cells, a small decrease in mite populations may be seen. This method may not be enough to keep mite levels from spiking, though, so ensure you are testing regularly and using other control methods when necessary.  
• Powdered sugar – Sprinkling powdered sugar directly on top of bees can stimulate grooming behavior and can serve as a method for mite control, especially when used with screened bottom boards. This option isn’t likely to control mite populations on its own but can be used to increase grooming and increase the number of dropped mites onto screened bottom boards dislodged from bees by the sugar, unable to get back onto bees.  Try to sprinkle the sugar on bees but not in developing larvae cells. 
• Brood Break – Introducing a brood break, or making the colony temporarily brood-less, involves completing tasks like making a split or isolating the queen and can have varroa mite management benefits. Keep an eye out for a future Snippet, where we’ll go into detail on methods and reasons for initiating a brood break. 
• Re-Queening with a VSH Breed – Adding colonies with Varroa Sensitive Hygenic genetics can help to fight varroa mite populations through the behavior of these bees. You can add colonies to your bee yard bred from VSH stock or re-queen your current colony with a VSH bred queen to introduce those genetics and behaviors to your current colonies. Learn more about ways that genetic hygienic behavior can help fight mites in your bee yard in our Snippet, here.  

In our next Snippet, we’ll further examine the importance of the timing and temperature restrictions that some mite treatments have in place, and the importance of knowing what’s going on inside your hive before choosing a mite treatment, so keep an eye on your inbox.  

Learn More

We’ve compiled some of our free resources below, with articles, guides, lessons, and blog posts specific to the dreaded Varroa Destructor Mite.   

• What is the Varroa Destructor Mite? – A PerfectBee Snippet introducing you to the Varroa mite 
• Varroa Mites & Honeybee Viruses – Another Snippet in our Varroa series, covering why Varroa mites can have such a negative impact on honeybee colonies 
• What is Integrated Pest Management? – A PerfectBee Snippet that dives into a great way to combat varroa mites and other pests in your hives.  
• The Importance of Timing in Varroa Mite Management – Our PerfectBee Snippet touches on the many reasons that timing plays a role in managing mites in your hives.  
• Understanding Mite Counts – A PerfectBee Snippet that covers what your mite counts may mean and how to take action to help your bees when needed.  
• Mite Treatment Considerations & Regulations – We cover what is important to understand about Varroa mite treatment labels, and why it’s so important to pay attention to.
• How Taking Notes Can Help Manage Varroa Mites – Keeping good beekeeping records can be helpful when it comes to many beekeeping tasks, but especially in managing Varroa mites. Find out how notetaking can help you, too, in our PerfectBee Snippet.  
• An Overview of the Main Threats to Bees – Learn more about all threats to bees, including the Varroa Mite 
• The PerfectBee Guide to Varroa Treatments – Get help with navigating the wide world of Varroa mite treatment options 
• The Threat of Varroa Mites: Part 1 – Our Academy lesson on varroa mites gives a brief introduction to the various issues Varroa can cause in a honeybee hive. 
• The amazing life of the Varroa mite – Go further into the complex but fascinating life of Varroa mites 
• VSH and The Selective Breeding of Bees To Fight Varroa – Our blog post dives into the world of honeybee genetics and the traits used to help fight against Varroa  
• Monitoring Varroa Mite Levels – Tips & tricks for better mite monitoring in your hives 
• The Controversial Topic of Treatment-Free Beekeeping  – Find out what “treatment-free” means in our article 
• Natural Beekeeping: The Problems with Following The Crowd – Some beekeepers prefer a “natural approach” to Varroa mite management by not using ANY treatment, learn why this can be a problem 
• Inspections and Recordkeeping – Taking good notes and taking good records can make all the difference in the fight against Varroa. Learn why in our blog post. 
• Mite Treatments and Winter Hive Activity – Even in the winter months, varroa mites can still pose a threat. Our blog goes into detail on what mite treatments work well during the winter months 
• Guide to Using Oxalic Acid – Oxalic Acid is a great option for treatment against varroa during certain periods. Learn more about its use in our guide 
• A New Beekeeper’s Journal – Fall Checklist – Managing Varroa mites is an important task in any apiary, especially during the fall months. Learn more about why and how you can help your hives be as healthy as possible before they overwinter 
• The Value in Reviewing Hive Losses – A leading cause for many honeybee colony deaths is varroa mites. Reviewing a lost hive can help you determine if that’s what may have caused your colony’s demise. 
• Choosing a Treatment For Varroa Mites – After deciding your colony has a detrimental mite load, it may be time to choose a treatment. Our guide is here to help! 
• Treatments for Varroa Mites – Further insight on Varroa mite treatments that are available. 
• Obtaining and assessing varroa mite count – Knowing the amount of varroa mites inside your hive can help you determine whether or not it’s time to step in with treatment. Learn more about understanding mite counts in our article.

As is the case with most beekeeping tasks, there are special tools and pieces of equipment that can help with managing Varroa mites in your bee yard. Check out the PerfectBee Store to find all of your Varroa mite testing, management, and treatment needs. Here are a few of our favorite options: 

• Varroa EasyCheck – For measuring a mite count using the alcohol wash method. 
• Sugar Roll Testing Kit – For assessing mite count using the sugar roll method. 
• Oxalic Acid Kit – A kit that gives you all you need to complete an oxalic acid dribble 
• Drone Frame – *Mentioned above* – Adding a drone frame to your hive can help manage varroa mite levels, but only if timed perfectly and removed right before the drones inside emerge and a ton of mites emerge with them! 
• The Langstroth Screened Bottom Board and Varroa Monitoring Tray – Use the screened bottom board with tray to take a 24-mite count by counting how many phoretic mites fall off of bees within that time period 
• A Field Guide to Honeybee Maladies – An excellent guide to many honeybee viruses, diseases, and pests. Includes information and photos of Varroa Mites and the issues they cause. 

Colony Member Resources

Colony members, check out these member-only Academy lessons to learn even more about Varroa Mites: 

• The Threat of Varroa Mites (Part 2) 
• The Philosophy of Natural Beekeeping  
• Section 3.1: Threats to Bees – PerfectBee Academy Webinar   
• The Diversity of Pests  
• The Use of Drone Frames to Combat Varroa  

And head over to the Colony Forum to view some interesting discussions specific to Varroa Mites: 

Want more information on Varroa mite treatment strips? Feel free to contact us.

Apivar strips are quite possibly the easiest mite treatment you can get. They require no tools and there's only two things you have to do - put them in and take them out. 

About Apivar

Apivar uses a synthetic chemical called amitraz to kill the varroa mite. These strips really destroy the mite population and are very effective. However, in some areas this chemical has been overused and varroa mites have developed a resistance to amitraz. In these areas, Apivar is not very effective.

The downside to using Apivar is that amitraz is toxic to humans. You must use caution when working with it. You are also exposing your bees and honeycomb to this harsh chemical. You can remove and dispose of the wax and honey and use safety gear to protect yourself, but there are organic mite treatments as well that are also pretty effective. Whether or not you want to use Apivar in your hive is more so a personal question about how you feel about exposing your bees and yourself to this chemical.

Need a mentor?

Enroll in our online class, Beekeeping for Beginners. Mentorship is included. Ask us questions anytime! Sign up for a FREE 30 day trial today. Click here to learn more.

Will Apivar Work in Your Beehive?

There's only 1 way to know for sure, use them and see what happens. Do a mite test, first, to see what your hive's mite level is. Then, put in the treatment and leave it in for 6 weeks. After the treatment is out, do another mite test.

If your mite level is below 2, the strips are still effective. Watch my video about how to do a mite test. Learn more about mite tests at scientificbeekeeping.com.

Some people use powdered sugar instead of alcohol in their mite test because it does not kill the bees, but please please please do not do this. After multiple tests were done, it has been proven that testing for mites using powdered sugar does not give you accurate results. You will get results, of course, but your mite levels will seem lower than what they actually are.

 How to Use Apivar Strips

Watch the video below to see, step-by-step, how we use apivar strips in our hives including some extra tips to make it go faster.

1. Remove all honey supers from your hive that do not have brood in them and merge brood boxes if possible.
   
   Even if the honey supers are full of honey for the winter, and not honey you will be consuming, it's best to remove these supers anyway. Although not mandatory, you want as many bees as possible to come in contact with the strips. Having extra boxes with bees walking around the frames may make the strips less effective. It will also contaminate the honey and wax on these frames. Even if you don't plan on eating the honey on these frames now, if you leave them in the hive through winter and spring, it's easy to forget they're still in the hive come summer. 
   
   The refrigerator is a great place to store frames. The honey super frame fits well on the middle shelf or you can stash some in the freezer. If temperatures are above 50F, don't leave them out say in the garage or your basement because there's a good chance beetles and wax moth will take over. Having a chest freezer makes this step a lot easier!!
   
   If you don't have anywhere you can put your frames of honey, see the section below, "what to do if you have nowhere to put your honey super".
   
   
2. Next, inspect your hives to see how many frames of brood you have and where they are. I mark every frame in the hive with a "P" using a big black marker so I know not to harvest from them (P stands for poison in my beekeeping notes). I also put a dot on the brood frames so I know how many there are and where they are in the hive. I write directly on the frames so that when I'm ready to put the apivar strips in, I can get it done fast and not have to check notes first. 
   
   
3. Get your gear ready. You will need chemical resistant gloves and apivar strips. Scissors are nice to have but not necessary. There is a perforation on the strips, but sometimes I can separate the strips easily and sometimes I can't. Wearing thick gloves makes separating the strips even more difficult. The instructions do not specify whether a mask is necessary. This is up to your discretion. If you are nursing or pregnant I would strongly suggest wearing a mask or even better would be to have someone else put the strips in for you. Just put a dot on the frames where you want them to go.
   
   
4. Place 1 strip in each brood box for every 5 frames of brood. Do not put more than 4 strips in the beehive. The strips are wedged between brood frames. Do not put the strips on 2 frames that are next to each other.
   
   See the video above on how I do this. I bend the flag on the strip so that it sits between the frames. If it looks like the strip is touching the comb, and it doesn't look like bees can walk on either side of the strip, you can hang the strips between frames using a toothpick or nail. There's a hole at the top of the strip for this.
   
   
5. Leave treatment in for 4 weeks. Wash your hands thoroughly and all equipment after using. You can open the hive during these 4 weeks if needed, but keep it to a minimum. Make sure you wear your chemical resistant gloves when checking the hive. After 4 weeks, check to make sure the brood is still on the frames by the strips. If it has moved away from the strips, move the strips to the frames with brood on them. If the brood is still on the frames by the strips, do not do anything.
   
   
6. After 6 weeks, remove the strips. If you had to move the strips at week 4 to be closer to the brood, leave the strips in for another 2 weeks, so the strips are in for a total of 8 weeks.
   
   
7. Once the strips have been out of the hive for at least 2 weeks, you can put the honey supers back on the hive.
   
   
8. This is not a requirement, but if you want to see how effective the apivar was, do another mite test after you remove the strips. Some people put a sticky board under the hive. I really hate these things and haven't found that they give an accurate count. I don't recommend using them to gauge how well the strips worked. A mite test using rubbing alcohol works best.

Preventing Mite Resistance to Apivar

• Make sure you take the strips out after 6-8 weeks
• Do not use apivar strips every time you need to treat for mites. Use a rotation of other treatments such as apiguard (thymol based), oxalic acid or formic acid.
• Unless a hive has a mite level of 0-1 and is dealing with mites, naturally, without the help of a beekeeper, a treatment should be put into every hive. Do not treat just one hive and not the other hives next to it. If you don't treat every infested hive in your apiary, the mites from the hive with treatment in them will move to the hives without treatment in them.

When to treat

Apivar strips work best in the early Spring (2 months before the start of the honey season) and the Fall. Since you have to take the honey supers off of the hive, using the strips in the Fall can be difficult. See the section below about what to do if you have honey supers on your hive and nowhere to store the honey.

For those of you who live somewhere with a long, cold winter, it might not be possible to have the strips in for 6 weeks after the harvest and it still be warm enough to remove. Keep that in mind when deciding which treatment is best for you. If you're not sure it's warm enough to use apivar for 6 weeks after your honey harvest, then use oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is a great Fall treatment option.

What happens if you leave honey supers on during an Apivar treatment?

On the Apivar package it says to remove honey supers from your hive before inserting the strips. From my understanding this is primarily because the chemical used in Apivar is Amitraz and it is a toxic chemical. You do not want to ingest this chemical nor do you want to sell honey that was in the hive when you had Apivar strips in. This is also the case for the beeswax. Beeswax is porous and will absorb the chemical. You do not want to ingest or use this wax for body products (I'm not sure if there's any issue with using the wax in candles). Having no supers on your hive ensures that you're not going to accidentally consume or sell tainted honey or wax.

Will Apivar kill mites if you have supers on your hive? Yes, it will. 

Will the Apivar be less effective if you have honey supers on your hive? I can't give you a definite answer because as far as I'm aware, there have been no studies done to answer this question.

I did once put Apivar strips into a hive with a honey super on and it did not explode. Mite levels went down to almost 0. 

In the end, I did regret it. I hated that I had to throw away all of that drawn out comb and honey. I did harvest some of the honey and kept it as feed honey. It ended up causing more problems than it was worth because I wasn't sure if I needed to wear gloves when harvesting the honey so I didn't absorb any of the chemicals through my skin. In short, I started to become a little paranoid and I wished I just used another treatment.

If you leave the honey super on the hive, keep in mind that this honey can only be used for consumption by the bees, and not humans. It's easy to forget come Spring of next year and reuse these frames or harvest the wax. Although I don't condone treating with Apivar of you have honey supers on your hive, if you are to leave a honey super on the hive, I strongly recommend taking a marker and marking every frame noticeably with a letter or symbol to remind you that these frames have poison honey in them. Do not use these frames in a honey super during or before a honey flow. It's best to remove the entire plastic foundation with honeycomb and throw it all away.

If you have a flow hive, I would not use Apivar with a flow hive honey super on.

This is because the flow frames are all plastic and you cannot remove the foundation inside these frames. Plastic is porous and can absorb the chemicals from the Apivar. Apivar® states on their website that it leaves the wax unaffected. What you choose to do comes down to what you feel comfortable with. As humans, we are exposed to all kinds of chemicals all day long. The small amount of residue that might be on these flow frames might be so minimal that it is harldy worth thinking about. On the other hand, since this is something we can control, why not choose to not expose yourself and other to one more chemical?

I was pregnant and nursing twice while a beekeeper. When you're not only considering your own health but the health of a small baby, you look at everything in the world in a different way.I always ask myself, "Would I want to cosume that when I was pregnant?" If the answer is "no", then I don't do it.

Need to talk?

Sing up for a one hour coaching sessions and ask your questions! Click to learn more.

What to do if you have honey supers on your hive and need to treat?

If it is late Summer or Fall and you have honey on your hive for Winter feed, it is normal to want to leave your honey supers on the hive. If you have a large freezer or frig you can store the honey temporarily, do that. I use a broken chest freezer. I freeze the frames for 24hrs and then store them in the broken freezer and they're safe for the 8 weeks. You can put the Apivar on your hive with the honey still on, but take out as many frames as you can and store them in your frig, even if you can't fit them all. Offer to make dinner, or eat out a few times, so your partner or roommate sharing the frig is not as annoyed with you taking over so much room in your frig with honey.

If it is early Spring or before a honey flow has started, and you have a honey super on your hive, and you need to treat, take the honey super off before adding the Apivar strips. There should be no reason to have these supers on the hive anyway. The bees will not be swarming and their priority at this time is building brood. Once the treatment is out, wait 2 weeks and then add the honey supers on. If you have 1 or 2 frames with drawn out comb or honey in them, put them in the frig or freezer while the Apivar is in the hive to keep them safe from wax moth and other insects.

If it's Summer or a honey flow is going on and you have to treat, formic acid may be a better option for you, just check the temperature restrictions on the packaging and use one that is safe to use during a honey flow. An alternative is to use oxalic acid vaporization but to use 4-5 treatments of it one week apart and you have to take the honey off the hive. Your alternative is to use Apivar but to take out as many frames of honey as you can and store them in your frig, freezer, or chest freezer and then put the apivar on.

If it's late Summer and you have to treat, and don't want to take the honey supers off, I recommend using Apiguard. It is not a synthetic chemical like Apivar. The only catch is that you shouldn't use it if it's still above 80F in the daytime and you still should not consume or sell the honey or beeswax that was on the hive during the treatment. 

If it's Fall and you need to treat, but don't want to remove honey supers, the best way to get rid of mites is with oxalic acid. It is organic and you can take the supers off temporarily while you add the vapor and then put the supers back on. It works very well when there is no brood present.

Why treat

Here at our farm, our goal is to not HAVE to treat. This means, we test our hives' mite levels monthly. When a hive has the genetics to deal with mites all on their own, we split these hives. The hives that have the worst mite levels are hives we never split. This encourages the bees with genetics we like to prosper and the genetics that don't deal with mites well to fade. We believe breeding healthy bees is an important part of beekeeping.

However, when a hive has an infestation, we put a treatment in the hive so they do not suffer. It's not the bees' fault that they can't deal with mites nor do we want the hive to become a breeding ground for mites. That is my position on treating. There are different opinions on this topic and I always encourage students to learn about the variety of ways beekeepers do things and do what works best for them and their bees.

If you're looking to become a treatment free beekeeper, a good place to start is with Michael Bush, author of Beekeeping Naturally, and a treatment free beekeeper. A big part of his treatment free beekeeping is not using foundation and purchasing bees from a local, treatment-free beekeeper. If you'd like help on how you can go foundationless in your beehive, I explain more about that in our article about beehive frames and foundation. For recommendations on where to buy bees locally, check with your local beekeeping association. We have a list of beekeeping associations according to state in this blog article.

Are you interested in learning more about Slow-Release Amitraz Varroa Strips? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

More About Pest Management:

• Pests You DON'T Want to See In the Beehive & How to Prevent Them
• How to Test for Varroa Mites - How Many Mites Are In Your Hive
• Everything You Need to Know About the Small Hive Beetle

Free Resources