Over the past few months a couple of Varroa mite treatments have been registered for use in Canada, including VarroxSanTM and Apivar 2.0®. Adding to that list, the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has recently registered Amiflex®, which is a gel formulated product containing the active ingredient amitraz (1.99%). Read this week’s blog to understand how Amiflex® may be incorporated into Canadian beekeepers’ Varroa mite management plans.
What Beekeepers Should Know about Amiflex®
Amiflex® is
a Varroa mite treatment containing the active ingredient amitraz (1.99%) and is
administered to colonies as a gel. The product, manufactured by Véto-pharma, has
recently been registered for use in Canada by the Pest Management Regulatory
Agency (PMRA). As part of an integrated pest management approach to controlling
Varroa mites, beekeepers need to use a variety of chemical treatments and
reduce reliance on a singular product. Having multiple treatment options
available makes it easier for beekeepers to work different products into their
IPM plan.
Amiflex® can
be used to treat phoretic mites whether or not brood is present in the colony,
but the product does not target mites under capped brood cells. Additionally
the product is not temperature-dependent and can be used throughout the
beekeeping season.
To apply
Amiflex®, beekeepers must ensure that honey supers are removed, as the product
cannot be administered while honey supers are present. Then beekeepers should scrape
frames clear of all excess wax and propolis that could prevent the bees from
coming in contact with the gel. In particular, top bars, top feeders, and the
bottom of the frames in the top brood box should be well scraped. Next,
beekeepers can load and secure the Amiflex® syringe into the dosing gun
following manufacturer instructions. Using the dosing gun, an application of 2
doses of 3mL per brood box should be applied to the included tongue depressors,
which are placed on the top bars of two different frames. Beekeepers should
leave a minimum of one frame between the two frames with gel. The product
should be applied to frames in the centre of the brood nest. For a double
colony the total application should be 4 doses of 3mL (12mL) (2 frames in each
brood box).
The
treatment period of Amiflex® is 7 days. After 7 days any leftover treatment
should be removed, and honey supers are allowed to be placed on colonies.
According to
the manufacturer, Amiflex® is different from other amitraz products as it has a
relatively quick action. Additionally, according to the PMRA label, the product
can be used two times a year, either as two applications 14 days apart, or as
two separate applications (7 days each) at different times during the year. If
a colony or yard has high Varroa mite levels, it is recommended to apply the
second application of Amiflex® 14 days after the first application to target
emerging bees and phoretic mites.
Beekeepers
must remember that Amiflex®, just like any other Varroa mite treatment, should
only be applied when monitoring indicates mite levels are at or exceeding the
economic threshold. Beekeeper should monitor following treatment to understand
if the treatment was effective. Additionally, it is important that beekeepers
understand that Amiflex® does not provide a new active ingredient to the
Canadian beekeeping industry, but rather a new application of an already
registered active ingredient – amitraz. So, if beekeepers want to use an
amitraz-based product as part of their IPM plan, it is recommended that they
select one of the available delivery methods (strips or gel) and alternate this
treatment with another product that contains a different active ingredient.
The registration of Amiflex® will hopefully provide the Canadian beekeeping industry with another Varroa mite treatment option. Beekeepers can anticipate that the product will be available to purchase in the near future, but the exact date this product will be available in beekeeping stores is still unknown. For any questions regarding Varroa mite treatment and management, reach out to the ATTTA team.
References
Pest Management Regulatory Agency. https://pr-rp.hc-sc.gc.ca/1_1/view_label?p_ukid=402262946
Véto-pharma. https://www.veto-pharma.com/beekeeping-products/amiflex-amitraz-flash-treatment/
Connecting with ATTTA Specialists
If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:
visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/
Email attta@perennia.ca