Over the past six months new commercially-made Varroa mite treatments have been registered for use in Canada, including VarroxSan^TM, Apivar 2.0®, and Amiflex®. The Maritime beekeeping industry has waited eagerly to learn the availability these products from local and national retailers. Read this week’s blog to learn which products are already on the shelves, and when we can expect to purchase each product locally and nationally.

Update on Newly Registered Varroa Mite Treatments in Canada

These past 6 months have brought options for Varroa mite management in Canada, as the Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (formerly PMRA) registered three new Varroa mite treatments: VarroxSan^TM, Apivar 2.0®, and Amiflex®. VarroxSan^TM, developed and manufactured by Vita Bee Health Canada Ltd., contains the active ingredient oxalic acid dihydrate (18.42%) and is administered using strips. Apivar 2.0®, manufactured by Véto-pharma, contains the active ingredient amitraz (3.00%) and is a contact acaracide delivered using plastic strips. Amiflex, also manufactured by Véto-pharma, contains the active ingredient amitraz (1.99%) and is administered to colonies as a gel. To learn more about each of these products, review the previous blog posts by ATTTA: “New Varroa Mite Treatment Product: VarroxSan^TM” published on November 13, 2025, “What Beekeeper's Should Know about Apivar 2.0®” published on November 27, 2025, and “What Beekeepers Should Know about Amiflex®” published on January 15, 2026.

The availability of each of these commercial products differs at both the local and national levels. To start, of the three products, currently, only VarroxSan^TM is being sold from Maritime beekeeping stores including Country Fields Beekeeping Supplies (Fall River, NS), Maritime Bee & Agriculture Supplies (Sussex, NB) and Buzzworks Beekeeping & Apiary Supplies (Moncton, NB). All three have VarroxSan^TM in stock in both 20-strip and 60-strip packs. Golden Greens Beekeeping Supplies (Onslow, NS) anticipates selling VarroxSan^TM in the near future. Currently, the local beekeeping stores do not have Apivar 2.0® or Amiflex® on their shelves. Apivar 2.0® is expected to be available locally either late 2026 or in spring 2027, but there is no definite availability date for the Maritime region yet. Amiflex®, although not currently on the shelves of these stores, could be purchased locally as Country Fields Beekeeping Supplies has the ability to bring in bulk orders if requested by commercial beekeepers.

Although not all three products are able to be purchased locally this season, beekeepers can shop outside the region. The national distributors, Bee Maid Bee Supplies and Dancing Bee Equipment, both have VarroxSan^TM, Apivar 2.0®, and Amiflex® available for purchase. These national stores have VarroxSan^TM in stock in both 20-strip and 60-strip packs. There is an expected shipment of VarroxSan^TM into Canada later this summer, which should provide a consistent supply of the product throughout the season. For any Maritime beekeepers eager to use Apivar 2.0® or Amiflex®, both are available to ship to the Maritimes this beekeeping season.

Left to right: VarroxSan^TM, Apivar 2.0® and Amiflex® (Dancing Bee Equipment)

The registration of VarroxSan^TM, Apivar 2.0®, and Amiflex® has provided the Canadian beekeeping industry with 3 new products, which can be incorporated within integrated pest management plans. In order to gain familiarity, ATTTA will be using all three new products this season and be able to answer beekeepers’ questions.  For any questions regarding Varroa mite treatment and management, reach out to the ATTTA team.

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

Wax moths (Galleria mellonella and Achroia grisella) are a pest of honey bees that causes significant damage to honey bee colonies by feeding on beeswax, pollen, and remains of honey bee larvae. The larvae of wax moths typically tunnel within the comb while leaving webbing and frass throughout the hive. Most often this pest is an issue with stored beekeeping equipment but can also be a problem with weaker active colonies. Last year all Canadian provinces were invited to participate in an emergency use registration for a larvicide, with the commercial name “Certan”, that we will be discussing in this week’s blog.

Treating Wax Moth with Larvicides

Wax moths (greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella and lesser wax moth, Achroia grisella) are long existing pests of honey bees. The larvae of these pests cause serious damage by destroying the comb, as they tunnel through the hive leaving webbing, frass, and even galleries in the wood¹. Most often wax moths cause issues in stored beekeeping equipment. However, they can also cause damage in weaker active colonies¹.

Last year all provinces were invited to participate in an emergency use registration for a larvicide, known as Certan. Certan is a biological control for the prevention of wax moths on stored drawn frames. Certan uses Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is a bacterium that occurs naturally in soil². The active ingredient in this pesticide product (Bta ABTS 1857) controls wax moth infestations by producing a crystallized protein that is toxic to wax moth larvae². This micro-organism is harmless to humans and honey bees, leaves no residue in wax or honey, and does not alter the taste of honey².

©Dancing Bee Equipment

The product is intended to be used after the honey harvest when the frames are stored, and it will kill young wax moth larvae. Therefore, the product is intended to be used prior to wax moth infestations². A single application of the product will provide very high efficacy against wax moth until the following season.

Last year only Manitoba and Nova Scotia asked to participate in the emergency use registration of the product, which is only viable until May 2024. Currently the product is still available to both provinces through Dancing Bee Equipment Manitoba, but it is unknown if it will be available by summer 2024. Whether or not the product is available this summer will depend on if the provinces, and or Country, pursue a full registration with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

Larvicides are not the only solution to controlling these pests. Preventing wax moths can be done by maintaining strong colonies of bees. Healthy colonies with large populations can naturally remove wax moth larvae themselves¹. By keeping the colony robust, beekeepers can potentially avoid infestation.

Additionally, all life-cycle stages of wax moth can be killed by freezing at -6.7C for 4.5hours, -12.2C for 3 hours or -15C for 2 hours¹. Freezing frames can be an effective method for managing wax moths. After freezing, frames should be stored in a moth proof environment to prevent re-infestation. Sealed garbage bags provide a good insect-proof storage environment. Also, the use of cool rooms to store combs and protect them from wax moths has become increasingly popular¹.

While wax moths can be a serious issue for beekeepers, good beekeeping practices is one beneficial tool to manage the pests. 

References

1. Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (2023) Wax moth a beekeeping pest, Agriculture Victoria. Available at: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/pest-insects-and-mites/priority-pest-insects-and-mites/wax-moth-a-beekeeping-pest#h2-0
2. Certan: Wax moth treatment: 5 oz. Dancing Bee Equipment Manitoba. Available at: https://dancingbeemanitoba.com/products/certan-wax-moth-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 abyers@perennia.ca

American Foulbrood (AFB) is a highly contagious bacterial brood disease in honey bees. The disease is caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae which produce spores that are viable in the environment for decades. Protecting honey bees from AFB is extremely important and recently a new product has been developed that demonstrates providing some degree of immunity to the disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has conditionally licensed the product, under veterinary supervision, and it is expected to be distributed on a limited basis to commercial beekeepers in Canada starting this Spring. To learn more about AFB, and the potential benefits this new product could provide, read this week’s blog.

Product for American Foulbrood Protection Approved for Canada's Honey Bees

American foulbrood (AFB) is caused by the Paenibacillus larvae bacterium which produce spores that are viable in the environment for decades. Worker bees can transport the spores and spread the disease, but it is the larval stage that shows clinical symptoms of infection. Infected brood usually die at the pre-pupal or pupal stage, severely weakening the colony and eventually killing it. Because of its virulent nature and detrimental effects on honey bee colonies, AFB is classified as a notifiable disease worldwide.

Antibiotics, such as Oxytetracycline, are largely ineffective at eradicating the disease as they are only effective against the vegetative state of the bacteria, which is when bacteria can grow and reproduce. Once a hive shows the clinical symptoms of the disease, the only effective way to eradicate it and prevent the spread of the disease is by burning the equipment, and the colony.

Therefore, it is extremely important to protect honey bees from AFB, and there is now a new product that could help. This product is being called a vaccine in the media and throughout published research. In an original study done by Dickel et al. (2022) the group of researchers demonstrated that the oral administration of an inactivated AFB bacterin to the queen bee is safe and induces some level of protection in the next generation of larvae against AFB infection in a hybrid lab and field study. The suggested delivery of this new product is that the inactive bacteria is mixed into powered sugar and glucose syrup for the worker bees to eat, and their secretions are fed to the queen. Then the next generation of developing bees, produced from the queen, have increased immunity to AFB.

The research trails, funded by Dalan Animal Health, showed between 30% to 50% decrease in AFB infection among colonies that received the product compared to colonies that received the placebo product in the hybrid lab and field study. The researchers fed the queens the product for 8 days in queen cages in the lab, and those queens were released into nucleus hives. Then, 18 days post-queen placement, frames of brood were collected and fed food with a known concentration of AFB spores and assessed for mortality over time in the lab.

It is known that this is an antibody-free immunological response since insects lack antibodies. It is proposed that information about the disease agent is transferred to the next generation with the help of the egg yolk protein Vitellogenin carrying immune elicitors, such as pieces of bacteria. Another proposed mechanism of action is a transfer of mRNA and proteins as well as epigenetic factors. Further research is needed to determine this product’s mechanism of action.

©Dalan Animal Health

This product could be beneficial in protecting honey bees from AFB and decrease the economic impact of the disease. That being said, the efficacy of the product is still largely unproven both from a multitude of research trials, and through beekeeping practices. In Fall 2023, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conditionally licensed the product, under veterinary supervision, and it is expected to be distributed on a limited basis to commercial beekeepers in Canada starting this Spring. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conditionally licensed the product by Dalan Animal Health back in January 2023. Some key differences exist between having a product licensed by CFIA versus USDA, including the level of efficacy a product must demonstrate. Since there is differences in the standard a product must meet, it is typical that CFIA will license a product after USDA. Both CFIA and USDA only license products that have been proven to be safe for livestock and humans, when following manufacturer instructions.

Although this product could provide multiple benefits to the Canadian honey bee industry, it is important to recognize that beekeepers must still remain vigilant in detecting potential AFB infections. Beekeepers should examine brood for discolored larvae; dead larvae; brood that appears greasy, sunken, or punctured; and poor brood pattern. Additionally, beekeepers should perform the rope test regularly, and especially on any abnormal looking larvae. Finally, if a beekeepers does have reason to suspect an AFB infection this must be reported to the provincial apiculturist immediately.

References

Dickel, F., Bos, N.M.P., Hughes, H., Martín-Hernández, R., Higes, M., Kleiser, A. and Freitak, D., 2022. The oral vaccination with Paenibacillus larvae bacterin can decrease susceptibility to American Foulbrood infection in honey bees—A safety and efficacy study. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9.

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 abyers@perennia.ca

Protecting pollinators from pesticides is crucial to a successful and prosperous pollination industry. Agrochemical use is necessary in modern cropping systems and required to maintain honey bee health. Understanding more about the correct use of these compounds and how to mitigate risks for pollinators is important for both beekeepers and fruit producers. This week we will look at one example product to gain further insight into label and product information to help understand associated risks and the precautions you should take.

What You Need to Know About Agrochemical Product Information

Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency is responsible for pesticide regulation. Pesticides are stringently regulated in Canada to ensure they pose minimal risk to human health and the environment.

Manufactures are required to provide information on various aspects of their product. We will use Merivon^®, a common fungicide for blueberry crops, as an example of the types of information a manufacturer must provide. This product may be used during blueberry bloom and therefore has potential considerations for honey bees and other pollinating insects.

Pesticides must be registered for specific crops and uses. Merivon is registered for use on blueberry crops to control Anthracnose, gray mold, Phomopsis Twig Blight, and Septoria Leaf Spot. All products will receive a registration number, with our example Merivon, having the registered number of 33951.  They will have a product name (Merivon Fungicide), and a registrant name (BASF CANADA INC.). The manufacturer must provide all information on all active ingredients. For Merivon the active ingredients are Pyrcolstrobin and Fluxapyroxad.

 

Merivon Fungicide BASF©

Manufacturers must also provide a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for their product. The SDS has numerous requirements, including hazard identification for human health and the environment. Merivon is classified as acute oral toxicity, acute inhalation toxicity, skin corrosion/irritation, reproductive toxicity, specific organ toxicity, and hazardous to the aquatic environment. The SDS includes information on First-Aid measures, fire fighting measures, accidental release measures, handling and storage, personal protection measures, physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity, ecological information, disposal information, transport information, and regulatory information. Anyone using this product should familiarize themselves with the label instructions and the SDS.

The SDS also provides information on toxicology. The toxicological information provides specific values about the degree of toxicity for different routes of exposure. For example, the LD₅₀ of Merivon for oral exposure to a female rat ranges between 50 and 300 mg/kg. For context, the LD₅₀ of Arsenic for oral exposure to a rat is 763 mg/kg, which means it is relatively less toxic than Merivon in this comparison. The LD₅₀ of Merivon for dermal exposure to a female rat is greater than 5000 mg/kg. The LC₅₀ of Merivon for inhalation exposure to a female rat is 2.81 mg/L. The LD₅₀ is calculated per kilogram of body weight and meant to only indicate comparable toxicity to other animals.

By way of further explanation, the median lethal dose (LD₅₀) is the amount of a substance that kills 50% of the test population, usually modelled using rats. The lethal concentration (LC₅₀) is the concentration of a chemical that kills 50% of the test population. These terms are often used interchangeably, but the LD is the lethal amount (or dose) of a solid substance, and the LC is the lethal concentration of a liquid substance. It is also important to understand that these measurements are time dependent. An LD₅₀ or LC₅₀ is determined within a certain time period (typically 4 hours since exposure). The LD₅₀ or LC₅₀ also differ depending on the method of exposure, whether it be topical, oral or inhalation exposure to the chemical. The values are determined through lab-based experiments, where a specific sample size is required for the experiment to have statistical significance.

According to use recommendations, Merivon has low toxicity to bees. Under a shared framework supported by PMRA, the US Environmental Protection Agency states that if the LD₅₀ of the pesticide is greater than 11 micrograms per bee it is relatively nontoxic, and no bee caution statement is required on the label. Generally, fungicides are not considered to have toxic effects on bees but ongoing research suggests there is still uncertainty as to the real-world consequences of exposure to these pesticides (Rondeau and Raine, 2022).

When using pesticides there is a lot of important information on the labels that must be understood and followed so that the treatment is effective, but also so no harm is done to plants and animals, and their environment. In Canada, it is an offence under the Pest Control Products Act to use any product in a way that is inconsistent with the directions on the label.  Pesticides can pose a threat to honey bees and other pollinators. Therefore, all precautions and directions on pesticide labels must be followed to avoid impacts of pesticides to bees.

We are excited to announce that more information about protecting pollinators from pesticides with be available soon! To be published: “PRACTICES TO PROTECT POLLINATORS FROM PESTICIDES – WILD BLUEBERRY”.

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 abyers@perennia.ca

References

Rondeau, S. and Raine, N.E., (2022) Fungicides and bees: a review of exposure and risk. Environment International, 165, p.107311.

Note: Any named product mentioned in this article is not an intended endorsement or discrimination of that product.  Specific examples are used for information and explanation purposes only.  Further information on these products is available through the manufacturer.

Synthetic Chemical Treatment Options for Varroa Mites

Last week we talked about some of the principles of IPM.  One of the fundamentals of this strategic approach to pest management is to have a ‘tool box’ of treatment options.  Chemical acaricides are an important means of controlling Varroa mites, so are worth a few words in this week’s blog.

A reminder that 'The King of Heather Honey', Murray McGregor, will be presenting a webinar this Saturday for the Nova Scotia Beekeepers Association.  Details on how to attend below.

Synthetic Chemical Treatment Options for Varroa Mites

Beekeepers have only a few options when it comes to chemical control of Varroa mites but luckily in Atlantic Canada we have access to the highly effective Apivar® manufactured by Vetò-Pharma.  The active ingredient in this synthetic miticide is amitraz from the chemical class formamidines.  Currently, no mite resistance to this treatment has been reported in Atlantic Canada and research done by ATTTA in 2017 confirmed its efficacy.  In other areas, resistance has been reported!  This is of concern, as an alternative will be required when Varroa mites in our region inevitably show resistance.

All the synthetic acaricides available to beekeepers come from three chemical classes: synthetic pyrethroids, organophosphates and formamidines.  Historically, our region’s beekeepers treated mites with fluvalinate (Apistan®) which comes from the chemical class of synthetic pyrethroids.  In Canada, it has been documented that mites have resistance to this treatment but work by ATTTA in 2017 showed it was effective against mites in our region.  Although, those whose memories stretch back to the winter of 2007 / 08 will recall that the high winter losses reported that year were largely attributed to mite resistance to the then commonly used Apistan®.  This resistance, first reported in 2001, resulted in the emergency approval of coumaphos (CheckMite®) in Canada.  The efficacy of this treatment was short lived and resistance to this miticide, from the organophosphate chemical class, was soon reported.

A relatively new treatment, Bayvarol®, was approved for use in Canada in late 2016.  Both Bayvarol® (active ingredient: flumethrin) and Apistan® (active ingredient: fluvalinate) are synthetic pyrethroids of the same chemical class.  For this reason, it is recommended that these two treatments are not used consecutively within an IPM approach as this could result in cross resistance with these similar chemicals.  Also, as there is already reported resistance to Apistan®, there are some concerns with resistance to Bayvarol®.

Since it was approved for use in 2012, amitraz (Apivar®) has been the go-to chemical treatment for Varroa mites and no new chemical classes have been approved.  But as discussed above, new treatments are required once widespread resistance is reported.  As an example of a chemical treatment for the future, lithium hydrochloride holds some promise.  Work done at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany proposed the use of lithium hydrochloride (LiCl) in a paper published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports¹.  A serendipitous discovery indicated that LiCl caused mite mortality leading researchers to investigate further.  Since the first publication of these results in 2018 many questions remain unanswered such as the overall environmental impact of LiCl, correct dosage and the most effective method of application.  Additionally, there are concerns that higher concentrations of LiCl are lethal to both adult and larval honey bees.  Researchers from this team reported as recently as this week, at the 16^th  COLOSS eConference 2020, that they are still developing LiCl as a treatment.  There is a great deal of work required before this could become approved for use by beekeepers.

New treatments take years and resources to develop, so preserving current ones is important.  Using only as directed and following IPM strategies to preserve efficacy and prevent the development of resistance is the responsibility of individual beekeepers and our industry.  Beekeepers are encouraged to use alternatives, such as organic acids as well as cultural and physical controls to prevent overdependence on chemical acaricides.

¹ Ziegelmann, B., Abele, E., Hannus, S. et al. Lithium chloride effectively kills the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor by a systemic mode of action. Sci Rep 8, 683 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-19137-5Acaricides

Please see the attached video clip by Alex Crouse, NSBA President, and Murray McGregor, Fall Technical Session Keynote Speaker, providing a teaser of what is to come for the VIRTUAL NSBA Fall Technical Session this Saturday, October 17^th from 10AM-12PM.

Go along to the NSBA Association website for details on how to attend!

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 abyers@perennia.ca


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