Name
Advantages
Disadvantages
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Mites have developed resistance
Highly toxic to fish and somewhat toxic to birds
No honey supers during treatment period (6-8 weeks) + 14 days after
No longer approved for use in the US except in South Dakota (exceptions
pending in other states)
Apivar
(Amitraz)
Strip
Spring/Fall
Treat: 6 weeks
(Synthetic Chemical)
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The first available when mites arrived
Virtually non-toxic to bees and only a
minor danger to humans
No residues
CheckMite+
(Coumaphos)
Strip
Spring/Fall
Treat: 6 weeks
(Synthetic Chemical)
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Easy to use
High mite-kill rate (unless resistant)
Treats SHB
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Toxic to bees, queens, beekeepers and other animals
No honey supers on during treatment period (6 weeks) + 14 days after
Mites developing resistance
Residues in wax
Apistan
(Fluvalinate)
Strip
Spring/Fall >50 ºF
Treat: 42 days
(Synthetic Chemical)
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Easy to use
High mite-kill rate (unless resistant)
Non-toxic to humans
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No honey supers on during treatment period (6-8 weeks)
Mites developing resistance
Drones, Queens poor development
Residues/Toxic to fish
Mite Away or MAQS
(Formic Acid)
Gel/Vapor Strips
Spring/Fall
Varies
(*Natural Chemical)
ApiGuard
(Thymol)
Gel
Fall Temp 60-105 ºF
2 x 2 weeks -* NC
ApiLife Var
(Thymol)
Tablet
Fall
2 x 21 days apart
65-95 ºF *NC
Sucrocide
1 week x 3 weeks
>60 degrees F
(Natural Chemical)
HopGuard II
3 x year *NC
Oxalic acid
Spray/Syrup/Vapor
Fall
1 Treatment
(Natural Chemical)
Drone brood culling
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Also treats tracheal mites
Can kill mites under cappings
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Also treats tracheal mites/chalk brood
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Also treats tracheal mites
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Kills some brood/adults, more if temperatures violated.
Highly temperature sensitive. Use when daily highs between 50 and 79F.
Do not use if > 82F/Combustible
Can taint honey/Corrosive
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No honey supers during treatment period
↓egg laying, ↑bee mortality
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Three separate treatments/Over wintering problems
Agitate bees, high temp ↑ Bee mortality - do not use when
< 54F or maximum daily temperature > 90F
No honey supers during treatment period + 1 month
temperatures
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Easy to apply (drench)
Can be used during honey flow?
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Must apply three times on schedule
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can be used during honey flow
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Messy
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Safe, effective and cheap
Easy to use as a drench
↓side effects when vaporized “J. Berry”
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www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Oxalic-Acid/productinfo/727
Reduced brood in Spring/may chill cluster
Corrosive
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No chemicals
Est. 60 % of mites in developing drone
cells
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Labor intensive/Need freezer space
Must stay on schedule. A few days late and instead of a varroa cull, you've
created a varroa explosion
Once the bees are regressed to size, no
further effort needed/No chemicals
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While advocates claim effectiveness, results have not been replicated
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Easy to use /No chemicals
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Natural mite drop is low. Needs some other factor to increase drop.
Powdered sugar
dusting
Spring/Fall
1 week x 4-6 weeks
> 60 degrees F
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Enhances natural mite drop
To the bees, it's food/No chemicals
↑33% mite drop “Dr. Marion Ellis”
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Doesn't enhance the natural mite drop all that much.
Needs Screened Bottom Board
More Research needed
Varroa-tolerant bees
Hygienic, Russian,
Survivor
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No chemicals
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Tolerant, not invulnerable. Can still be over taken by a high mite load
Small cell size
Screened bottom board