# Bovitraz (Amitraz)



## beesimex (May 7, 2007)

I have seen video, the guy worked for commercial beekeepers and bovitaz is what they use. They are bring it from Mexico. He tells exact formula you have but also he was saying that you have to do second treatment in a week or so with 1 part Bovitraz to 3 parts vegetable oil. Bovitraz is not offered for sale in US so I don't think anyone will admit here that they using it in hives. I agree with you it is less expansive than Amitraz.


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

I havent been able to find much information on this online, but from what I could find my calculations are youd probably mix 160g bovitraz with 1000g crisco/vegetable shortening and apply as a 'grease patty', use about 50ish grams of this concoction per double deep colony when supers arent on... 
Taktic-Amitraz 12.5 % Bovitraz


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

Well, the biggest benefit of using apivar is that it's relatively easy and continues to kill mites for months.

If I have to follow special recipes, and go back multiple times, I might as well just use OAV, which is better than apivar, and less dangerous for me as a beekeeper. I could accidently spill OA all over my hand, lick it up with my tongue, and only get a little burn on the tip of my tongue. If I spill amitraz, I could end up with cancer.


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## edzkoda (Aug 9, 2014)

Seen Sam Comfort go treatment free. Not for everyone but safer conversation for a forum. Not a judge or jury...just saying


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

I think the benefit of using a grease patty, as compared to a fogger or spray is that it will essentially time release the active ingredient, until the grease is gone. I havent used grease patties before but I think they typically last over a month in the hives... I found a source for that taktic stuff online. Its $84 for 1 liter shipped which would be equivalent to 125 treatments for a standard double deep hive. At mann, apivar 50 pack is $130 and it takes 4 strips to treat a double deep, which is $10.5 for each treatment. So essentially its about $.70 for taktic vs $10.50 for apivar / treatment...


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

how legal is it?


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## John Davis (Apr 29, 2014)

It is not legal.
It is an off label use of a pesticide. 
It is also not necessarily what the label says it is or the labeled concentration.


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

I'm guessing that depends on where you live... and what you plan to use your bees for...


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## edzkoda (Aug 9, 2014)

Where is it legal and for what ,honey, splits,?


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

you would need to check with your local govt regulations, I'm not a lawyer...


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## tracyoverstuff (Mar 24, 2020)

Bovitraz is SUCH a cheap, efficient option for the locals but many dont know how to effectively use it


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## edzkoda (Aug 9, 2014)

BigDsbeez Then please do not give advice like you did. Can you tell me where I can legally buy it. What states allow it? IMO, which is strictly an opinion , you are setting folks up for failure. Amitraz strips are legal and controlled. What exactly is your experience and where are you from that allows the use?


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

all i did was provide information, what you do with it is your responsibility. some people are competent enough to look up regulations and Mix their own chemicals, others obviously aren't..


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## John Davis (Apr 29, 2014)

The label is the law - if it says it is for use on bees then it is if legal if your state approves it. 
Use approval is a state by state thing, labeling is federal
If it does not state on the label that is for bees it is as above an off label use of the pesticide and not legal.


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## edzkoda (Aug 9, 2014)

BigDsbeez said:


> all i did was provide information, what you do with it is your responsibility. some people are competent enough to look up regulations and Mix their own chemicals, others obviously aren't..


Never underestimate , esp when you don't know who or what your dealing with. That said it makes no sese to stay here and create a controversy, so I'll let you have this thread.


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## edzkoda (Aug 9, 2014)

BigDsbeez said:


> all i did was provide information, what you do with it is your responsibility. some people are competent enough to look up regulations and Mix their own chemicals, others obviously aren't..


Never underestimate , esp when you don't know who or what your dealing with. That said it makes no sese to stay here and create a controversy, so I'll let you have this thread.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

BigDsbeez said:


> all i did was provide information, what you do with it is your responsibility. some people are competent enough to look up regulations and Mix their own chemicals, others obviously aren't..


Beesource does not allow for the promotion of illegal pesticide use. Since we are an international forum, there are treatment protocols that are illegal in some countries, yet legal in others. Discussion of these treatments is permitted. Is Bovatraz approved for use on bees anywhere?


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

JWPalmer said:


> Beesource does not allow for the promotion of illegal pesticide use. Since we are an international forum, there are treatment protocols that are illegal in some countries, yet legal in others. Discussion of these treatments is permitted. Is Bovatraz approved for use on bees anywhere?


There are YouTube videos from other countries that appear to show that it is legal. Greece, and Russia being two.

https://youtu.be/WPHJD5EK5NU

https://youtu.be/Q04GEnFiChE


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

many countries don't have the restrictive regulations that are found in the US (and other more developed nations) when it comes to pesticides, if something isn't specifically illegal, in many areas it is perfectly legal...


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Spade, both of the videos you linked show them using Taktic, not Bovitraz. Taktic is legal in the US last time I checked. But Taktic is not Bovitraz, even if the chemical composition is the same.


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

JWPalmer said:


> Spade, both of the videos you linked show them using Taktic, not Bovitraz. Taktic is legal in the US last time I checked. But Taktic is not Bovitraz, even if the chemical composition is the same.


I've seen videos with both. Which is best and what is the difference? Most people selling offer both.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

They are essentially the same, 12.5% amitraz. I looked into this issue a little more and find that many of the sites selling Taktic are in eastern Europe, even though their websites appear very American. The use of Taktic on honey bees is no longer approved in the US or Canada.


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

JWPalmer said:


> Spade, both of the videos you linked show them using Taktic, not Bovitraz. Taktic is legal in the US last time I checked. But Taktic is not Bovitraz, even if the chemical composition is the same.


this site is selling taktic and they also call it bovitraz fwiw https://cobyfarm.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=618


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## msl (Sep 6, 2016)

> The use of Taktic on honey bees is no longer approved in the US


Never was approved, like the use of insecticide impregnated ear tags it has been used off label for bees, with it removed from the us market some busts of it coming up from mexico have happened, hence this 2017 post about Bovitraz witch has been imported illegally in to the US 



> Taktic has been pulled from the U.S. market, some beekeepers are justifiably concerned that the EPA may stop looking the other way about them illegally using the product


http://scientificbeekeeping.com/beyond-taktic/

If you want to see whats US legal, its all listed here https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-prot...s-approved-use-against-varroa-mites-bee-hives


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

The EPA is going after it. They ordered eBay to stop allowing sales. Ads also thinned out on Craigslist. I'm sure they will see that link and get to those guys above also.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/productio..._vCrZI7NIpkKAoJdxXnOOfisE6lk4zWasIXMkWfcJjYXo


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

BigDsbeez said:


> I think the benefit of using a grease patty, as compared to a fogger or spray is that it will essentially time release the active ingredient, until the grease is gone. I havent used grease patties before but I think they typically last over a month in the hives... I found a source for that taktic stuff online. Its $84 for 1 liter shipped which would be equivalent to 125 treatments for a standard double deep hive. At mann, apivar 50 pack is $130 and it takes 4 strips to treat a double deep, which is $10.5 for each treatment. So essentially its about $.70 for taktic vs $10.50 for apivar / treatment...


You still need to do the grease patty 3 to 4 times a week apart to get a good treatment. Do a count after the last treatment to make sure you are good to go. Even thought there maybe some grease left it doesn't mean its still killing mites like it should. Thats why you need to add more several times.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

JWPalmer said:


> Spade, both of the videos you linked show them using Taktic, not Bovitraz. Taktic is legal in the US last time I checked. But Taktic is not Bovitraz, even if the chemical composition is the same.


Both are used interchangeably by the commercial guys.


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

found this online, might be helpful for some...

"Taktic On Honey Bees

6 oz Canola oil
2 oz Tatkic

Roll of blue shop towels. Cut in half and then both should be about the same size as a roll of Toilet paper.

Plastic Folger coffee can or similar works best for storage.

Mix oil and Tatkic in a coffee can and place one of the rolls towels in it and let it soak it up.

1 towel across the frames of each hive every 5 days for 20 days 1st thing in the spring. Then once a month after that. I skip the months I have supers on them repeat the whole thing when the supers come off."


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

BigDsbeez said:


> found this online, might be helpful for some...
> 
> "Taktic On Honey Bees
> 
> ...


I would be interested to know if that were enough (8 oz) as most of the towel would be dry. I found it takes over 2 cups of liquid to cover 1/2 a roll of blue towels.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

BigDsbeez said:


> found this online, might be helpful for some...
> 
> "Taktic On Honey Bees
> 
> ...


I (as a moderator) received a "report" regarding this post. Contents below:


> Promotes illegal and highly questionable use of pesticide.There is absolutely no proof that this is effective for Varroa control or even safe for bees or beekeeper.
> Bee source should not be complicit in advocating questionable treatments.


Use of "Tatkic" (presumably referring to Taktic) in this manner is indeed illegal as it is not an "on label" use.

But there are likely hundreds of threads on Beesource regarding application of homemade pesticides in apiary applications - a prime example all the threads about oxalic acid use before "vaporization" received the EPA stamp of approval. 

So, be aware that ALL pesticide "off-label" (uses not specifically mentioned on the required container label) are illegal under Federal law. However Beesource does not have a history of banning such threads and I am not starting that now.


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## BigDsbeez (Jul 28, 2020)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> I (as a moderator) received a "report" regarding this post. Contents below:
> 
> 
> Use of "Tatkic" (presumably referring to Taktic) is indeed illegal in this manner as it is not an "on label" use.
> ...


it's good to side with free speech, let people be responsible for their own actions....


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

BigDsbeez said:


> it's good to side with free speech, let people be responsible for their own actions....




Just keep in mind that there really _ARE_ limits at Beesource. 

Discussions of bee / beekeeping topics are the _reason_ for Beesource. But there are some topics that do peripherally affect beekeepers, say elections/politics, or Covid-19 discussions that are not direct beekeeping issues and have proven to simply turn into, well,_ food fights_, and those types of threads will be quickly closed.


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

There's so many non-contaminating non-resistance forming products available, why bother putting oneself at risk making apivar strips at home like this. Oxalic acid and formic acid do not form resistance are are extremely effective at controlling mites, for decades now.


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

I think this IS an international site, AND other countries do use it.

As far as the quote; There is absolutely no proof that this is effective for Varroa control.
This guy is blowing smoke. My guess is that this is someone that makes a buck selling other treatments.

The issue with amitraz/Apivar is not if it's effective but if the bees are building resistance. This is why we talk about this and switch up out treatments.


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

username00101 said:


> There's so many non-contaminating non-resistance forming products available, why bother putting oneself at risk making apivar strips at home like this. Oxalic acid and formic acid do not form resistance are are extremely effective at controlling mites, for decades now.


Apivar claims their strips are

Proven safe and effective for more than 15 years
Leaves no significant residues in hive products
The cost is what most can't take, and bad batches have been reported leaving beehives devastated.

On label = 10X the cost and loss of quality control.

I use OA but the BEST use (with sponges) is also "off label" at this time. FA is not really an option where we have 60+ days of 100+ degree temperature. I lost 1/3 of my queens the first time I used it in the cooler spring. Losing queens in the fall is a death sentence to those hives.

One size does NOT fit all. The aforementioned sponges are proving not to work well in high humidity areas.

Anyway this is what a forum is for, hashing this all out. Thanks Beesource!


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