# Varroa Gate



## kekulpac (Mar 12, 2013)

I was watching a video on Bayer's Varroa gate. Not available here in the US. Uses the principle of a hive entrance reducer that is infused with a material to kill varroa mites as the bees crawl through the holes to get into the colony.

I would think if you framed a couple of Apiguard strips and cut holes into them to allow the bees to pass though, it may act in the same way to eliminate mites piggy backing on bees returning to the colony and then they would pass the substance within the hive also...

Thoughts???


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

I saw this too and was curious; but isn't it flawed? Wouldn't younger bees (nurse, etc) not be exposed to the miticide as they don't leave the hive?


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## DaisyNJ (Aug 3, 2015)

Too smart people, some times, come up with too silly products.


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

The miticide in the Varroa gate doesn't need to come in contact with every bee in the hive. If it comes into contact with foragers, who then come into contact with receiver bees, and so on, in theory the miticide is spread through the colony. But it gives a "concentrated dose" at the entrance to the mites entering the hive. How effective it is, I don't know. But I wouldn't call it flawed. If you reduced your mite numbers significantly using oxalic or formic acid in, say September, then put one of these gates on through the end of the year, you wouldn't have to worry about treating again (or worry about mite bombs). At least that would be the theory.

As far as whether you can do that with Apiguard strips, I think you mean "Apivar strips." Apiguard is a thymol based gel, and doesn't come in "strip" form. Apivar is the amitraz impregnated plastic strip miticide treatment. That issue aside, I would highly advise against doing it.

Apivar is not intended for prolonged exposure to the hive. It's prolonged exposure may have significantly negative impacts on the wax, honey, pollen, reproductivity, and worker longevity, not to mention increased possibility of mite resistance (of which some mites have already shown to amitraz in particular). That of course doesn't speak to the fact that using a miticide in a method other than the label instructions is a violation of federal law. Apivar was designed to be put in a hive, give a knockdown over a few weeks, and taken out. It would be best to use it that way.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Does the OP know the active ingredient in the bee gate product? Since Apivar is of diminishing effectiveness, other options are necessary for those of us not able to live with not going beyond treatments I refer to as Angel Farts. I see OA as the last best treatment effective on all hives weak and strong. Another option that doesn't tear up brood and queens would be most welcome to rotate with the OA.


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

I thought that the gate was for bees that were robbing a crashing hive due to mites then give them a good dose of some mite killer chemical before they get in the hive.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

i would be down for trying these as yet another weapon in the arsenal against varroa. Im not sure i would be prepared to use it as the sole weapon but as part of a comprehensive treatment program why not give it a try?
Are they for sale yet?


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## J&J Bees (Jun 10, 2019)

I think it looks promising too and would be very interested in cost and availablity.


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

Impregnate a paper shop towel with OA/glycerin and lay it on the floor of the hive. All the bees entering and leaving have to walk over it. Floors always seem to be covered with bees anyway, so a lot of bees would contact it.


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## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

The Bayer item was (perhaps still) manufactured in Europe and sold under the tradename "PolyVar Yellow". It was impregnated with 275 mg of Flumethrin. Flumethrin is not registered for use on bees in the US, and likely never will be. Flumethrin is the active ingredient in Bayvarol strips which externally resemble the ApiVar product, but are not registered or used in the US, but widely used elsewhere.

The achilles heel of Flumethrin and the related tau-fluvalinate is the astonishing rapidity which Varroa breeds resistance to the (persistent in wax) chemical, and its long term contamination of wax. 

The one registered product with flumethrin in the US was the dog flea collar "Seresto". Seresto collars are co-impregnated with Imidacloprid, so using a paper punch on a dog collar to build your own version would be a deadly mistake for your bees.

There are legitimate reasons "Apistan" ---trade name for tau-fluvalinate and "Bayvarol" have been dropped from usage in the US.

The LEGA catalog (and some other catalog sites) still has a page up about the product. Polyvar Yellow Bayer 10 strips

This research paper out of Europe looked at the real world performance on the "gates" 








(PDF) Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Flumethrin 275 mg Bee-hive Strips (PolyVar Yellow(®)) against Varroa destructor in Naturally Infested Honey Bee Colonies in a Controlled Study


PDF | A controlled, randomized, partially blinded study was conducted to evaluate target animal safety and efficacy of a late summer / autumn treatment... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate




www.researchgate.net


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## mrphillip2 (Nov 7, 2021)

As to the original post, The Label is the Law. You suggest using a pesticide in an off label method which is illegal.

The same goes for OA shop towels, Randy Oliver has an experimental pesticide license and he clearly warns others (without legal standing) to not apply the discoveries he has made. If you follow his work, you know his recommendations (dosage, media…) continue to change. When he discovers the ideal solution, I’m sure you will be able to buy it. 😊


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## username00101 (Apr 17, 2019)

OA is harmless to honey and bees, cannot and will not contaminate supers or honey.

I do not use shop towels, but calling that "illegal" is a low ball position. Anyone with common sense knows that if vaping or dribbling OA doesn't contaminate honey, then putting it in some vegetable material and sticking it on a pad in between the brood chambers sure as hell won't either.

Common sense, is just not all that common. Unfortunately.

Welcome to Beesource by the way @mrphillip2 - be sure to order your USDA approved Api Bioxal !









Api-Bioxal (Oxalic Acid)


Buy Api-Bioxal (Oxalic Acid) at Mann Lake. Best & Biggest Beekeeping Supplier - Best Service.




www.mannlakeltd.com


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## mrphillip2 (Nov 7, 2021)

Any off label use is illegal. I didn’t make the law, take it up with the EPA. Mr Oliver has a permit to experiment, he is quite clear about this.


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## mrphillip2 (Nov 7, 2021)

Also, you are suggesting that the EPA has common sense and I find that a bit amusing. 😉 

The law was recently changed to reflect the fact that OA treatments do not substantially raise the amounts of OA in honey. So, you may now legally treat with honey supers on the hive.


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