http://www.moraybeedinosaurs.co.uk/varroa.

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Formic acid
Formic acid is the only treatment for varroa that penetrates the wax cappings of sealed brood
to kill the mites. Formic acid also controls wax moth and acarapis woodii (tracheal mites)

There are various formic acid dispensers that are commercially available ... Apidea -
Nassenheider - Liebefelder - Universal evapourator - Krämerboard.

Krämerboard

The use of the Krämerboard is one of the most popular methods and is used by 60% of the
beekeepers in Denmark.
The Krämerboard involves putting 60ml of 60% formic acid on a 20 x 24 x 1.5cm piece of
soft fibre building board or absorbent flat 'kitchen' sponge, then sealing it in a plastic freezer
bag.

 1.5cm holes are punched in the plastic giving approximately 35sq.cm of evapourating
surface
 The evapourator is placed on two 10mm wooden strips on the top bars, holes
downwards
 A 20mm thick wooden frame ... 'Eke' ... needs to be placed onto the hive to give more
space between the tops of the frames and the crown board
 Wire mesh floors should be blanked off and hive entrance left wide open

Assuming a strong colony covering 10 frames and calculating at 2ml of acid per frame

1. Day 1 ... Place the flat sponge on the wooden strips, carefully squirt 20mls 60% acid
onto it.
2. Day 4 ... Carefully squirt another 20mls, 60% acid onto the sponge.
3. Day 7 ... Carefully squirt another 20mls, 60% acid onto the sponge.
4. Day 10 ... Remove the sponge

The total payload is 60mls

Buying Formic acid at 85% solution and wanting to dilute to 60% ?

 Dilution problems are needlessly intimidating

 Concentration x volume = amount
 Diluting a volume of a solution does not change the amount of the
solute.
 Starting concentration (C¹) times starting volume (V¹) must equal
final concentration (C²) times final volume (V²):

Therefore … C¹V¹=C²V²

*** When mixing always pour the acid into the water
and NEVER the water into the acid ***
 Nassenheider evapourator

Nassenheider evapourator was developed for slow continuous

evapouration of 60-65% formic acid for combating varroa mites
Evapourator fixed into a frame
and being filled with Formic acid

This evapourator is placed close to the focus of bee activity and the brood. Bees regulate a
constant temperature of 35°C next to the brood, that is why the evapouration rate is largely
independent of external temperatures

Conditions for effective control

Brood should be present for all formic acid application and wire mesh floors should be
blanked off. Treatments when temperatures exceed 25°C are not advisable as evapouration
rates might get too high causing damage to bees. For the Nassenheider evapourator
temperatures should not drop under 5°C

Time of application

It is normal to apply formic acid in July, August and September. The first application should
take place after honey harvest (give them some sugar first), the second application directly
after wintering is completed.
Research shows that formic acid can also be used in spring, for example in combination with
swarm prevention.

Efficacy

Formic acid has a knockdown success rate of 85% to 98%. At low evapouration rates the
efficacy is lower. Use a floor insert a few weeks after the treatment and check effectiveness.
Optimum efficiency is obtained when treatment begins in late summer after the honey flow,
and when ambient temperature is 18-25°C, with minimum night temperature no lower than
12°C

Bee tolerance

Formic acid damages the brood and causes some bee mortality, but both effects are negligible.
Drones however are hindered by formic acid. Do not use formic acid in colonies purposely
used for drone production. A further drawback is the use of a high 85% acid concentration
causes loss of queen bees.

Safety measures

Formic acid is a corrosive chemical that is potentially hazardous to humans unless proper
precautions are taken and needs to be handled very carefully with full protective clothing.
Avoid skin and eye contact as well as inhaling vapour. Always wear protective gloves and
safety goggles. When using formic acid use a gas mask. Dust masks are not sufficient. The
acid also damages clothes.

Residues

Honey contains naturally low levels of formic acid, ranging from 5 to 600ppm, depending on
the type of honey. Formic acid used for varroa control in autumn results in increased formic
acid in syrup stores and honey, although levels drop to those normally found in honey after a
few months. Autumn treatments can be recommended without affecting honey quality,
although spring treatments should only be made on an emergency basis because residues may
not evapourate in time

*** More information on the "Verification testing for varroa & trachea mite infestation,
resistance and treatment efficacy" can be found at MitGone

http://www.mitegone.com/testandmaterials.asp

VERIFICATION TESTING FOR VARROA & TRACHEA

MITE INFESTATION, RESISTANCE, AND
TREATMENT EFFICACY
Verification Testing is a Must
You Must Know What You Have!
Test the Same Hives in Late Summer and Spring.
Without Testing, You are Playing Russian Roulette!

In 2010 after 3 years of exclusive use of MiteGone® we cannot Find the mites.

INTRODUCTION

 Testing of natural drop on sticky boards is a must! Do not rely on your neighbour, or
government official to tell you what the situation is or what to do. You must know
 what mite infestation levels you have in your hives to treat successfully and not waste
money on unsuccessful treatments.
 Only tests before each treatment and at the same time of the year (In moderate climate
August and April) will tell you the true situation in the hive. These levels directly
effect the winter and summer brood stock.
 The results of testing at other times, by other methods, randomly and after the
varroa mite treatment, are irrelevant.
 Tests after the treatment; in many instances, the natural drop after August Honey bee
mite treatment was higher than before the treatment. Why is this? It is because mites
exposed to the acid continue to die in great numbers long after the treatment has
ended. They become sterile and in 80% will not reproduce their offspring and many
adults die in cells. Also because summer mites are just dying off in late September and
October? The only true measure of August treatment success is how many mites are in
the same hive the following spring.
 Testing in the spring (April) and in late August is a must when controlling mites with
acid and MiteGone®. In commercial operations, a random sampling is required to get
a reasonable indication of infestation levels. The tests should be completed before the
application of organic bee mite Treatment to the entire operation.

EVEN WITH A ZERO INFESTATION LEVEL, VARROA MITE TREATMENTS MUST

BE USED IN THE SPRING TO PREVENT RE- INFESTATION, ELIMINATE THE
TRACHEAL MITE AND TO KEEP MITE LEVELS BELOW THE THRESHOLD OF 8 –
10 MITES NATURAL DROP. BEFORE THE SECOND TREATMENT IN IN AUGUST,
PREVENTING DAMAGE TO WINTER BEES AND RE-INFESTATION BY ROBBING
ENSURES SUCCESSFULL WINTERING.

CONCLUSION: After 15 years of using formic acid and testing, we found and established
current rules and methods of testing described in documents listed below::

 Verification Testing for the Infestation of Varroa and Tracheal Mites

Introduction, Conclusion, How Many to Test, When & How.
 Methods of Testing for Varroa Mite Infestation, Resistance & Efficacy
Methods of Testing for Varroa Mite Infestation, Resistance, and Efficacy
A complete summary of what the test means, how you can find your resistance or the
efficacy of the treatment you are doing right now, what infestation level you have, and
the treatment you need.
 Drop or Sticky Board Methods and Equipment
Instruction, How to Use, Drop Boards - Commercial or Homemade, Other Equipment,
and Rules of Counting.
 Reusable Board and Screens
Reusable Board and Screens
Sketch and Instruction, Material Specification, and How to Make Test Boards,
Screens, and Lifting Tools for 24 Test Boards
 Verification Testing BLANK Chart
Fill and use for your own tests. Send to me for advice.

Verification Testing Charts and Evaluations:

What the Numbers will Tell You
These charts provided the material and information allowing us to pass our recommendation
on to you. The tests and results for August 2006 to April 2010 show that VAROA can be
virtually eliminated in commercial operations of 500 hives. In 20 tested hives only ONE
mite on one board was found in a 72 hour = 3 day drop, before April treatment in 2010.

 Test Evaluation August 2006 to April 2010 May 10

 Test Evaluation April 2006 B
 Test Evaluation September 2005 C
 Test Evaluation April 2005 D (2 pages)
 Test Evaluation September 2004 Q
 Test Evaluation April 2004 I5 (3 pages)
 Test Evaluation September 2003 I5 (3 pages)