Api Life Var
Behandlungsmittel
Api Life Var is a thymol-based combination product.
Api Life Var is a thymol-based combination product. An impregnated wafer made of foamed phenolic resin contains 8 grams of thymol, 1.72 grams of eucalyptus oil, and 0.39 grams each of racemic camphor and levomenthol. The active substances evaporate within the colony, with thymol contributing the main share of the acaricidal effect.
The wafer is placed in one corner of the frame holder, as far as possible from the brood nest, or alternatively cut into three or four pieces and distributed into the corners of the hive. It explicitly does not belong in the middle of the hive, near the brood, or next to a feeder. The manufacturer advises against use in multi-box hives, because sufficient efficacy cannot be expected there.
The treatment schedule provides for one wafer every seven days, four wafers per colony in total, and thus an overall duration of about four weeks. Remnants of any still-present wafers are removed at the end of treatment. The ideal outdoor temperature is between 20 and 25 °C. At daily maximum temperatures above 30 °C, use is contraindicated; below an average of 15 °C, insufficient effect is to be expected. Treatment is carried out in late summer after the honey harvest, when only little brood remains.
Like all thymol products, Api Life Var does not reach mites in the capped brood; the effect sets in with a delay and reaches its maximum only two to three weeks after the start of treatment. The product is not suitable for rapidly reducing mite levels in heavily infested colonies, and a final mite treatment with oxalic acid in the broodless state remains necessary. The Hohenheim State Institute for Apiculture explicitly names a treatment start after July 15 as an application error.
Typical observations during treatment are mild unrest, moving of food reserves directly away from underneath the wafer, and reduced food uptake if feeding takes place at the same time. At temperatures above 30 °C, stress and mortality of bees and brood increase. Overdosing can cause the bees to abscond from the hive. All colonies at an apiary should be treated at the same time to avoid robbing, and no other varroacides may be used in parallel. Api Life Var is an approved veterinary medicinal product; the withdrawal period for honey is zero days, use during the nectar flow is a contraindication, and it is applied without a honey super in place. When handling it, impermeable gloves and the usual protective equipment are required; in case of eye contact, rinse thoroughly and consult a doctor.
Quellen (4)
- Gebrauchsinformation APILIFE VAR, imprägnierte Streifen für den Bienenstock (Chemicals Laif S.p.A., deutschsprachige Fassung)
- APILIFE VAR, EU Union Product Database (Zulassungsdatenbank für Tierarzneimittel)
- Landesanstalt für Bienenkunde Hohenheim: Hinweise zur Anwendung von Thymolpräparaten
- Emmerich, I.: Zugelassene Arzneimittel für Honigbienen in Deutschland, Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 2018