Apitraz
Behandlungsmittel
Apitraz is an impregnated strip containing 500 milligrams of amitraz.
Apitraz is an impregnated strip containing 500 milligrams of amitraz. As with the comparable product using the same active substance, two strips are used per colony, corresponding to 1 gram of amitraz. The strips are each hung between two food combs in the brood chamber; the exact placement depends on the hive type. The bees walk over the strips and carry the active substance further through the colony.
The mode of action is the same as for all amitraz products: via the octopamine receptors in the mite's nervous system, overexcitation and paralysis occur, and the mite detaches from the bee. Only the freely sitting mites are reached; the active substance does not penetrate into the capped brood. The effect on brood mites arises only through the long application period.
The product information specifies a treatment duration of six weeks, after which the strips must be removed. As timing, a phase with only little brood remaining is recommended, but before the winter cluster forms, so the bees still actively walk over the strips. No honey may be harvested during the six-week treatment.
Critical findings exist regarding efficacy and its limits. Insufficient efficacy has been reported from Germany: with proper use of two strips over six weeks, a trial with heavily infested colonies found an average efficacy of around 65 percent, while formic acid achieved over 95 percent in the same comparison. Possible causes discussed included too short an application period and the generally slow onset of amitraz's effect. If amitraz resistance is known, the product must not be applied.
Apitraz is approved as a veterinary medicinal product in Germany and is prescription-only. The withdrawal period for honey is zero days; treatment must not be carried out during the nectar flow, and no honey may be taken from the brood chamber. The product information also recommends renewing brood combs at least every three years and not reusing brood combs as honey combs, because amitraz accumulates in the wax. When handling it, impermeable gloves and protective clothing are required; amitraz can irritate skin and eyes and cause neurological reactions in humans.
Quellen (4)
- Apitraz 500 mg, EU Union Product Database, Zulassung Deutschland (Nr. 402266.00.00)
- Gebrauchsinformation Apitraz 500 mg, imprägnierter Streifen für den Bienenstock
- Emmerich, I.: Zugelassene Arzneimittel für Honigbienen in Deutschland, Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 2018
- LLH Bieneninstitut Kirchhain: Infoblatt Varroazide