Calistrip® Biox
Behandlungsmittel
Calistrip® Biox is a veterinary medicinal product containing oxalic acid in the form of plastic strips that are hung in the colony.
Calistrip® Biox is a veterinary medicinal product containing oxalic acid in the form of plastic strips that are hung in the colony. It comes from the Spanish manufacturer Calier, is distributed in the German-speaking countries by BeeVital (Vienna) and has been authorized in Germany and other EU countries since 2025. Each polypropylene strip contains 6.44 g of oxalic acid dihydrate as well as glycerol, light liquid paraffin and erucamide as carrier and lubricating substances. One pack contains 10 strips and is sufficient for five colonies.
Unlike trickling, spraying or vaporizing, the product does not act all at once, but releases the active substance continuously over six weeks. The bees pick up the oxalic acid while grooming and through contact with the strips and distribute it throughout the colony; only the mites sitting freely on the bees are affected. The manufacturer advertises that the application is independent of temperature and also works when brood is present.
The Kirchhain Bee Institute tested the strips in summer 2025 under Central European conditions and reached a clear conclusion: in colonies with a normal amount of brood, Calistrip® Biox does not work sufficiently and is not suitable as the sole summer treatment. Use is recommended only in colonies with no or little brood, that is, after the nectar flow in late summer or autumn, as long as the colony is still active and not yet sitting in the winter cluster. With a normal amount of brood, other products or biotechnical methods should be used.
Two strips per colony are used. They are pushed in from above into the spaces between the combs next to the brood nest, shortened at the fold lines to the comb size if necessary, and removed and disposed of after six weeks. The strips must not be reused. The manufacturer recommends treating all colonies at an apiary at the same time, removing the honey supers beforehand and using an open mesh floor. If the strips hang too close to the cells, the comb may be dismantled there; with sufficient distance between comb and strip, no problems were observed.
The usual precautions for oxalic acid apply when handling: acid-resistant gloves and safety goggles. The withdrawal period for honey is zero days once the strips have been removed. No honey may be taken from the brood chamber during treatment, and treatment must not take place during the nectar flow. In summer 2025, the price was around 46 to 60 euros per pack, i.e. about 9 to 12 euros per colony and treatment.
Quellen (5)
- LLH Bieneninstitut Kirchhain: Varroabehandlung mit Oxalsäurestreifen (Prüfung Sommer 2025)
- bienen&natur: Oxalsäure-Streifen in der Varroa-Bekämpfung, Wirkungsweise, Anwendung und Risiken von Calistrip Biox
- bienen&natur: Neue Varroabehandlung, Oxalsäurestreifen Calistrip Biox anwenden
- bienen&natur: Neue Varroa-Streifen im Check, Fragen an Calier und BeeVital
- The Honey Factory: Calistrip® Biox Produktdaten (Zulassungsinhaber BeeVital, 6,44 g Oxalsäuredihydrat je Streifen)