Honeybee Miticide Gets EPA Approval

Posted by |2 May 2013

Véto-pharma S.A., a French veterinary pharmaceutical company specializing in honeybee health, announced today that the EPA granted approval of its Apivar miticide. U.S. beekeepers will soon be allowed to use Apivar to treat honeybee colonies for Varroa mites, one of the leading causes of global honeybee population decline and a contributing factor in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Varroa mites, which damage honeybees by feeding off their haemolymph (blood), particularly at the larval stage, weaken the host bees and introduce other diseases, viruses and bacteria. If left untreated, colonies are subject to a high risk of death and become more susceptible to CCD. This, according to the Department of Fisheries and Forestry, has the potential to severely impact on a wide range of pollination-reliant food crops and crops that support primary food production.

“Canada’s regulatory agency granted full approval to Apivar in July 2012, so, now that the U.S. is on board, we are very enthusiastic about the impact that Apivar can have on the health of the North American honeybee population,” says José Nobre, Véto-pharma’s president and chief executive officer.

According to Véto-pharma S.A, Apivar kills up to 99% of Varroa mites in one application and has proven safe and effective for more than 15 years. It leaves no significant residues in hive products does not emit vapors into the beehive atmosphere or the surrounding environment during application. It also does not require measuring, mixing or any high difficulty application procedures.