How long do Mite Away Quick Strips last?
Mite Away Quick Strips® requires a single application of two strips as a full dose to reduce the number of varroa mites for one season, or a single strip (half dose) to reduce the number of varroa mites for up to 6 weeks.
How long does formic acid last?
Formic Pro has a two year (24-month) shelf life when stored as per label.
How do you dispose of MAQS?
How do I dispose of the residue? A) The residue from MAQS will simply compost over time. It can be handled the same way as any other organic yard-waste material. The strips can stay in the hive after day 7 as they are totally biodegradable.
Can you use expired formic pro?
No. It is a violation of federal law to use Formic Pro past the expiry date. Freezing does not lengthen the shelf life, but cold temperatures do keep the product fresher throughout its two-year shelf life.
Can I use expired Mite Away Quick Strips?
It is a violation of federal law to use expired product. When product expires, it does not lose efficacy, it loses its controlled release. The eco-paper wrap on the outside of the strips begins to breakdown and causes the formic vapours to be released faster, which can cause excessive brood, bee and queen loss.
Does formic acid go bad?
Decomposition. Heat and especially acids cause formic acid to decompose to carbon monoxide (CO) and water (dehydration).
Does formic acid go off?
on a safety related note, formic acid decomposes at room temperature over time to carbon monoxide, and if a ventilated cap is not fitted to the bottle, over-pressurisation can occur and explosion may result.
Can Mite Away be used with honey supers on?
Add an empty honey super with frames to the top of the hive during treatment. This will give the bees space to move UP away from the strips instead of OUT on the front of the hive. There may be an increase in adult bee mortality in the first three days after application.
Can you use MAQS with honey supers on?
Yes, MAQS can be used when you have honey supers on. It does not flavour or taint the honey in any way and in fact it is advisable to leave a colony with at least a super on the hive to ensure that there are stores of food.
Can you eat honey treated with formic acid?
Absolutely, feed them if they need it! AFAIK, feeding with any mite treatment is OK, and Formic acid is even safe for honey that is going to be extracted, so no issue at all.
How long do you leave mite strips in a beehive?
Suspend Apivar strips in the brood chamber so bees can walk on both sides of the strips. Leave strips in the hive for a minimum of 42 days, and then remove.
When to check for mite away quick strips?
Mite away quick strips may also kill eggs and some of the young brood, while also stopping the queen from laying eggs for up to 10 days. If you see no evidence of egg laying after 5-10 days it would be wise to do a thorough hive inspection and check the hive still has a queen.
Is there a difference between Maqs and mite away quick strips?
It is no longer available for purchase, however if product is found, it is safe and effective to use. There is no difference between MAQS and the Mite Away Quick Strips, MAQS is simply an abbreviation.
What is the European brand name for mite away strips?
The European brand name for the Mite Away Quick Strips is MAQS Beehive Strips. The strips that I am using now seem to be a different formulation than 2 years ago, what has changed? There have been no formulation changes to the Mite Away Quick Strips since registration in 2011.
Why are miteaway quick strips so effective for bees?
The reason why these strips are so effective is because they contain formic acid. This compound is lethal to mites but it does not cause any harm to bees. That said, the kind of results you get differ from one colony to another. While some colonies don’t seem to experience any side effects, there are a few that are negatively affected.