Frequently Asked Questions

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We’re very sorry, but we do not sell directly to individuals.

However, you can browse our list of retailers to find a nearby store or an online shop that carries our products.

You can find a tone of resources on our different product pages, and also in our resource library that you can access by clicking on this link.

Sure!

If you are a distributor we will be more than glad to provide you with brochures, videos or point of sales displays to promote our products.

If you are a beekeeping school, please also write to us ad we can provide educational resources such as guides to help beekeepers navigate in the world of varroa mites, bee nutrition and fight against the asian hornet.

We’d be delighted!

You can reach out to Séverine Délot, our Communications Manager, at +33 1 69 18 84 80 or via email at severine.delot@vetopharma.com.

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There are no temperature constraints during treatment with Apivar.

However, when storing the product for extended periods, avoid exposing it to very high temperatures (above 30°C or 86°F) or very low temperatures, such as frost.

Apivar contains amitraz, a synthetic insecticide and acaricide that functions as a neurotoxin. Disposal methods may vary depending on your country. We recommend consulting your local regulations to ensure the strips are disposed of safely and in an environmentally responsible manner.

• Position the strips correctly: Ensure the strips are placed in the brood center to maximize contact between bees and the strips. Remember: contact = effectiveness!
• Feed your bees during treatment: Feeding stimulates colony activity, increasing the likelihood of bees contacting the strips.
• Scrape and reposition the strips: At mid-treatment, remove any wax or propolis from the strips and reposition them in the brood center.
• Leave strips for the full duration: When brood is present, keep the strips in the hive for the maximum duration allowed as specified on the label.

• Act early: Do not wait for infestation levels to reach damaging thresholds before treating your colonies.
• Renew brood combs regularly: Replace 30% of your brood combs each year to maintain healthy colonies.
• Rotate treatments: Rotate active ingredients (ideally using different molecules within the same year) to target mites through various mechanisms and reduce the risk of resistance

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Slow-release varroa mite treatments are important to manage mite infestations in the long term. However, flash treatments with Amiflex offer additional benefits, such as lowering the mite infestation during the season (in-between honey flows) and providing a quick knock-down effect at the beginning of the slow-release treatment. This can help reduce the overall impact of varroa mites on the colony during the beekeeping season and improve the effectiveness of the slow-release treatment.

Amiflex is intended to complement the varroa treatment toolbox of beekeepers and is not meant to replace regular slow-release treatments. By providing an alternative mode of action, Amiflex supports an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to varroa mite control.

The Amiflex gel is a contact delivery system for varroa mite control, similar to other treatments like Apivar. The gel’s active ingredient, amitraz, is released through contact with the bees and gradually spreads throughout the colony when bees interact or get in physical contact with each other.

That’s an excellent question, and we have a great answer. Amiflex is accompanied by a dosing gun that ensures accurate dosing. With this dosing gun, there’s no need to worry about different metrics, whether they are milliliters or ounces. Simply pull the trigger twice per brood box, and you’re done!

Furthermore, we are committed to making Amiflex available in more countries and using a standardized dosing gun is a step towards that goal. That’s why we opted for milliliters as the unit of measurement.

Using a different applicator tool with Amiflex is not recommended. The specially designed Amiflex dosing gun ensures the precise and consistent dosage necessary for each treatment. Employing an alternative applicator tool may result in inconsistent dosing, potentially affecting the effectiveness of the treatment.

Amiflex in its current packaging of 10 cartridges, which was designed to provide commercial beekeepers with a legal treatment solution to manage varroa mites in between honey flows.

Please also note that each pack of Amiflex is suitable for treating 100 to 200 hives (depending on the hive type) making it a viable option for sideliner beekeepers as well.

While we do not have plans for smaller packaging as of now, we will certainly keep everyone updated if that changes in the future.

The shelf life of an unopened Amiflex pack is 24 months after manufacturing, as indicated on the EPA label.

However, it’s important to note that this shelf life is only valid if the pack has been stored properly. To ensure the product’s efficacy and longevity, it’s recommended to store unopened cartridges in a cool, dry area, away from direct sunlight.

After opening the aluminum sachet containing the 10 cartridges, we advise you to use all cartridges within 3 months.

Store unopened cartridges in the original aluminum bag (try to close it as much as you can) in a cool, dry area, away from direct sunlight and other pesticides that could potentially contaminate the product.

After initiating the first use of a cartridge, it is important to immediately use the Amiflex gel in this cartridge and discard any remaining unused product.

The EPA label recommends that any unused or excess product should be disposed of according to state, and local regulations. It is important to avoid contaminating water sources, and to not reuse or refill empty syringes.

Please check your local regulations or contact your local waste disposal authority for more information on proper disposal of pesticides in your area.

The wooden supports are intended to help you remove any leftover gel from the hive once the treatment is complete. Applying the gel directly to the top bars can make it difficult to remove the gel that remains after the treatment period, and would have led to a withdrawal period before being able to place honey supers back on the hive.

By using the wooden supports, you can easily remove any leftover gel at the end of the 7-day treatment, and then place the honey supers back on the hive right away, without any additional waiting period.

Additionally, this approach helps prevent the presence of small quantities of amitraz inside the hive after treatment. This is beneficial for maintaining the sensitivity of varroa mites towards amitraz.

When registering a varroa treatment, we have to test it extensively to ensure that it doesn’t leave high amounts of residues in honey or wax, which can affect the safety of the consumers.

However, this does not mean that mite treatments can be used during honey flow when honey supers are on, as there is still a risk of residues being left behind. Thus, like most other authorized varroa mite treatments, Amiflex should only be used outside of honey flow.

The short treatment period of Amiflex (7 days) allows for great flexibility of the treatment timing: before, in-between, or right after a honey flow.

Furthermore, there is no withdrawal period for Amiflex, which means that beekeepers can place the honey supers back on the hives right after removing the product at the end of the treatment.

Despite the lower concentration, Amiflex has been demonstrated to be highly effective at reducing varroa mite infestations in bee colonies. The product’s unique gel formulation has been specifically developed for short-term release of amitraz, maximizing the efficacy during the 7-day treatment period.

It is important to keep in mind that the concentration of the active ingredient is not the only factor that determines treatment efficacy. The formulation also relies on other ingredients, which enable a better release of the active ingredient.

Our laboratory experiments have shown that different formulations, even with the same concentration of amitraz, produce varying results depending on the excipients used in the formulation. This is why the use of illegal treatments does not provide constant results in terms of efficacy or toxicity for bees, and why it’s crucial to only rely on registered treatments that have been extensively tested.

You can use Amiflex in two consecutive applications with a 7-day break in between. It will make a total of 21 days and will cover a full cycle of worker bee brood.

Amiflex should be applied as a supportive treatment to efficiently reduce mite infestation during the season (before, in-between, or right after honey flows). It provides efficient support in varroa mite control, in addition to the main (end-of-season) varroa treatment.

Amitraz has been used globally in varroa control for several decades. It has been established in several research studies that the toxic dose of amitraz for honey bees is much higher than the dose required to kill varroa mites.

A recent study has found that residues of amitraz metabolites commonly found in beeswax do not negatively affect traits such as sperm viability in drones, queen mass, egg laying pattern, or emergence mass of worker bees.*

Our own toxicity studies with Amiflex that were conducted in the framework of the authorization process demonstrate that treatment with Amiflex does not negatively impact worker bee mortality or the amounts of brood present in the colony either.

This does not mean that amitraz is not toxic to honey bees at all. But it demonstrates that the use of authorized treatments such as Amiflex® and Apivar®, which have been carefully developed and dosed appropriately, is crucial to treat honey bee colonies safely against varroa mites with amitraz-based miticides.

* McAfee, Alison, et al. “Honey bee queen health is unaffected by contact exposure to pesticides commonly found in beeswax.” Scientific Reports 11.1 (2021): 1-12.)

Before the authorization of Amiflex, no legal amitraz-based flash treatment against varroa mites was available. Especially amongst sideliner and commercial beekeepers, the need for a flexible amitraz-based treatment that can be used on short notice in between honey flows or as a quick knock-down treatment before / after slow-release treatments became apparent over the years.

Why amitraz-based? Because amitraz is largely independent from ambient temperatures when used as a miticide during the season. Unlike some of the flash or short-term treatments based on organic compounds, amitraz release is not associated with temperature-dependent evaporation.

Of course, the responsible use of amitraz-based varroa treatments is necessary to retain treatment efficacy. Amiflex represents a different, more flexible option to use amitraz in varroa control, not a “second Apivar”. We therefore recommend to alternate active ingredients in varroa treatments in order to preserve the efficacy of amitraz-based products.

It is our recommendation to alternate varroa treatments with different active ingredients for sustainable varroa control. Specifically, we do not recommend using amitraz-based treatments only during the same season, from spring until fall.

However, you can apply Amiflex in spring (one or two applications), for example before the first honey flow, and then use Apivar as your end-of season treatment later in the year. Likewise, you can also apply Amiflex in-between honey flows and later apply Apivar as an end-of season treatment after the last honey flow.

If you plan on using both treatments within the same season, we strongly recommend that you consider applying another active ingredient in between both treatments and/or after the Apivar treatment. The rotation of active ingredients in varroa treatments helps delay the onset of resistance.

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To reliably monitor infestations, colonies should be tested at least four times a year:

Early spring
Early detection helps plan and assess the need for a spring treatment before adding honey supers. A second check after the treatment will confirm a reduction in infestation levels.

Between honey flows
This check helps detect any significant reinfestation and decide if spot treatment is required.

Late July / August
This is a key time to select the most appropriate late-season treatment based on infestation levels. It’s critical to compare pre- and post-treatment infestation rates to accurately measure treatment effectiveness.

September / October
Ensure the autumn treatment was effective and determine if an additional winter treatment (when broodless) or early spring treatment is needed.

When temperatures are too low, we recommend using sticky board monitoring instead. This avoids opening the hive and breaking the cluster, ensuring the bees remain undisturbed during cold weather.

• ≤ 10 hives: All hives
• ≤ 20 hives: 6 to 10 colonies
• > 20 hives: At least 25% (minimum of 8 colonies)

We recommend a sample of 300 bees (upper mark inside the white basket) for better representation.

However, if the hive population is low, you can use a sample of 200 bees (lower mark inside the white basket).

A 2023 study on bumble bees observed that queens are more sensitive to CO2 exposure than worker bees.

The research states:

To calculate the infestation percentage, divide the number of mites counted using the Varroa EasyCheck by:

• 3 (for a sample of 300 bees),
• 2 (for a sample of 200 bees),
• or adjust according to your sample size.

This gives you the number of mites per 100 bees.Example: For a sample of 300 bees, you find 15 mites:
15 ÷ 3 = 5% infestation (too high!).

• Early spring: ≤ 1%
• Between honey flows: ≤ 2%
• End of season (July – August, before treatment): ≤ 3%
• Late autumn – winter (after end-of-season treatment): ≤ 1%

Yes, provided you filter it thoroughly to remove the mites. You can reuse it for up to ten tests.

No, this is not possible because it tends to clump due to moisture and potential bee excretions during shaking.

It depends on how much CO2 you use per injection, but on average, a 16-gram cartridge can sample between 3 and 5 hives.

You need to purchase 16-gram threaded CO2 cartridges (with screw threads). These can be found at some beekeeping supply stores, in recreational shops (for bike pumps), and very easily online.

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Unfortunately, we are unable to sell directly to individual customers. However, our network of distributors can meet your needs, either online or in-store.

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It’s very simple!

Send us an email at order@vetopharma.com explaining your request.

Our sales team will guide you through the steps to become a VespaCatch distributor.

• At height: Hang the trap from a branch, 1.5 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) above the ground.
• Near hive entrances: Place it on the ground or hang it next to the hive (some beekeepers attach it to the hive’s entrance guard).

• 2 hornets per hive: 1 trap for 2 hives.
• 3 to 5 hornets per hive: 1 trap per hive.
• More than 5 hornets per hive: 3 traps for 2 hives.

VespaCatch traps are highly durable!

We have improved the quality of the plastic in recent years to ensure they withstand weather conditions and sunlight, offering a long lifespan.

The VespaCatch attractant is made from natural plant extracts to lure Asian hornets and denatured alcohol to deter bees. It is an insecticide-free product that works through its olfactory properties.

• For the VespaCatch Original: Replace the attractant when the trap is full or every 3 weeks.
• For the VespaCatch Select: Refresh the attractant every 3 weeks to maintain its olfactory effectiveness.

Yes, it’s possible to use homemade recipes, such as a mix of beer, syrup, and white wine. However, these homemade attractants are usually less selective and may attract other insects.

The VespaCatch attractant is specifically designed to maximize the capture of Asian hornets while minimizing non-target captures.

Not necessarily. We advise against washing them with soap, as it could reduce their effectiveness. If needed, simply rinse them with water.

Additionally, leave one hornet (dead or alive) in the trap when replacing the attractant to help lure more hornets.

• Check the location: Traps should be placed in areas with high hornet activity, such as near hives, water sources, or hedges.
• Verify the attractant: Ensure it is properly set up and still effective. Keep in mind that attractants can be less effective below 59°F (15°C).
• Move the trap: If captures remain low, try relocating it to a more active area.