A Review of Treatment Options for Control of Varroa Mite in New Zealand 2013-09-11

The objective of this project was to provide a comprehensive review of the treatment options available and potentially available to New Zealand beekeepers for the control of varroa. The project was carried out under contract to the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Contract number RFQ/BER/4/2000). Resources used to carry out the review included a database search of Commonwealth Agriculture Bureau (CAB) abstracts, an Internet web search, and a search of files and books held by HortResearch on varroa and related subjects. Pesticide safety and LD50 data was obtained from various materials safety and pesticide information profile sources. For each treatment option, the review covers the following: a) common trade name(s) b) active ingredient of the product c) chemical class d) method of application e) effectiveness f) adverse effects g) operator safety h) LD50 i) residues j) maximum residue limits (MRL’s) k) resistance l) cost (product and application) m) impediments that may reduce the likelihood that the product may be approved