Cesky

since 1995

Prices:

How to Order:

Associates – Distributors – Sources of Acid:

Cost of Treatment: Find the cost of 1 litre of 85% acid and add it to the cost of 5 pads. After thinning to 65%, this will treat two hives with three half pads in the fall and two in the spring. Divide by 2 for the cost per hive per year.

Regulations and Policies:

Use of 65% formic acid was allowed in 1994 under C94-05 which exempted the use of formic acid in beehives from pesticide regulations; a most sensible decision ever made by the government. We used formic acid in many ways of application as the methods were developed. Applicators have been dry or prefilled and sold as Mitewipes, MiteGone, and MiteAway. In 2005 MiteAway applied for an entirely unnecessary registration by PMRA in an attempt to corner the market and asked for a discontinuation of C94-05. It caused a great uproar and opposition from the whole industry including the professional apiculturist because MiteAway’s performance is limited and C94-05 was retained. Click to view and print the MiteAway Evaluation. In 2007, MiteAway launched another attempt, contacting PMRA to prohibit the sale of any prefilled applicators to others without registration. As of now it is illegal to sell prefilled products without registration. Prefilled products are expensive as they require dangerous goods transport. MiteGone solves this by: ready-to-fill-and-use dry kits.

• Proposed Scheduling of 65% Formic Acid C94_05
  A most sensible decision exempting formic acid from most pesticide regulations.

IN 2010 ACID WILL BECOME ILEGAL per PMRA:
Regulatory Proposal PR002009-0

OUR answer to PMRA

AS A BEEKEEPER: I urge PMRA to continue in spirit of C94-05 and exempt formic acid from registration, leave application to the beekeepers.

If not; that, then PMRA may ask Canadian Honey Council to sponsor registration of 65% formic acid as pesticide, for
$ one, and leave application to the beekeeper's choice.

This is PMRAr only true choice to get out of the mess PMRA got PMRArself in;

It smells of PMRA abiding in monopolization of the market by Mite Away. Check the Canadian laws!
To be stuffing someone's lousy product through Canadian beekeeper's throats will never work.

How lousy? Click this link.

I do not know who produced it, but it was sent to PMRA and copied to everyone in 2005 when the registration of Mite Away took place. I kept it and it did come in handy, now.

AS A DEVELOPER OF MITEGONE and person of substantial knowledge on formic acid and "LEGAL" situation in the world:

Bill Ruzicka PE.
Beekeeper , inventor, researcher and speaker in over 100 seminars on formic acid around the world.

1. I was for the last 15 years telling the whole world in my seminars that; the Canadian regulatory agency made a wise decision in exempting or proposing exemption of formic acid under C94-05, leaving beekeepers to treat by methods they choose. New Zealand followed PMRA's example. I hope I will not have to tell the whole world: I was wrong and that PMRA made the situation in CANADA worse than in USA "There is no law preventing the beekeeper from using formic acid his way in his hives. Is PMRA going to invent one? I guarantee it will not pass legislation.

2. As for MITEGONE, it is a dry liquid dispenser, according to PMRA's ruling; it does not require or is subject to registration; therefore PMRA can not make its use illegal. Besides formic acid, it is used to dispense water in nukes, heptanol, even light oil and Amitras solution, in various research projects around the world. In formic acid use, it has 1001 applications and new ones are coming each day, from dispensing half gram as deterrent to small hive beetles, 1 gram in baby nukes, 6-10 grams in various sizes of hives, 24 grams in mid-summer in California and temperatures of 115°F, St Lucia tropical year round reuse of 4 half-pads to various lengths of pads and cuts. Imagine all this without any bad effect, no queen or brood losses. But many good side effects from reducing Nosema, eliminating chalk brood, and wax moth, etc. Even if I wanted, how will PMRA register all this?

3. WHAT HAPPENS IF NO ONE REGISTERS THE FORMIC ACID? I'm afraid legally; the formic acid will go to its original category of: UNCONTROLLED PRODUCT. Therefore none of PMRA's business, check their law? PMRA's mandate is here to protect the environment and Canadians from harmful effects of man-made pesticides. Formic acid is a well known part of many foods, even food additives, and dietary problems are of no concern by food regulatory agencies, therefore it will become another:

• Water
• Sugar powder
• Flower powder

All that PMRA will be able to do is send their officers to supervise beekeepers using Mite Away to kill their colonies according to its label.

4. THERE IS ANOTHER WAY OUT OF THIS MESS "California Style" This is a grape wine story, but California is freely using acid. According to this, CALIFORNIA PESTICIDE ENFORCEMENT AGENCY decided regarding formic acid:

• As dietary effects are of no concern
• As many scientists distinguish between man-made pesticides, bio-pesticides, and natural substances, having ability to control pests.
• As our mandate is to protect the environment and food chain from effects of harmful chemicals, namely man-made pesticides
• Because it can be argued that formic acid does not pose a dietary problem, is a natural substance, therefore not a man-made pesticide, therefore none of our business, we have more important things to do,
  so do not bother us with it or its registration any more.

If that is PMRA's final intention and answer to Mr. David VanderDusen's attempts, then I will congratulate the PMRA.

I hope PMRA takes my advice.

• Regulatory Proposal PR002009-0
  IN 2010, ACID WILL BE ILLEGAL PER PR-02009-01

• Associate Program