UK introduces a novel solution for Varroa mite control

Beekeepers in the UK can now count on MAQS Beehive Strip, a new product that controls Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite that has been identified by independent organisations as a major contributor to the declining number of bee hives on a global scale. The product was granted a Marketing Authorisation on the 26th of February, 2013 and is now available for use in the UK.

MAQS Beehive Strip targets Varroa mites while they feed on honey bee brood. The backbone of this ready-to-use strip is a protective wrapping made with BASF’s biodegradable and compostable polymer ecoflex®, which is filled with the miticide formic acid in a saccharide (plant sugar) formulation. The strip’s innovation is in the safe and controlled release of formic acid vapour which penetrates the brood cap, knocking-out the varroa mites before they reproduce.

MAQS Beehive Strip was created by NOD Apiary Products, a company established in 1997 in Ontario, Canada, focusing exclusively on providing solutions for honey bee protection. In a partnership sealed in 2010, NOD and BASF pledged to make the product available to European beekeepers. NOD has worked closely with BASF’s experts to overcome technical barriers and in registering the product for UK use. BASF are pleased to support MAQS as a positive contribution to improving honey bee health, which is of central importance to beekeepers and farmers.

The strips are already on the market in Canada and the United States. Applications will subsequently be made in 2013 for Marketing Authorisations in other European countries, with the aim of making the product available to as many beekeepers as possible.