Among beekeepers, drugs are popular that help not only fight bee diseases, but also help disinfect hives. “Ant” is a medicine for bees that destroys parasitic mites and wax moths. Advantages of the drug: simplicity and ease of use, environmental safety, high efficiency in the fight against diseases.
Composition and release form of "Ant"
The drug is available in the form of a colorless gel with a peculiar odor.The active ingredient is formic acid in a concentration of 85%, which exhibits medicinal qualities in the fight against various diseases of bees and slows down the processes of rotting and decay.
The gel is sold in bags made of non-woven material. Package size – 0.4x0.7 cm, weight – 30 g. Packages in the amount of 4 pieces are packed in a polymer jar.
What is it used for?
The drug is used to treat bees from varroatosis and acarapidosis. The source of diseases are ticks:
- The Varroa destructor parasite feeds on the blood of honey bees, pupae, and larvae. One bee can be parasitized by 5-6 mites. A colony infected with mites produces practically no honey; the lifespan of bees is shortened, since individuals are born underdeveloped and defective;
- The microscopic mite Akaraapiswoodi (about 0.15 mm in size) parasitizes the trachea of adult bees. Disruption of air flow in the respiratory system contributes to a decrease in gas exchange, and negative changes occur in the nervous system.
To treat and prevent diseases, you can isolate the apiary for a while, but it is more advisable to use the special drug “Ant”.
Instructions for use for bees
To effectively treat bees, it is important to follow the instructions for use of the drug:
- all hives are processed (in the spring, after the first inspection, or in summer-autumn, after pumping out honey);
- the jar of medicine is opened, and the packages are laid out among the hives (under the canvas or on the upper bars of the honeycomb frames) at the rate of 1-2 bags per 10-12 frames;
- the bags are removed and disposed of after the gel has evaporated. Hives are processed at temperatures from +10 °C to +25 °C.
For medicinal purposes, the drug is used twice a season to protect against varroatosis and three times in the case of combating acarapidosis.
Security measures
The toxicity of formic acid is concentration dependent. When using the drug, it must be taken into account that 10% acid causes an irritating effect, and a more concentrated acid has a corrosive effect. Therefore, when working, observe safety precautions:
- work is carried out in personal protective equipment (respirator, safety glasses, overalls, rubber gloves);
- It is advisable to process the hives in dry, windless weather;
- During work, it is prohibited to drink, smoke, or remove protective equipment.
Acidic fumes are highly irritating to the mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract. When the skin is exposed to formic acid (concentrations above 30%), a chemical burn occurs with the formation of off-white scabs. First aid in case of injury is to wash the burned area of skin with clean water.
Contraindications and side effects
The drug is quite toxic, so it is important to consider contraindications and the likelihood of side effects:
- It is not recommended to process bee colonies of less than 5 streets;
- an overdose can provoke the removal of insects from the hives or even the death of the queen and bees;
- processing cannot be carried out in damp weather, since it will not be possible to ensure good ventilation of the hives.
Side effects are observed in case of overdose: bees form a dense ball hanging outside the hive, insects become excessively restless.
Storage and shelf life
Packages with acid are stored in tightly closed original packaging, since the drug evaporates quickly. The product freezes at temperatures below 8.4 °C.Since formic acid is quite toxic, the product is stored in a special room, protected from light. The medicine is kept in a place inaccessible to children and animals, separately from food and animal feed. The shelf life of the drug in the form of a gel is 2 years.
Are there any analogues?
Various drugs are used to kill tick parasites. Several effective analogues are popular. In Moscow it is not difficult to buy “Varastop”, “Varatom”, Apiflum”, “Varrosan”, “Apiatraz”, “Apivaro”, “Flukontakt”.
Formic acid is a sought-after medicine in the treatment of bee diseases. If the instructions are followed, the use of the drug is safe for insects and does not cause any consequences.
