Neurotoxins

Fluvalinate (e.g., Apistan): Effective in the first years of use, but with significant drawbacks, including rapid resistance development in mites and harmful residue accumulation in wax and honey.

Amitraz (e.g., Apivar): Although effective, it can also lead to resistance and has been linked to increased bee mortality due to synergistic effects with viruses.

Coumaphos (e.g., Checkmite): Effective but quickly leads to resistance and has numerous negative effects on bees (nervous system disruption, shortened lifespan, sterility in drones and queens, etc.).

Flumethrin (e.g., Bayvarol): Effective but also leads to resistance and has the most counterproductive effects on bees.

Organics

Thymol: Effective only in colonies with little brood and under optimal environmental conditions. Highly temperature-dependent: low temperatures reduce effectiveness, high temperatures cause harmful effects on bees, with risks of brood mortality and queen loss at high temperatures.

Formic Acid: Effective but also temperature-dependent, with risks of brood mortality and queen loss at high temperatures.

Oxalic Acid Sprayed or Sublimated: Effective only in hives with little brood. Significant risks due to the possibility of incorrect handling and dosage, leading to bee mortality and health risks for beekeepers.

Oxalic Acid in Strips (Homemade): Effective, but homemade oxalic acid strip treatments present significant risks due to the possibility of incorrect handling and dosage, leading to bee mortality and health risks for beekeepers.

It is important to clarify that in the case of neurotoxic treatments, when the Varroa population is not resistant, the product is well-formulated and applied, efficacy rates reach 90% with a single application per treatment. Therefore, under these conditions, two applications per year can control mites at acceptable levels. For organic treatments, they all require 3 to 5 applications per treatment, 6 to 10 per year, and even under optimal conditions, they do not achieve efficacy greater than 70% per treatment. Thus, it is practically impossible to maintain colonies at acceptable levels.

Aluen CAP, unlike other organics, is the only one that in a single application per treatment achieves an efficacy of 95%, regardless of colony and environmental conditions. It is the only organic that with two applications per year allows keeping colonies with lower varroa infestation levels than neurotoxic treatments. Furthermore, unlike neurotoxics, Aluen CAP does not generate resistance.

Regarding homemade oxalic acid strip treatments, formulations that have attempted to imitate the original formulation (Aluen CAP), do not achieve the same levels of efficacy and much less safety as their release is not controlled, making it highly variable depending on the environment and the size of the colony.

Risks of Homemade Oxalic Acid Treatments

Risks for Bee Colonies and Beekeepers

Efficacy: The efficacy of these treatments does not exceed 70% and is also variable depending on the environment and colony size.

Toxicity: In its raw form, Oxalic acid is highly toxic and can cause severe damage to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system if not handled properly. Inhaling oxalic acid vapor can lead to crystal formation in the lungs, causing severe respiratory problems. When making the homemade