Over the past few months a couple of Varroa mite treatments have been registered for use in Canada, including VarroxSan^TM and Apivar 2.0®. Adding to that list, the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has recently registered Amiflex®, which is a gel formulated product containing the active ingredient amitraz (1.99%). Read this week’s blog to understand how Amiflex® may be incorporated into Canadian beekeepers’ Varroa mite management plans.

What Beekeepers Should Know about Amiflex®

Amiflex® is a Varroa mite treatment containing the active ingredient amitraz (1.99%) and is administered to colonies as a gel. The product, manufactured by Véto-pharma, has recently been registered for use in Canada by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). As part of an integrated pest management approach to controlling Varroa mites, beekeepers need to use a variety of chemical treatments and reduce reliance on a singular product. Having multiple treatment options available makes it easier for beekeepers to work different products into their IPM plan.

Amiflex® can be used to treat phoretic mites whether or not brood is present in the colony, but the product does not target mites under capped brood cells. Additionally the product is not temperature-dependent and can be used throughout the beekeeping season.

To apply Amiflex®, beekeepers must ensure that honey supers are removed, as the product cannot be administered while honey supers are present. Then beekeepers should scrape frames clear of all excess wax and propolis that could prevent the bees from coming in contact with the gel. In particular, top bars, top feeders, and the bottom of the frames in the top brood box should be well scraped. Next, beekeepers can load and secure the Amiflex® syringe into the dosing gun following manufacturer instructions. Using the dosing gun, an application of 2 doses of 3mL per brood box should be applied to the included tongue depressors, which are placed on the top bars of two different frames. Beekeepers should leave a minimum of one frame between the two frames with gel. The product should be applied to frames in the centre of the brood nest. For a double colony the total application should be 4 doses of 3mL (12mL) (2 frames in each brood box).

Beekeeper applying Amiflex® treatment to honey bee colony ©Thierry Vincent (Véto-pharma).

The treatment period of Amiflex® is 7 days. After 7 days any leftover treatment should be removed, and honey supers are allowed to be placed on colonies.

According to the manufacturer, Amiflex® is different from other amitraz products as it has a relatively quick action. Additionally, according to the PMRA label, the product can be used two times a year, either as two applications 14 days apart, or as two separate applications (7 days each) at different times during the year. If a colony or yard has high Varroa mite levels, it is recommended to apply the second application of Amiflex® 14 days after the first application to target emerging bees and phoretic mites.

Beekeepers must remember that Amiflex®, just like any other Varroa mite treatment, should only be applied when monitoring indicates mite levels are at or exceeding the economic threshold. Beekeeper should monitor following treatment to understand if the treatment was effective. Additionally, it is important that beekeepers understand that Amiflex® does not provide a new active ingredient to the Canadian beekeeping industry, but rather a new application of an already registered active ingredient – amitraz. So, if beekeepers want to use an amitraz-based product as part of their IPM plan, it is recommended that they select one of the available delivery methods (strips or gel) and alternate this treatment with another product that contains a different active ingredient.

The registration of Amiflex® will hopefully provide the Canadian beekeeping industry with another Varroa mite treatment option. Beekeepers can anticipate that the product will be available to purchase in the near future, but the exact date this product will be available in beekeeping stores is still unknown. For any questions regarding Varroa mite treatment and management, reach out to the ATTTA team.

References

Pest Management Regulatory Agency. https://pr-rp.hc-sc.gc.ca/1_1/view_label?p_ukid=402262946

Véto-pharma. https://www.veto-pharma.com/beekeeping-products/amiflex-amitraz-flash-treatment/

Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

Email attta@perennia.ca

As we start a new year, the Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture would like to highlight the many upcoming opportunities to engage with the Maritime beekeeping and wild blueberry industries. Attending various industry events is a great way to meet other beekeepers and wild blueberry growers, and to learn about what is happening in the industry. Read this week’s blog for a summary of upcoming events in 2026.

Upcoming Maritime Beekeeping and Wild Blueberry Industry Events

Industry involvement is an important component to committing to beekeeper education and training. Joining the provincial beekeeping association, and attending annual general meetings, is a great opportunity to learn about the industry, including new practices and research. Each of the three Maritime provinces have a scheduled annual general meeting for 2026:

Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association – January 23^rd and 24^th

Prince Edward Island Beekeepers’ Association – February 28^th

New Brunswick Beekeepers’ Association – March 13^th and 14^th

Visit the various provincial beekeeping associations websites to learn more about these upcoming events.

Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association annual general meeting 2026.

Both beekeepers and wild blueberry growers would also benefit from attending the Maritime wild blueberry growers’ spring meeting on April 10^th and 11^th (details to be provided at a later date).

To engage with the beekeeping industry at a national level, Maritime beekeepers should consider attending the Canadian National Beekeeping Convention and Tradeshow which will be taking place in Calgary on February 12^th –  14^th (https://honeycouncil.ca/beetech2026/).

The Canadian National Beekeeping Convention 2026.

To engage with agriculture more broadly, the Scotia Horticulture Congress 2026 will be held in Greenwich, NS on January 26^th and 27^th (https://horticulturens.ca/scotia-horticultural-congress-2021/).

Scotia Horticulture Congress 2026.

Another upcoming event is a 2026 Getting into the Weeds webinar series hosted by Perennia Food and Agriculture Corporation. This webinar is targeted towards horticulture producers, but is focused on cost of production and can benefit a variety of agriculture commodities. It will take place on January 12th and 20th.

2026 Getting into the Weeds Webinar.

The ATTTA team continues to offer various training opportunities throughout the calendar year. There will be two more winter workshops offered virtually to members of the Atlantic beekeeping and wild blueberry industries on January 27^th and February 24^th. Details of these workshop will be communicated through your respective associations. 

The Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture winter workshop series 2026.

The ATTTA team will have various training opportunities throughout the beekeeping season. Starting on March 16^th ATTTA’s main training program “The Fundamentals of Beekeeping” will be offered for its sixth year. The program is offered in partnership with Dalhousie Extended Learning and provides production skills and beekeeping knowledge timed specifically to the annual beekeeping cycle for both new and experienced beekeepers. The program is offered virtually, with 4 in-person training sessions that occur across the Maritimes.

https://registeratcontinuingeducation.dal.ca/public/category/courseCategoryCertificateProfile.do?method=load&certificateId=2329209

This spring ATTTA is hosting a workshop in partnership with the PEI beekeepers’ association covering a range of beekeeping topics. The workshop will take place on April 24^th and 25^th in Charlottetown.

The ATTTA team is also offering two “New to Beekeeping” sessions (expected to occur in early April) for both the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick beekeeping industries. These introductory sessions will cover the very basics of what new beekeepers should know (industry overview, rules and regulations, required training and next steps). Those who register as a new beekeeper in 2025/2026 (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) will receive details of these sessions.

ATTTA is currently planning for additional workshops and training opportunities occurring in 2026 and will continue to provide more details as they become available. Our team will offer partnered workshops with various provincial, national and international groups. Additionally members of the ATTTA team are already planning a 1-day queen production workshop happening this summer.

Please reach out to the ATTTA team with any questions regarding upcoming education and training events. Additionally, continue to read ATTTA’s blog and buzz update as we will communicate reminders and details of upcoming events each week. 

Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

Email attta@perennia.ca