Incident Report

Subform I: General Information

1. Report Type.

New incident report

Incident Report Number: 2021-1245

2. Registrant Information.

Registrant Reference Number: VOP

Registrant Name (Full Legal Name no abbreviations): VETO-PHARMA SAS

Address: 12-14 Rue de la Croix Martre

City: Palaiseau

Country: France

Postal Code: 91120

3. Select the appropriate subform(s) for the incident.

Environment

4. Date registrant was first informed of the incident.

06-MAR-21

5. Location of incident.

Country: CANADA

Prov / State: ONTARIO

6. Date incident was first observed.

05-MAR-21

Product Description

7. a) Provide the active ingredient and, if available, the registration number and product name (include all tank mixes). If the product is not registered provide a submission number.

Active(s)

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PMRA Registration No. 29092      PMRA Submission No.       EPA Registration No.

Product Name: Apivar (TM) Strips

• Active Ingredient(s)
  • AMITRAZ
    • Guarantee/concentration 3.3 %

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7. b) Type of formulation.

Application Information

8. Product was applied?

Yes

9. Application Rate.

2

Other Units: Strips per brood box

10. Site pesticide was applied to (select all that apply).

Site: Personal use / Usage personnel

11. Provide any additional information regarding application (how it was applied, amount applied, the size of the area treated etc).

Nine hives of a beekeeper were treated with 2 strips per brood box, for 6 weeks (according to label). The hives are all in the same apiary, located on the edge of a forested area.

To be determined by Registrant

12. In your opinion, was the product used according to the label instructions?

Yes

Subform IV: Environment (includes plants insects and wildlife)

1. Type of organism affected

Terr. Invrtbrt-Honey Bee/Inv.Ter-Abeille

2. Common name(s)

Honey bee

3. Scientific name(s)

Unknown

4. Number of organisms affected

Unknown

5. Description of site where incident was observed

Fresh water

Terrestrial

Other

Salt Water

6. Check all symptoms that apply

Death

7. Describe symptoms and outcome (died, recovered, etc.).

9 hives were treated for 6 weeks in autumn 2020 with two strips of Apivar per brood box. In march 2021, 6 months after treatment, 6 of the 9 colonies were lost for unknown reasons. No monitoring data of varroa infestation is available. The weather is still very cold in Ontario and has been since the treatment. The beekeeper is following up with oxalic acid vaporization in remaining colonies. There was no follow up of the infestation, but the beekeeper observed high dead mites counts on solid bottom boards in the dead outs. The same hives were inspected by local Ontario bee inspector on July 6th, 2020. Alcohol washes were performed, and no mites were found. The colonies were very strong before treatment, with lots of bees, and brood. The beekeeper also fed heavily with syrup and was concerned that he overfed. He mentioned that hives may have become honey bound, with little empty comb for the queen to lay eggs. The hives were dry, with no mold. The are located on the edge of forested area. Previously last fall, all hives had 2, or 3 deep hive bodies. He reduced some to as few as 1 hive body. So the apiary entered the fall with one hive with 3 deep boxes, four hives with 2 deeps 4 hives with a single deep box. Hives lost had 1, 2 3 brood boxes. After removing the honey supers to place the strips, the beekeeper observed a lot of bearding outside of his hives for two to three weeks, especially in four of the colonies that died.

8. a) Was the incident a result of (select all that apply)

N/A

Unknown

8. b) i) How many times has the product been applied this year?

Unknown

8. b) ii) What was the date of the last application?

Unknown

9. Did it rain

9. a) During application?

No

9. b) Up to 3 days after application?

No

10. a) Was there a buffer zone?

No

10. b) What type?

10. c) What was the size of the buffer zone?

11. a) Were environmental samples collected and analysed?

No

To be determined by Registrant

12. Severity classification (if there is more than one possible classification, select the most severe)

Major

13. Please provide supplemental information here

There was no monitoring of the varroa infestation before, during or after treatment. Other underlying cause cannot be excluded, and there was no monitoring of the varroa infestation in the colonies. Cold temperatures might have made the feeding difficult for the bees, possibly leading to fermentation of the syrup in the hives. Furthermore, the bearding in many hives for two to three weeks could have reduced the exposure of bees to the treatment. The bees that were not exposed to the treatment could reinfestate the bees in the brood boxes and in other hives of the apiary. At last, the adverse event was observed around 6 months after the beginning of the treatment, at the end of winter season.