Terramycin
is recommended
as an aid in the prevention and control of American and
European foulbrood in bees.
Terramycin
T-25
is the strength most commonly available to hobbyist
beekeepers. It is packaged in 6.4 oz bags containing 10
grams of active ingredient, oxy-tetracycline hydrochloride.
(For the curious,
T-25
means that one pound of “Terramycin” contains 25 grams of
medicine. Hence, at two and one-half bags per pound, one bag contains 10 grams of active medicine.)
Why the
government chose to mix grams and pounds in their
formulation of Terramycin is beyond me, but I have found
that the easiest way to remember how to medicate is to
realize that there is very close to fifty teaspoons of
Terramycin in a 6.4 oz bag and that one bag will treat fifty
colonies
The correct dosage of oxy-tetracycline hydrochloride for
honeybees is 20mg of medication per hive, repeated three
times over two weeks. Since foulbrood is a disease of the
bee larvae, it is most especially important to treat the
hives in the spring before the warm weather population
explosion., but a fall treatment will help to insure that
the generation of bees raised for the over wintering of the
colony is as healthy as possible.
Dusting a mixture of terramycin and
powdered sugar is the most efficient approved method of
administration.
Dusting instructions:
For each
treatment, mix one teaspoon of
T-25
Terramycin with
one ounce (2
tablespoons) of powdered sugar.
Apply the
dust on the outer parts or ends of the frames. Usually 3
dustings at 4-5 day intervals are required in the spring or
fall at least 4 weeks before the main honey flow to prevent
contamination of marketable honey.
Syrup directions:
Use 1 level teaspoon(200mg) of
T-25
terramycin soluble
powder per 5 lb. jar containing 1:1 sugar syrup per colony.
Dissolve terramycin soluble powder in a small quantity
of cool water before adding to cooled syrup.
Bulk feed the syrup using
feeder pails or division board feeders or by filling the
combs. DO NOT use Boardman Feeders. Usually 3
applications at 4-5 day intervals are required in the spring
and/or fall at least 4 weeks before the main honey flow to
prevent contamination of marketable honey.
Warning:
All terramycin medicated supplements should be fed early in
the spring or in the fall and consumed by the bees before
main honey flow begins to avoid contamination of production
honey.
Honey or syrup stored during
medication periods in combs for surplus honey should be
removed following final medication of the bee colony and
must not be used for human consumption. Honey from bee
colonies likely to be infected with foul brood should not be
used for preparation of medicated syrup supplements since it
may be contaminated with spores of foul brood and may result
in spreading the disease.
Terramycin
Facts:
Terramycin is destroyed
by sunlight in one day, therefore DO NOT feed syrup
containing Terramycin using Boardman Feeders. Feed only with
feeder pails or division board feeders or by filling the
combs.
Half Life of
Terramycin:
94 degrees F >>>
7 days
86 degrees F >>> 17days
77 degrees F >>> 8
weeks
Refrigerated >>> 13
weeks
Note: Use of Terramycin is at your own risk. No endorsement
is made or implied by KVBA.
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