Apiguard® Thymol Varroa Mite Treatment – 3kg Bulk Tub

Bulk Value Apiguard® for Serious Beekeepers — APVMA Registration #65570 + Permit PER94655 | The Most Cost-Effective Way to Apply the World’s Most Trusted Organic Varroa Treatment

Running 20, 50, or 200+ hives? The Apiguard® 3kg Bulk Tub is the most cost-effective way to apply Australia’s first fully-registered Varroa treatment. Each tub provides enough thymol gel for approximately 57 hive treatments (113 doses at 52ml each) — making it dramatically more affordable per hive than the 10-tray pack, while delivering the same proven, residue-free Varroa control that beekeepers in over 60 countries trust.

This is the format commercial and sideliner beekeepers choose when they’re serious about Varroa management and need to treat across a whole apiary efficiently.

Fully covered by both APVMA registration AND permit

Apiguard® is one of the most thoroughly approved Varroa treatments in Australia:

• APVMA Registration #65570 — full Australian registration for products with Australian labels
• APVMA Permit PER94655 — covers product with overseas labels under permit conditions
• Listed by the National Varroa Mite Management Program as an approved Varroa control option

When you’re treating large numbers of hives, regulatory certainty matters. With Apiguard®, you have the highest level of APVMA assurance available.

Why bulk Apiguard® is the Right Choice for Commercial Operations

For beekeepers running 20+ hives, the 3kg bulk tub delivers serious advantages:

• Significantly lower cost per hive vs the 10-tray pack
• One purchase covers an entire apiary — no more juggling multiple boxes
• Customisable dosing with the syringe-based application
• Long shelf life when stored correctly
• Reduces packaging waste — one tub instead of dozens of trays
• Easier to integrate into a structured apiary treatment schedule
• Suit professional treatment sprays of multi-yard apiaries

If you’re spending serious money on Varroa management each season, the bulk tub format pays for itself many times over.

How Apiguard® works

Apiguard® is a slow-release thymol gel — thymol is a natural compound derived from the thyme plant, making Apiguard a genuinely organic Varroa treatment. The thymol vapour:

• Targets the Varroa mite respiratory system, causing respiratory distress and failure
• Distributed through the colony as bees walk over the dosing card
• Has NO known resistance risk — a major long-term advantage
• Targets mites on adult bees AND mites entering the hive

Importantly, Apiguard® works through a completely different mode of action than synthetic miticides like Apivar (amitraz) or Bayvarol (flumethrin) — making it the perfect rotation partner to prevent resistance buildup.

How to apply the 3kg Bulk Tub

Always follow the APVMA-approved label for full instructions. As a general guide:

• Equipment needed: Dosing card and syringe (sold separately or in our bulk Apiguard kit)
• Mixing: Stir the gel well with a hive tool for around 10 seconds before drawing each dose
• Drawing the dose: Push syringe nozzle fully into gel, slowly pull plunger back to aspirate exactly 52ml of gel, avoiding air pockets
• Application 1: Place the dosing card centrally above the brood frames, push the syringe plunger to spread the gel evenly across the entire card surface. Ensure 5mm clearance between the top of the gel and the hive lid.
• Application 2: After 14 days, replace the first dosing card with a new one and apply a second 52ml dose
• Total treatment time: Leave for a further 2 weeks (4 weeks total), or until honey supers are installed
• Pack value: 3kg ÷ 52ml = approximately 57 hive treatments (113 individual doses)
• Cleaning: Wash the syringe in warm water and allow it to dry between uses

Important Conditions for Best Results

• Temperature matters — Apiguard works best between 15°C and 40°C
• Apply only when bees are active — distribution depends on bee movement
• Honey supers MUST be removed before treatment — Apiguard is not approved for use with honey supers in place
• Treat all colonies in an apiary simultaneously — prevents reinfection from untreated hives
• Combine weak colonies before treatment — weak colonies may be disturbed by treatment
• Don’t feed colonies before treatment
• Don’t use in hives where comb honey will be collected
• Don’t treat during honey flow — taste tainting may occur

Honey withholding period: 0 days

There is no withholding period after treatment — once trays are removed and supers are installed, honey can be harvested normally. Note: taste tainting may occur if Apiguard is applied during the honey flow itself.

Why Rotation Matters — even with Organic Treatments

Even with organic treatments, rotation between different chemical classes is best practice. To prevent Varroa resistance and maintain treatment effectiveness:

• Rotate Apiguard® with treatments from different chemical classes, such as:
  • Apivar / Apitraz (amitraz)
  • Bayvarol® / Apistan® (synthetic pyrethroids)
  • Api-Bioxal (oxalic acid)
  • Formic Pro (formic acid)

This is one of the major reasons the National Varroa Mite Management Program recommends Apiguard as part of an integrated rotation strategy.

Mandatory record keeping

While the APVMA permit doesn’t mandate it, your state likely requires you to keep treatment records for at least 2 years. We recommend logging the date, location, hives treated, product, dose, and applicator name for every treatment.

Safety and storage — Schedule 6 POISON

The 3kg bulk tub is classified as Schedule 6 POISON (more concentrated than the small tray pack). Strict PPE is required:

• Wear elbow-length chemical-resistant gloves
• Cotton coveralls buttoned at the neck and wrist
• Washable hat
• Protective eyewear or face shield
• Wash hands and PPE thoroughly after every use
• Will irritate skin and damage eyes — handle with full care
• Toxic to aquatic life — never contaminate wetlands or watercourses
• Store below 25°C in a cool, dry place, protected from light
• For poisoning, call Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26

Container disposal

The 3kg container requires specific disposal under APVMA conditions:

• Triple-rinse the container and dispose of rinsate per local regulations
• Do not dispose of undiluted chemicals on-site
• Recycle if possible — replace cap, return clean container to recycler
• If not recycling: break, crush, or puncture the container and deliver to an approved waste management facility
• If no facility available: bury broken containers 500mm below surface in a designated disposal pit, clear of waterways
• NEVER burn empty containers

Trusted Australian beekeeping supplier since 2016

Beekeeping Gear has been Australia’s trusted source for APVMA-registered Varroa management products since 2016. Visit our Sydney showroom in Granville (next to Clyde train station) or our QLD location in Meadowbrook for hands-on advice, or order online with fast Australia-wide shipping. Bulk orders welcome — call us on 1300 692 766 to discuss volume pricing for commercial operations.

Pair with our Matching Products

Apivar, Bayvarol, Api-Bioxal Liquid, Api-Bioxal Powder, Formic Pro, InstantVap vaporisers, Varroa monitoring tools, and protective PPE (gloves, coveralls, eyewear) — for a complete integrated Varroa management toolkit.

Order your Apiguard® 3kg Bulk Tub today — and apply the world’s most trusted organic Varroa treatment the cost-effective, commercial-friendly way.