Journal of the Andermatt Group

entomos

Index

Mating disruption in vineyardsa look

back and across the border
MARTIN GNTER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL.................................................................................................. 5

Potatoes: Use of B
IOSOL as a soil improver
SAMUEL STSSI, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL...................................................................................................... 6

SLUXX A new generation of slug pellets

MARTIN GNTER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL.................................................................................................. 7

Nematodes against codling mothan additional option

BERTRAND GENTIZON AND MARTIN GNTER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL.................................... 8

Central Switzerland Innovation Award for

Andermatt B
iocontrol
MARTIN ANDERMATT, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL......................................................................................... 9

New partnership with Sylvar Technologies Inc.

MARTIN ANDERMATT, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL......................................................................................... 9

Andermatt B
iocontrol acquires the company Probis
DANIEL ZINGG, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL.................................................................................................... 10

Exciting partnership between Andermatt

Biocontrol and Madumbi Bio Farms
DANIEL ZINGG, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL.................................................................................................... 10

Innovation in the biological control of codling moth

and oriental fruit moth with M
ADEXTWIN
IRIS KRAAZ, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL............................................................................................................ 11

TOPCATThe vole trap.

Revision of a first-rate product for increased trapping efficiency
ALEX MEIER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL........................................................................................................... 13

Zonal approval of plant protection products in the EU

PHILIP KESSLER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL.................................................................................................... 14

Workshop on the application strategies, markets and

perspectives using baculoviruses in the Near and M
iddle East
MATHIAS BAMERT, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL.............................................................................................. 15

Mosquito control in the gardenSOLBAC-TABS versus itching

JUDITH LADNER CALLIPARI, A NDERMATT BIOGARTEN............................................................................... 16

Robust plant varieties for the organic garden

CHRISTA GERBER, A NDERMATT BIOGARTEN.................................................................................................... 17

Efficacy testing of THYMOVAR in Switzerland

ROMAN ERNI, A NDERMATT BIOVET...................................................................................................................... 18

entomos

Maggot Debridement TherapyA standard benefit of the

Swiss health insurance scheme since July 1st, 2011
URS FANGER, ENTOMOS........................................................................................................................................... 20

Editorial

Dear readers,
In order to make reading more pleasant, we have decided to print separate
editions of the Journal simultaneously
in German, French and English instead
of just adding the translations to the
articles in German. Should you wish
to receive a copy in one of the other
languages, please feel free to contact
us.

This AG-Journal contains the latest

results of our ongoing research and
findings in support of our products.
We would once again like to thank
all owners of the crops on which field
trials were carried out as well as all
the members of research institutes
and cantonal administrations involved
therein for their kind collaboration.

In 2011, the Andermatt Group continued to make further dynamic progress.

The illustration below gives a primary
impression, and on pages 9 and 10
you will find more information on
the companies Probis GmbH, Sylvar
Technologies Inc. and Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture Ltd.

On behalf of the Andermatt Group, I

wish you an enjoyable time reading
this journal.

Dr.Martin Andermatt
Chairman of the Board

Andermatt

Holding

entomos
www.biocontrol.ch

www.biogarten.ch

www.biovet.ch

www.entomos.ch

www.service-ag.ch

GmbH

Germany, 30%

Germany, 100%
www.andermatt-biovet.de

topcat

GmbH

Germany, 100%

Germany, 100%

Switzerland, 100%
www.topcat.ch

Canada, 60%
www.sylvar.ca

South Africa, 40%

www.madumbi.co.za

Austria, 33%
www.biohelp.at

Germany, 10%
www.biofa-profi.de

Plant Protection for Professionals

Marketing Export
Daniel Zingg

Alex Meier

Dr.Philip Kessler

Managing Director

Head of Marketing Export

Head of Regulatory
Affairs

Iris Kraaz

Mathias Bamert

Technical Support

Technical Support

Dr.Deborah
Britschgi
Registrations,
Technical Support

Erich Frank

Ccile Brun

Head of Sales Export

Office

Daniel Zingg

Philip Kessler

Mathias Bamert

Alex Meier

Deborah Britschgi

Iris Kraaz

Marketing Switzerland
Martin Gnter

Samuel Stssi

Marketing Director
Switzerland, Consultant
Viticulture, Arable Crops

Consultant Vegetablegrowing, Ornemental Plants,

Indoor Cultures, B otanical
Gardens, Berries, B eneficials

Bertrand
Gentizon

Silke Ssse

Marco Arn

Richard Pellissier

Sales Manager
East Switzerland

Sales Manager
Western Switzerland

Sales Manager
Valais

Consultant Fruit-growing,
H orticulture

Lionel Lo Brutto
Sales Manager
Western Switzerland

SH
BS

TG
BL

JU

SO

ZH
AR

AG

LU

Silke Ssse
Samuel Stssi
Bertrand Gentizon
Martin Gnter

SZ

NE

GL

NW
OW

AI

SG

ZG

UR
GR

FR

BE

Marco Arn
Lionel Lo Brutto

VD

Richard Pellissier
Lionel Lo Brutto
TI
GE

VS

Margrit Fessler
Office

Irene
Bremgartner

Jrne Hfliger
Office

Office

Kathrin Flckiger

Matthias Jggin

Stefanie Hirsiger

Office

Desktop-Publisher

Office, Desktop-Publisher
Apprentice

Adrian Felder
Office, Desktop-Publisher
Apprentice

Products for House and Garden

Ralph Schwarz

Christa Gerber

Managing Director

Product Management

Judith Ladner
Callipari
Product Management

Sandra
Pabst-Gubler

Rita Uhlmann

Martina Venetz

Export, Customer Service

Desktop Publishing

Marketing

Charlotte Zaugg

Lukas Schwitter

Customer Service

Customer Service,
Desktop Publishing
Apprentice

Animal Health with a Natural Advantage

Ralph
Schmidgall
Managing Director

Brigitte
Zimmermann
Customer Service Export

Esther Manser

Roman Erni

Animal Health,
Regulatory Affairs

Sales Manager
Apiary Products

Rachel Asbach

Joel Struchen

Customer Service,
Quality Control

Customer Service,
Desktop Publishing
Apprentice

entomos

Insects for Feed, Research and

Maggot Debridement Therapy

Urs Fanger

Kathrin Flckiger

Stefanie Hirsiger

Managing Director

Customer Service

Customer Service,
Desktop Publishing
Apprentice

Mating disruption in vineyardsa look back and

across the border
The grape moth has been controlled by mating disruption in Swiss vineyards for the last 25years.
So far, in no other country has mating disruption been so well established and deployed to such
an extent. The success story in Switzerland demonstrates the potential of this ecological approach
throughout Europe or even worldwide.
MARTIN GNTER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

Grape moththe main pest in viticulture

The grape moth is the main pest in
viticulture. In most of the European
wine-growing regions, especially in
southern Europe, the European grapevine moth is predominant and often
the only pest present. The European
grapevine moth is multivoltine and,
depending on climatic conditions,
commonly procreates three to five
generations per season.
25 years of mating disruption in Switzerland
In regions where the grape moth
is prevalent, it must usually also be
controlled. Means of control include
several insecticides with various
active ingredients as well as mating
disruption. The first steps of deploying mating disruption techniques in
viticulture date back to the late seventies, albeit with rather modest success. About 10 years later, the effect
of mating disruption was demonstrated in the field. In 1986, exactly
25 years ago, the first dispenser was
approved as a plant protection product. Driven by the efforts of PierreJoseph Charmillot of the Swiss Federal Research Institution, Agroscope
Changins as well as Augustin Schmid
of the Valais plant protection authority, mating disruption reached a high
acceptance level in Switzerland. In
1996, Andermatt Biocontrol was able
to announce the first approvals for
mating disruption in viticulture and
introduced sales in Switzerland.
The number of vineyards treated with
mating disruption has increased consistantly since 1996. Now, in Switzerland more than 60% of the approximately 15000 hectares of vineyards
are covered. This makes Switzerland
the country with the highest percentage of viticultural area treated
with mating disruption techniques
altogether.
Look beyond the borders
Switzerland sets an example regarding
coverage of pest mating disruption. In
the immediate neighbourhood, there

Picture 1: ISONET mating disruption dispenser

are only two countries or regions with

a comparably high percentage of viticultural area managed by pest mating
disruption. In Germany, this amounts
to approximately 60% of the vineyards, or about 60000 hectares. In
the TrentinoSouth Tirol region, as
much as 65% of the vineyards are
using mating disruption. Only the
Czech Republic with 17% (3000 ha)
and Austria with 8% (3500 ha) accumulate additional significant market
shares.
In Europe as a whole, mating disruption in vineyards is applied in a total of
approximately 140000 hectares. This
is equivalent to a mere 34% of the
surface area of European vineyards.
The share in the major wine-producing countriesFrance, Italy and
Spainaccounts for only 23%. The
main reason for this small surface area
is financial. Grape prices are very low
in many wine-growing regions, quite
often less than half a Swiss Franc per
kg, therefore the use of support mechanisms is generally reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, insecticides are
very cheap in some countries (particularly in Eastern Europe) with the result
that by comparison, mating disruption
is relatively costly. On the other hand,
most markets have only been developed within recent years and, as a
result, do not yet have the same level
of experience as Switzerland.

OUTLOOK
The example of Switzerland reveals
that mating disruption applied to
large areas works well, even when
some partial areas are theoretically
not ideally suited. Technical support
by the Swiss Research Institute, the
cantons and the company along with
open-mindedness on the part of the
Swiss wine-growers remain key factors in the success of mating disruption techniques in Switzerland.
In a European or even global context,
mating disruption control is far from
having been fully exploited. Mating
disruption is a specific, residue-free
approach which is friendly to beneficial insects thus it can contribute
to more ecological wine-growing
without or at least with a significant
reduction in the use of insecticides.

Resources:
C. Ioriatti et al., Chemical Ecology
and Management of Lobesia botrana
(Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). 2011. J. Econ.
Entomol. 104 (4): 11251137

Potatoes: Use of BIOSOL as a soil improver

The organic N-fertiliser BIOSOL with its chitin content has been shown to have a positive impact
on soil health. Using BIOSOL, an organic farm was able to increase the amount of saleable potatoes harvested by 50% within two to three years.
SAMUEL STSSI, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

Production of BIOSOL and how it

works
BIOSOL is a by-product of penicillin production. For several days, the
culture medium is fermented with
Penicillium Chrysogenum and as a
result, proteins, syrup, trace elements
and vitamins are converted into a fungal biomass. After the extraction of the
penicillin and subsequent re-drying
and granulation, BIOSOL is left as a
nitrogen-rich (7% N) fertiliser containing chitin. Chitin is an important component of the cell membranes of fungi,
insects as well as nematodes. Many of
the soil micro-organisms known to be
beneficial (e.g. Trichoderma sp., Bacil
lus amyloliquefaciens, Paecilomyces
lilacinus) produce enzymes of chitinase. Chitin is biodegradable enabling
these enzymes to decompose it completely. The application of BIOSOL
into the soil stimulates these beneficial myco-parasitic organisms (Heller,
2007; Strasser, 2007). The accumulation of these beneficials in the soil
results in a suppression of pathogenic
fungi.
IOSOLuse in potatoes
B
On an organic farm in Oberhasli
(Canton Zurich), one half of potato
culture was treated with BIOSOL and
the other half with a commercially
available synthetic N-fertiliser. Using
a similar amount of N, the quantitative
yields did not differ significantly over

12

WORTHWHILE
APPLICATION
In the trial years 2009 and 2010,
the application of BIOSOL provided an added value of 3000 to
5500CHF per ha in a harvest size
of 25 to 30tons per hectare. Considering that the price per unit of nitrogen with BIOSOL is about twice as
high as for standard organic fertilizer,
BIOSOL is recommended for superior
and high quality cultures.

Picture 1: Test field of potatoes, 2009

the three year period, although the

BIOSOL variant did somewhat better.
In the years 2009 and 2010, the quantity of saleable potatoes was considerably higher using BIOSOL. Compared to the standard fertiliser, 50%
more potatoes could be merchandised. In 2011, there was no consistency in the results. On one plot,
the yield was slightly better, but on
another, no positive effect could be
achieved, although the experiment
was performed on a much higher level
of productivity and yield compared to
previous years.

Expression of appreciation
Many thanks to Daniel Hangartner
for his assistance in sorting the potato
samples.

Resources:
Heller W.E., Neuweiler R., Krauss J.
(2007): Erste Erfahrungen mit dem Einsatz
von Chitin gegen die Kohlhernie. Der
Gemsebau 6/2007: 1517.
Strasser H. et al. (2007): Einfluss von
Agro BIOSOL auf Erdbeerkulturen,
Bodenmikroorganismen und GRANMETWirkstoff. Universitt Innsbruck

Consumption
Waste

Yield per 2 metres [kg]

10

Small goods

6
86%
4
72%

55%

78%

2
40%

BIOSOL 2009

Standard 2009

81%

21%

12%

BIOSOL 2011/2

Standard 2011/2

82%

58%

25%
24%

74%

8%
14%

17%

BIOSOL 2010

Standard 2010

8%

13%

BIOSOL 2011/1

Standard 2011/1

Chart 1: Average yields from test digs of each two linear metres (n=5) and percentage of the different sortings.

SLUXX A new generation of slug pellets

In Spring 2011 the new slug pellet SLUXX based on iron-III-phosphate was put on the Swiss
market. SLUXX is a further development of FERRAMOL which has been used in biological cultivation for several years. It is also deployed in integrated production.
MARTIN GNTER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

Slugs can cause extensive damage to

sensitive cultures. In our region, grey
field slugs (Deroceras reticulatum)
and several Arion-species are prevalent. Under favourable conditions,
slugs have a tremendous reproduction
potential. It is not unusual to observe
up to 100slugs/m2. Changes in farming practice (e.g. direct sowing) can
contribute to stronger development of
the slug population.
Contrary to the iron phosphate-based
FERRAMOL currently available,
SLUXX has a higher concentration
(3% iron-III-phosphate). With 7kg/ha,
SLUXX requires considerably lower
quantities. Therefore, SLUXX is also
price-competitive and a strong candidate even apart from biological farming. For Swiss agriculture, SLUXX is
the only slug pellet available which
is not based on Metaldehyde as the
active ingredient.
Adapted formulation for agriculture
On ingestion by the slugs, iron phosphate causes pathological changes
in the digestive organs. This results
in immediate eating suspension. The
slugs crawl away into the soil and
perish within 13 days. There are no
trails of slime which is certainly an
advantage in certain specific applications (e.g. in landscape gardening).
Ensured effectivity due to high concentration
The experimentally confirmed very
good efficiency of SLUXX is based

Picture 1: Even under high levels of continuous rain the SLUXX pellets retain their original
shape thus maintain their attractiveness for slugs.

primarily on the firmness and high

density of the pellets. The pellets are
made of pressed durum wheat and are
therefore fairly rainproof. They retain
their form even after repeated drenching. A dosage of 7kg/ha is equivalent
to 60 pellets per square metre. Compared to other baits, this is a very large
amount. For sufficient area coverage,
about 35 pellets per square metre are
generally recommended.
The effect of SLUXX is also high at
lower temperatures. In an experiment at a constant temperature of
10C, SLUXX led to a snail mortality rate of 97% whereas with a

metaldehyde-based product, only

67% were killed. In Spring or Autumn,
this could be an advantage of SLUXX,
depending on ambient conditions.

CONCLUSION
LUXX is a new high quality slug
S
pellet which is equally suited to both
biological agriculture as well as integrated production.

100
SLUXX

90

Reference product

Plant damage [%]

80

Untreated

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Winter wheat
Grey field slug

Strawberries
Grey field slug

Lettuce
Garden slug

Rapeseed
Grey field slug

Chart 1: Plant damage [%] when treated with SLUXX, and compared to pellets of Metaldehyd/Methiocarb and to an untreated control.

Nematodes against codling mothan additional option

Experiments conducted by Andermatt Biocontrol confirm that entomopathogenic nematodes
have a population diminishing effect on wintering codling moth larvae.
BERTRAND GENTIZON AND MARTIN GNTER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

Last autumn, as part of the registration

procedure, Andermatt Biocontrol carried out a series of experiments with
entomopathogenic nematodes to control the codling moth.
At the end of September, apple
trees were sprayed using a power
sprayer from the base of the stem
upwards to two thirds of the foliage
height with the nematode species
Steinernema feltiae (name of the product: TRAUNEM) in plenty of water. In
two experiments, data on the mortality rate of diapausing (overwintering)
larvae were collected, whereby, mortality rates of 21% and 65% respectively were observed. The effect of the
treatment with nematodes on the following years harvest could only be
estimated. The mobility of the moths
in the surroundings and further mea
sures undertaken during the summer
are likely to have blurred the effect.
Many experiments in neighbouring
countries have revealed mortality
rates of between 40 and 70%. Experiments conducted in the canton of
Valais confirm the acknowledged
population reducing effect of applying nematodes on diapausing larvae.
The efficacy, however, is highly influenced by application and weather

Picture 1: Corrugated cardboard bands to determine the mortality rate of diapausing codling
moth larvae after applying nematodes.

conditions during and after spraying,

which explains the great fluctuations
in the effect achieved.
Nematodes will hardly develop into a
standard method to control the codling

IMPRINT

Andermatt
Service AG
Stahlermatten 6
6146 Grossdietwil
Switzerland

Published yearly in German, French and

English.

Tel. +41 (0)62 917 51 17

Fax +41 (0)62 917 50 06
info@service-ag.ch
www.service-ag.ch

Editors
Martin Andermatt

Melanie Eiholzer

Nominal fee: Fr. 9.50

Design
Matthias Jggin

moth. Nevertheless, Steinernema

feltiae can be considered as a supplementary tool for population management when infestation by the codling
moth is particularly strong.

Central Switzerland Innovation Award for

Andermatt Biocontrol
The Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Central Switzerland has nominated Andermatt
Biocontrol for the 2011 Innovation Prize. The award honours Andermatt Biocontrols success in
overcoming growing resistance to the codling moth granulovirus.
MARTIN ANDERMATT, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

For more than 20 years, the granulovirus product MADEX has been used
to control the codling moth which
causes the worm holes often found
in pome fruit. Over the years, genotypes were selected in some European
orchards which were likely to be less
sensitive to the codling moth granulovirus. With these resistant codling
moth populations and using a technique developed in-house, Andermatt
Biocontrol was able to select granulovirus genotypes which were capable
of overcoming the resistance. Based
on the same procedure, Andermatt
Biocontrol has also succeeded in

selecting a granulovirus product for

the control of the oriental fruit moth
(see pages 11 and 12).

Andermatt
Biocontrol is fully committed to innovation: one in five employees is a member of the successful
R&D (research and development)
team under the direction of Franz
Bollhalder. In addition to the development of new products, this versatile
team is constantly engaged in improving the manufacturing efficiency of
our established products thereby
strengthening our international market presence. Many sub-projects were

realised in cooperation with numerous national and international institutions and companies. We would like
to express our sincere thanks to all of
these partners for their constructive
cooperation.

New partnership with Sylvar Technologies Inc.

In summer 2011, Andermatt Biocontrol acquired 60% of the shares of Sylvar Technologies Inc.,
a Canadian company focussing on biopesticides based on baculoviruses to control important
forest insect pests.
MARTIN ANDERMATT, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

Sylvar Technologies Inc. (www.sylvar.

ca) was established by Forest Protection Limited (www.forestprotectionlimited.com) and BioAtlantech (www.
bioatlantech.nb.ca) in Fredericton
(New Brunswick) in 2006 to develop
and commercialise safe and environmentally-friendly bio-pesticide solutions for controlling forest pests. Sylvars launch product, ABIETIV, was
used successfully by aerial application
against balsam fir sawfly (Neodiprion
abietis) from 20062009 in Newfoundland and Labrador, and again
in 2011 in New Brunswick. ABIETIV
is based on the nucleopolyhedrovirus of Neodiprionabietis as its active
ingredient.
Sylvar is currently exploring other forest and agricultural opportunities. It

continues to partner with other North

American researchers and organisations to bring new leadership to the
development and production of baculoviruses and other technology for the
management of insect pests in forest
and agricultural markets.
With the expertise of Andermatt
Biocontrol, Sylvar will improve its
capabilities to produce and offer forestry-related pest control products
into global markets from its laboratories in Fredericton, NB. At the same
time, the cooperation will enable
Andermatt Biocontrol to expand its
portfolio of plant protection products
to include forestry-related bio-pesticides and expertise as well as expanding its presence in the Canadian and
US marketplace.

TECHNOLOGIES INC.

Andermatt Biocontrol acquires the company Probis

DANIEL ZINGG, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

On October 1st, 2011, the company Probis GmbH was acquired by

Andermatt Biocontrol from the former
owner Dr.Martin Knoch. Probis produced and marketed the product
GRANUPOM. GRANUPOM contains the same active substance as
MADEX (Codling moth granulovirus).
Andermatt Biocontrol will continue to

offer GRANUPOM in Probis former

markets whereby production will be
relocated to Grossdietwil.
We are very pleased about the acquisition as the position of Andermatt
Biocontrol in the granulovirus market is thereby further expanded and
strengthened.

Exciting partnership between Andermatt Biocontrol and

Madumbi Bio Farms
DANIEL ZINGG, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

Andermatt
Biocontrol and the South
African company Madumbi Bio Farms
have contracted a new partnership to
strengthen their common market position in South Africa. Both companies
share their vision to develop sustainable environmental-friendly solutions for the fast growing agricultural
market in southern Africa. Within the
scope of the new partnership, Madumbi Bio Farms acquired a majority
of Andermatts South African subsidiary Andermatt South Africa (Pty)
Ltd. which subsequently operates as
Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture
(Pty) Ltd.

The lead product of the new company

is the baculovirus product CRYPTEX
against false codling moth on citrus,
pomegranates and persimmons. Other
new and exciting products for the
South African market are R
HIZOVITAL
and B
OLLDEX (=HELICOVEX).
RHIZOVITAL is a product based on
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens which was

recently introduced in South Africa

for use on potatoes and vegetables.
BOLLDEX is a baculovirus product
developed by Andermatt Biocontrol
against the African bollworm in different crops like tomatoes, citrus,
stone fruits and other vegetables. The
product is currently in the registration
process.

Madumbi Bio Farms has a long standing experience in the South African
agricultural market. The company
brought in its excellent national and
regional marketing capacities, as well
as the Madumbi product range of bio
fertilizers and plant vitality products.
Madumbi Bio Farms director Andre
Fox was appointed to be the new CEO
of Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture.

10

Together, and under the new company

name Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture (Pty) Ltd., the experienced team
is in a unique position to offer a large
range of innovative products together
with professional technical support to
its customer base, and also to develop
more new products and sustainable
solutions in the future.

Picture 1: Andre Fox, CEO (middle) and two of his employees (left: Sias Leipoldt,
Sustainable Biocontrol Manager; right: Megan Tyler, Marketing Assistant and Customer
Support).

Innovation in the biological control of codling moth and

oriental fruit moth with M ADEXTWIN

Andermatt
Biocontrol Switzerland is to release a new baculovirus product for the combined
control of codling moth (Cydia pomonella) and oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta). While
current granulovirus products are used primarily in pome fruit today, the new virus strain provides oriental fruit moth control options for peaches, nectarines as well as pome fruits.
IRIS KRAAZ, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

Using a unique selection process, the

R&D team of Andermatt Biocontrol
successfully isolated a CpGV-M
(Cydia pomonella Granulovirus Mexi
can) strain close isolate on an oriental fruit moth (OFM) population. After
successful completion of laboratory
biotests, it has been tested against the
two key pest lepidopteran species in
25 field tests worldwide to date. Similar to the current range of granuloviruses (e.g. MADEX), the new strain
produced by Andermatt Biocontrol
will combine highly specific and residue-free insect control thus providing an IPM-friendly resistance management tool. Results from selected
study sites and a summary covering
two years of field tests are presented
here.
Due to its heterogeneous migratory
behaviour, OFM is very difficult to
control. As well as its key role as a pest
on stone fruit, OFM has become an
economically important pest in pome
fruits. This has particularly been the
case in southern regions of Europe in
recent years. OFM frequently migrates

Shoot strikes/plot [%]

Picture 1: Larva of the oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta)

to pome fruit orchards as soon as its

original host fruit has been harvested
and thus provokes severe fruit damage
before harvest. Moreover, new studies
in France (Siegwart et al, 2010) have
confirmed that OFM has acquired the

Total fruit damage [%]

Efficacy on total damage

60

100

80
68%

40

60
30
44%

23.3 A

40

20

Efficacy [%]

Fruit/shoot damage [%]

50

ability to complete its entire life cycle

on other fruit tree species, such as
apple and pear, in certain regions. A
combined effect on both pests is thus
of key interest for producers.
Examples of field trials against
codling moth and oriental fruit moth
MADEXTWIN was tested in a pilot
peach tree orchard in the USA (California) at different dose rates in 2011.
Two applications were made within
each of two OFM generations based
on a temperature-dependant predictive phenological model. The
assessment prior to harvest provides
information about shoot strikes and
fruit damage (Chart1). With a high
infestation of 23% in the control,
MADEXTWIN was able to reduce the
total fruit damage (stopped and active
damage) by 68%.

13 B
10

7.5 C
2.4 a

1.1 b

20

0.8 b
0

0
Untreated
control

MADEX TWIN
1 fl oz/A (73 ml/ha)

MADEX TWIN
1.5 fl oz/A (110 ml/ha)

Chart 1: Field trial with MADEXTWIN against OFM in peach (California USA,
Certis USA, 2011).

Another field experiment with

MADEXTWIN in Switzerland resulted
in an excellent efficacy of 90% prior
to harvest against active fruit damage of codling moth (CM) in an apple
orchard (Chart2). The reduction of
total fruit damage was 74%.

11

MARKET INTRODUCTION
Apple (CM)
Average efficacy on
shoot strike reduction

Peach (OFM)

Nectarine (OFM)

56% (n= 8)

60% (n= 2)

Average efficacy on
reduction of total fruit
damage
(incl. superficial damage)

66% (n= 5)

65% (n= 9)

67% (n= 3)

Average efficacy on
reduction of deep
damage

86% (n= 7)

85% (n= 1)

no data

Table 1: Average efficacy level of MADEXTWIN. Field trials from 2010/2011. 100ml/ha
(n=number of field trials)

Conclusions from two field trial seasons

Granuloviruses have an outstanding
population control effect (Kienzle et
al, 2001). Although they act slower
than a chemical reference larvicide,
they are absolutely host-specific,
harmless to beneficial insects and residue free. To achieve accurate efficacy
data with granuloviruses in field trials, a differentiation between stopped
superficial damage and active damage
should therefore be made whenever
possible.
Superficial or stopped damage indicates that the larvae had been successfully infected and killed by the
virus. Average efficacy levels from
two years of field trials are presented
in table 1.
As it is already the case in the current
range of granuloviruses (e.g. MADEX),

Total damage [%]

the new strain produced by Andermatt

Biocontrol will combine highly specific and residue-free insect control
thus providing an IPM-friendly resistance management tool.
The application strategy does not differ considerably from the existing
CpGV recommendation. As an excellent population management tool,
MADEXTWIN complements IPM
spray programs. To maximise benefit
from this effect, applications should
be focused on the larval hatching
period of the earliest OFM generations using a standard dose of 100 ml/
ha. Additionally, MADEXTWIN perfectly complements a mating disruption strategy in situations where OFM
infestation is high.

Active damage [%]

Efficacy on active damage

90.2%
80.5%

80

4
60
3

2.4 b

40

Efficacy [%]

Fruit damage before harvest [%]

1.4 b
1 AB

20

0.5 B
0

0
Untreated
control

12

Acknowledgments
We wish to thank Certis USA,
Intrachem Bio Italia, Agrichem Bio
Spain, Biocont Hungary/Slovakia,
Compo Expert France, Madumbi
Sustainable Agriculture SA, Agricheck
Argentina, Biofa Germany, Hellafarm
Greece and all other partners for setting up the trials. We especially thank
Prof.Dr.Jehle for his assistance with
isolate identification.

References
Kienzle J., Zebitz C.P.W., Schulz C., Huber
J. 2001. Persistence of the biological effect
of codling moth granulovirus in the orchard.
IOBC/WPRS Bulletin 26 (1), 2003. pp
245248

100

5.1 A

before harvest, fruit damage may not

be fully prevented. Nevertheless, virus
applications are still expedient in such
cases, because overwintering larvae
are thus decimated.

Because OFM often migrates into

pome fruit orchards late in the season and provokes fruit damage just

5.4 a

The active substance of MADEX

TWIN has received Annex I inclusion
and respective preparations for the
zonal registration in Southern Europe
are under way. Registrations outside
Europe are also undergoing preparation. It is estimated that the new
larvicide will be launched through
Andermatt Biocontrols existing distribution network all over the world
between 2012 and 2014. At present,
the new isolate is patent pending.

MADEX TWIN
100 ml/ha

MADEX
100 ml/ha

Chart 2: Fruit infestation of codling moth before harvest in an apple orchard, treated with
MADEXTWIN (Andermatt Biocontrol, Switzerland 2010).

Siegwart, M., Bouvier F., Maugin

S., Sauphanor B. 2010 Host plant
differentiation in French populations of the
oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta. IOBC/
WPRS Bulletin: Meeting of IOBC/WPRS
Working Group Integrated Protection of
Fruit Crops, Vico del Gargano, Italy, 2010.
In Press

TOPCATThe vole trap.

Revision of a first-rate product for increased trapping
efficiency
The first sales of TOPCAT vole traps date from the year 2000. Since January 2010 Andermatt
Biocontrol has been producing and distributing the TOPCAT-trap along with accessory tools. A
soft revision of the TOPCAT-trap by Andermatt

Biocontrol will make the difference between a

released and an armed trap even more apparent. The efficiency in use of the TOPCAT-trap can
thus be increased.
ALEX MEIER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

TOPCATA first class vole trap

The TOPCAT-trap is especially suitable for trapping water vole (Arvicola
terrestris) and common vole or field
mouse (Microtus arvalis). The vole
trap is particularly easy to handle and
control. The trap is positioned in an
inhabited vole tunnel. The voles are
captured from both tunnel directions.
The TOPCAT-trap is purely mechanical with no bait or chemicals required.
All parts of the TOPCAT-trap are made
of stainless steel. The trap thus stands
out from others through its excellent
quality.
Improvement of visibility for increased efficiency
The relative position of the clamping
lever and rocker indicate (to the operator) whether the trap is released or
still armed. When the trap is armed,
the clamping lever is raised through

the slit in the cover and the rocker

is positioned horizontally over the
cover, held in place by the tip of
the snapper arm. When the trap is
released, the rocker is positioned vertically, parallel to the exterior body of
the TOPCAT-trap. The clamping lever
is now approximately 8cm lower than
in the armed position (Picture 1).
The new clamping lever has been
changed in shape to improve the
visual difference between an armed
and released trap. When the trap is
armed, the clamping lever now protrudes even more through the slit in
the cover (Picture 1). It is now possible to see even more easily and from
a greater distance whether a trap is
already released or still armed. Checking the TOPCAT-trap is simplified and
trapping efficiency is considerably
improved.

TOPCAT-TRAP NEW

ARMED

RELEASED

THE SALES NETWORK OF

TOPCAT-PRODUCTS IS
GROWING STEADILY
Originally TOPCAT-traps could be
bought only in Switzerland. Later the
sales network was expanded to Germany, France and Belgium.
In the meantime, over 80 outlets are
selling TOPCAT-traps and accessories (searching rod, ground cutter,
bracket, and picket). These outlets
extend to countries including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy,
France, Belgium, the Netherlands,
Finland and Slovenia. Andermatt
Biocontrol is constantly expanding
its sales network further afield.

TOPCAT-TRAP OLD

ARMED

Picture 1: Position of the clamping lever and rocker of the new and the old trap.

RELEASED

13

Zonal approval of plant protection products in the EU

The new regulation regarding plant protection products in the EU allows an assessment of plant
protection products in three different zones. Does it facilitate the approval of our virus products?
PHILIP KESSLER, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

A new regulation
The new plant protection products regulation (EC) Nr. 1107/2009 came into
force on 14th June 2011. Apart from
more rigid criteria for the approval of
plant protection products, the new
regulation facilitates the mutual recognition of products between member
states inside a specific zone of the EU.

Northern zone
Central zone
Southern zone

Zonal assessment
Plant protectants will be newly evaluated in a northern, central and southern zone (see chart 1). The application for approval will be evaluated by
a so-called Zonal Raporteur Member State (Z-RMS) and the applicant
is asked to submit the data package
as a draft Registration Report (dRR).
Other member states of the same zone
can comment on the dRR, however,
once approval has been granted by
the Z-RMS, mutual recognition by
the other member states is mandatory.
Strict timelines
A pre-submission meeting on the
data package should help to comply
with the strict timelines given for the
assessment. The Z-RMS is required
to compile a Registration Report and
decide on the approval of the product within 8 months. There is only one
possibility to stop the proceedings for
a maximum of 6 months in order to
request missing data from the applicant. Within the framework of mutual
recognition, the other member states
have to adopt the approval within
120days.
No harmonisation of fees
Despite harmonisation efforts within
the EU, there is still no agreement on
a uniform regulation of fees. Thus,
single member states still have the
competence to determine their own
fees. As the fees can vary drastically
between member states, it is to be
assumed that applicants will make a
careful selection for a Z-RMS.

14

Are there benefits for us?

First of all, the new regulation generates higher costs for Andermatt
Biocontrol, as all product dossiers
need to be adapted into a dRR. A further complication is that the total costs
for an approval inside an entire zone

Chart 1: Assessment of plant protection products in three zones in the EU.

Northern zone (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden);
Central zone (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland,
Luxembourg, Netherland, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania);
Southern zone (Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain)

are difficult to calculate. It is not clear,

to what amount fees can be charged
by a member state, for which no
mutual recognition has been applied.
As a consequence it is getting tremendously difficult for small producers of
biological plant protection products to
register their products by themselves
within the EU.
It is to be feared that single member states will be overwhelmed
with applications to act as Z-RMS,
whereas others will be avoided. This
implies the big risk, that applications
will be handed over to an unpopular Z-RMS. It is already apparent that certain member states have
by far more experience in assessing
particularly biological plant protection products than others, and therefore the free selection of the Z-RMS is
crucial for us.

CONCLUSION
According to the new regulations
there is no possibility for national
provisional approvals anymore. The
aims to speed up the registration
process and a mandatory mutual
recognition are ambitious. This can
improve the registration situation
in the EU, as new and safer plant
protection products can be made
available to the market within a
shorter time period. In this respect
not only the applicants, but particularly also the authorities are strongly
challenged.

Workshop on the application strategies, markets and

perspectives using baculoviruses in the Near and
Middle East
In June 2011, Andermatt Biocontrol conducted a two-day workshop in Dubai, with the aim
of providing technical as well as market-relevant information on our baculovirus-products for
new and existing distributors in the Near and Middle East. This successful event put the total of
eleven participants from six nations in a strong position to place our baculovirus-products successfully on the market.
MATHIAS BAMERT, ANDERMATT B IOCONTROL

New markets in the Near and Middle East

With the development of new markets Andermatt Biocontrol is steadily expanding its global leadership
in the area of baculoviruses. Thanks
to newly developed products such as
HELICOVEX, SPEXIT and LITTOVIR
against agriculturally important insect
pests, new markets outside Europe
can be opened. One region in which
alternative plant protection products
are becoming increasingly important
is the Near and Middle East. Existing
and potential partners from Egypt,
Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman
and Pakistan attended the workshop
(Picture 1).

Especially in countries exporting agricultural goods to Europe that need to

comply with statutory limits for pesticide residues, there is some potential
for the use of baculoviruses.
Training is crucial for the successful
use
The technical and application-specific
know-how regarding our baculovirus-products is demanding. Accordingly, the training of our partners in
the respective regions to a high level
of quality is very important. This principle was applied at the workshop
in Dubai by means of an interactive
programme. During both days, there
were lively discussions in which all

participants made valuable contributions. The participants were informed

about the positive properties of baculoviruses as efficient plant protection
products and their application strategies. Especially in countries of the
Near and Middle East, difficult climatic conditions, such as high temperatures and strong solar radiation,
prevail. Interesting solutions for the
use of our baculoviruses under these
conditions could be shown to the participants in a conducive interchange
of experience.
Further topics mutually discussed
included opportunities for sales and
the related technical support of final
customers in the respective local markets. It became apparent that similar
market conditions exist in a number
of the countries represented, both for
the marketing of our virus products as
well as the comparable hurdles which
need to be mastered during the registration process.
Expression of appreciation
We would like to thank the participants, not only for their active and
dedicated participation as well as
their interesting contributions during
the workshop, but also for their confidence in us and our products.

CONCLUSION
Picture 1: Participants of the bauclovirus-workshop in Dubai (from left to right)
Front:
Dr. Diaa El Tonsi (Agrolink, Egypt)
Muhammad Altaf Shahid (Solex Chemicals Ltd., Pakistan)
Mohamed Zouini (Arzak Seeds Trade, Morocco)
Abdulkareem Rasheed (Rashed Establishment for Trading and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia)
Rear:
Mathias Bamert (Andermatt B
iocontrol, Switzerland)
Eyas Omar (Al Koroom Agr. & Trad. Est., Jordan)
Mhammed Messoud (Les Conserves de Meknes, Morocco)
Ahmad Raslan (Al Koroom Agr. & Trad. Est., Jordan)
Hytham Tawfik (Widyan al Batina for Trading, Oman)
Shahid Sheikh (Acumen Agronomics Solutions, Pakistan)
Philip Kessler (Andermatt Biocontrol, Switzerland)
Mohamed Torky (Agrolink, Egypt)
Iqbal Hassan (Solex Chemicals Ltd., Pakistan)

The workshop can be considered a

complete success in all respects for all
participants. Through this event, the
cooperation and personal relationship with our customers was further
deepened. We were very pleased to
see the commitment of our partners
and are confident that the workshop motivated our distributors to
continue along these lines in order
to commence or proceed with the
registration and marketing of our
baculovirus-products.

15

Mosquito control in the gardenSOLBAC-TABS versus

itching
Mosquitoes can be annoying and in some cases even dangerous. There is a great variety of more
or less helpful anti-mosquito products on the market. To control mosquito larvae in ponds, rain
barrels, watering troughs and the like, the Bti-product SOLBAC-TABS has proven its worth.
JUDITH LADNER CALLIPARI, A NDERMATT BIOGARTEN

If there was anything positive to say

about mosquitoes, one would have
to think hard. They are really only
appreciated by insectivores and as an
age-old resin packed fossil embedded
in amber. Perhaps, they might infrequently serve as pollinators. The list
of negative associations however is
long: stinging is only one of many. Not
only do they spread irritation, but also
deadly diseases. Some people display
an allergic reaction to their sting. Mosquitoes are to be found almost everywhere in the world; to escape from
them one would have to retreat to the
polar regions or the desert.
A mosquitos preference
Of the over 2500 species of mosquitoes in the world, about 100 are indigenous to Europe. They have different
stinging preferences: some sting multiple times in a row, others only once
a day; some attack in the daytime, others at night.
The different species also have their
similarities. For example, it is always
only the female that stings and it
selects its victims according to a
range of criteria. Mosquitoes like carbon dioxide, warmth, sweat, (floral)
perfumes and dark colours in combination with an individual cocktail of
around 40 fragrances including lactic acid, fatty acids and amino acids.
Due to this cocktail, mosquitoes are
attracted to some individuals more
than to others. According to a study
by the institute IRD in Montpellier,
mosquitoes are also highly attracted
to beer drinkers. Apparently, the mosquitoes have even learned that people with beer on their breath are less
likely to fight back.

16

Twitching larvae in stagnant water

In areas with many lakes, swamps
and in floodplains it is impossible to
escape the mosquitoes. In these areas,
it is recommended to wear light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing, to avoid
sweat and body odour. There are
many types of repellents, which are
either directly applied to the skin or
used in candles, smoke coils etc. To
protect your home, insect screens on

Picture 1: Garden pond: idyll and breeding ground for mosquitoes.

(Picture: Judith LadnerCallipari)

doors and windows and a mosquito

net over the bed may help.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing
water. The developing larvae can easily be recognised by their twitching
movements just below the waters surface. The infamous Asian tiger mosquito (see box) only requires a very
small body of water to complete its
development.
Owners of a garden biotope or those
who do not want to be constantly covering and uncovering their rain barrels or who would like to leave smaller
puddles, can still prevent mosquitoes
from reproducing in them.
If there are no natural enemies, such
as fish or dragon flies, mosquitoes
can be controlled with another natural foe: Bacillus thuringiensis israelen
sis (Bti) controls mosquitoes efficiently
and without any residues. Bti can be
purchased in the form of practical
SOLBAC-TABS. One tab is sufficient
to treat 510m2 of water surface; to
treat smaller puddles, the tabs can be
broken into smaller pieces. Treatment
should be repeated every 1014 days.
Since SOLBAC-TABS are exclusively
used to control the larvae of specific
mosquitoesand fungus gnatsthey
can also be used in fish ponds or in
water with which pets may come in
contact. Now back to the peaceful
enjoyment of an after work beer!

WHEN THE MOSQUITO

BECOMES A TIGER
According to the database Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories
for Europe (DAISIE), the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is among
the 100 worst invasive species in
Europe. It originates from South
East Asia and was brought to southern Europe through tiny water puddles found in used tires or in Lucky
bamboo. From there it is spreading north. The Asian tiger mosquito
is already quite well established in
the canton of Ticino. Additionally, in
September 2011, there was news of
the Asian tiger mosquito having been
seen in the canton of Aargau.
In spring 2011, a pan-European conference was held to define a combined control strategy against the
Asian tiger mosquito. The topic is
particularly important, because this
type of mosquito can spread some
very dangerous diseases such as
Dengue, Chikungunya and the West
Nile Virus.
Bti products can also be used to control Asian tiger mosquito larvae and
other exotic mosquito larvae in this
part of the world.

Robust plant varieties for the organic garden

Due to an abundance of plant varieties, it can be very difficult for the hobby gardener to choose
the right plant. However, the right choice of cultivar is the first step to having a low-maintenance garden. By choosing robust, withstanding plants, time and effort for plant protection can
be reduced considerably. An example is the cultivation of the new scab resistant apple variety,
Galiwa.
CHRISTA GERBER, A NDERMATT BIOGARTEN

In professional agriculture, the choice

of cultivars is far more important than
for the hobby gardener. For the home
grower, aesthetic aspects are usually
more important than resistance. On
the other hand, disease tolerant or
even resistant plants would be particularly well suited for the occasional gardener. The effort required
for plant protection can be considerably reduced and easier maintenance
will increase the plant owners enjoyment of his garden. All in line with the
adage that prevention is better than
spraying.
Many resistant varieties are already
available for berries, vines and fruit
trees, which are tolerant to many of
the common fungal diseases. Even for
roses, which are known to be sensitive to many diseases, a small range
of resistant cultivars derived from
organic cultivation is readily available. These plants were specifically
selected for their lower susceptibility
to disease.

For fruit-growing, the research stations
are continuously on the look-out for
further resistant cultivars, which can
be grown in an eco-friendly manner.

Picture 2: Organic rose variety Pink Swany

These are the types that are essential

for competitive professional organic
fruit-growing. The same varieties can
also be successfully grown in the
home garden.
One example is the new scab resistant
apple variety Galiwa. After 19years
of research, the research station Agroscope Changins-Wdenswil (ACW)
has finally found a sweet apple variety that is tolerant to apple scab. The
majority of the cultivars currently
available have been predominantly
sour. Sweet varieties, such as the popular Gala, which are preferred by most
Swiss consumers, have been lacking.
To this end the ACW breeder, Markus
Kellerhals, began crossing scab resistant cultivations with Gala during the
90s. In 2010, the successfully crossbred variety was launched under
the name Galiwa. The apples name
Galiwa gives reference to the parent
variety Gala and the breeding location Wdenswil. A good crop yield as
well as good storage properties enable
Galiwa to fill a gap in organic fruit
cultivation.

Picture 1: Apple variety Galiwa

(Picture: Agroscope)

ASSORTMENT OF
ANDERMATT BIOGARTEN
Andermatt Biogarten has a selection of plants in its product range
that show low susceptibility to diseases and are suited for the organic
garden. Apart from a variety of
roses, berries and vines, Andermatt
Biogarten also offers the scab resistant apple variety Galiwa grafted
on M9. Come 2012, Andermatt
Biogarten will also be offering a variety of scab resistant organic column
apple trees.

17

Efficacy testing of THYMOVAR in Switzerland

Andermatt BioVet conducts efficacy tests for THYMOVAR on an annual cycle. For 2011, beekeepers had to cope with an extraordinarily high varroa infestation due to long periods of warm
weather during the spring season. The test was performed using a range of auxiliary equipment
along with THYMOVAR. Independent of the auxiliary equipment used, the efficacy proved to
be very high.
ROMAN ERNI, A NDERMATT BIOVET

The test commenced with a total of

16bee colonies. For the summer
treatment during recent years, only
THYMOVAR was used. The beekeeper developed a special device
for the use of THYMOVAR. It can be
easily fitted into the typical Swiss bee
hive. The study was designed to evaluate the influence of this device on the
efficacy of THYMOVAR.
The device consists of a wooden
frame with a fine wire mesh attached
to the bottom (Picture 1). On the top,
the frame has a slit to facilitate closing with a sheet of acrylic glass. The
device was used on a total of eight
colonies. THYMOVAR strips were laid
onto the wire mesh and the device
closed with acrylic glass, protecting
the strips from bees. In all the remaining colonies THYMOVAR was placed
directly on top of the hive frames. A
wooden slat 3cm thick was placed
across the wire mesh frames and covered with thin wooden boards leaving
an empty space of 3cm height over
the frames (Picture 2).
The THYMOVAR strips were left in
the hives for two three-week periods.
One week after removal, we inserted
another set of THYMOVAR strips for
a second treatment. In the hives with
direct access, some colonies began to
cover the strips with propolis, other
colonies started to nibble and remove
parts of the THYMOVAR strips. This

behaviour was particularly observed

on THYMOVAR strips that had already
lost the majority of their thymol content. There was no significant difference between the number of varroa
counted in hives with the device and
hives with unprotected THYMOVAR
strips (Table 1).
Hives No1 and No22, at the two
extremeties of the stand, showed the
largest count of varroa mites. Both
colonies were created out of swarms
of the same stand in 2011. Since
there was a broodless period after the
swarming, one would have expected
rather small varroa counts. We consider the re-infestation to be an effect
of visiting bees as the main source of
the increased number of varroa mites
in these colonies. A very close lineup of colonies, as in the stand under
observation, seems to promote the reinfestation by visiting bees more than
commonly considered likely.
Colonies 1,17 and 18 showed counts
of approx. 2000 varroa mites. These
were colonies with neither swarms
nor offshoots during the year 2011.
Colony No8 was built using frames
from different colonies during 2011.
The count of 1900 Varroa is considered to be relatively high for an offshoot. In this case, varroa was introduced by including a covered brood
thus documenting the already well

developed varroa population due to

the warm spring weather.
On September 21st the second treatment was completed and the strips
of THYMOVAR were removed. Due
to the known delayed-action effect of
THYMOVAR, the final count of varroa
mites was conducted on October 4th.
The total count of varroa during the
THYMOVAR treatment and the following treatment with Oxalic acid build
the basis for the efficacy computation
as a percentage.

Numbers of bee colonies

Complete colony [C], remaining colony
after swarming [CS], nuke [N], swarm [S]
THYMOVAR inserted in wooden frame
Strength of the colony, strong [s], medium [m], weak [w]

23/7/11 In the evening

Insertion of wire mesh protected frames
Count of Varroal
Number of days of Varroa count
Varroa count per day
2/8/2011
Start of the 1st T HYMOVAR treatment
Varroa count on frames
1 week after start of the treatment, 9/8/2011
2 weeks after start of the treatment, 16/8/2011
3 weeks after start of the treatment, 23/8/2011
THYMOVAR removed, 23/8/2011
4 weeks after start of the treatment, 30/8/2011
30/8/2011
Start of the 2 nd T HYMOVAR treatment
Varroa count on frames
1 week after start of the treatment, 6/9/2011
2 weeks after start of the treatment, 13/9/2011
3 weeks after start of the treatment, 20/9/2011
THYMOVAR removed, 21/9/2011
5 weeks after start of the treatment, 4/10/2011

18

Total count of Varroa during T HYMOVAR treatment

Picture 1: Wooden frame

Picture 2: THYMOVAR

with 3 cm spacing

Table 1: Survey table of infestation

MAIN RESULTS OF THE TEST

There is no significant difference in efficacy in using the protective device for
THYMOVAR application. The covering of the unprotected THYMOVAR strips
with droppings does not influence the activity of THYMOVAR.
THYMOVAR strips with nibbling damage do not lose their activity since only
empty cellulose is removed from the hive.
In central Europe, a brood free period
from the end of November to the
beginning of December is observed.
The THYMOVAR treatment is completed with a control treatment using
oxalic acid during the brood free
period. Each of the colonies should
enter the new season with a total
count of less than 50varroa mites.
The treatment of the colonies with
OXUVAR or the VARROX vaporizer
for Oxalic acid is therefore our choice
for the control treatment during the
brood free period.

CS

CS

Va

Varroa counts show the high efficacy of THYMOVAR (A final statement with
accurate percentage rates can only be made after the control treatment with
oxalic acid during the brood free period at the end of the year)
Do to re-infestation by visiting bees, all hives in a colony should be treated
simultaneously. Ideally neighbouring beekeepers should treat their colonies during the same period.
Steady high temperatures favoured the evaporation of Thymol during the treatment period of August and September 2011.
Due to the good tolerance of THYMOVAR, vitality of the bee colonies was not
negatively influenced during the test

10
C

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

ms

50

15

12

17

25

16.7

1.3

5.7

43

180

19

20

21

22

wm

ms

ms

ms

ms

30

11

30

24

75

26

12

16

8.3

10

2.3

3.7

10

25

8.7

4.0

5.3

190

700

420

disolved

32

100

250

240

500

320

100

180

plate
480

30

750

84

73

130

170

360

750

48

124

232

300

504

168

82

144

380

90

124

84

80

150

342

60

76

156

404

495

212

96

600

220

170

120

126

96

194

180

27

112

146

273

174

120

112

520

disolved

254

178

176

160

228

64

36

178

84

590

208

58

106

500

222

232

218

108

120

118

18

64

72

224

252

140

166

460

128

158

162

99

116

104

19

76

67

80

172

120

94

398

126

185

188

242

152

140

40

104

32

122

144

164

94

436

2560 1127 1104 1129

536 2020

2118

280

834 1039 2233 2449

1302

850 3238

19

Maggot Debridement TherapyA standard benefit of

the Swiss health insurance scheme since July 1st, 2011
Chronic wounds are often coated with the remains of dead cells (fibrin, necrosis). These generate the perfect breeding ground for bacteria which often lead to an infection of the wound.
Therefore, one of the first and foremost steps in the treatment of chronic wounds is to remove
the fibrin and necrosis (debridement). A very efficient approach is maggot debridement therapy.
Since July 1st, 2011, this therapy is covered by the compulsory health insurance offered by all
health insurance companies in Switzerland.
URS FANGER, ENTOMOS

Maggot debridement therapy is a

modern and very successful method to
clean and disinfect chronic wounds.
In Switzerland, more than 70institutions (mainly university- and cantonal
hospitals) currently make regular use
of this therapy.
In April 2009, Entomos took over
the maggot production and marketing from the Swiss Tropical Institute
of Basel University. In summer 2009,
Entomos filed an application with
the Federal Office of Public Health
(FOPH) to have maggot debridement
therapy integrated into the obligatory basic health insurance scheme.
Experts of the FOPH examined the
method for effectiveness, appropriateness and efficiency. In Summer 2011,
the Swiss Federal Council decided to
include maggot debridement therapy
for treatment of chronic wounds in the
Regulation of Health Insurance Benefits. As a result, the therapy is now
financed by health insurers.
Opportunity especially for outpatients
On January 1st, 2012, Switzerland will
introduce the new Diagnosis Related

20

Picture 2: Packaged product

Groups-System (Swiss DRG) along

with the associated new financing
of hospital treatment. Some hospitals have already adopted the Swiss
DRG system for in-patients. Therefore, maggot debridement therapy is
already invoiced at a flat rate along
with many other benefits. However,
the obligatory inclusion of the maggot debridement therapy in the basic
insurance has made a great change for
out-patients. Until now, ambulatory

care professionals made use of therapies which were covered by the compulsory health insurance unless the
patient explicitly requested maggot
debridement therapy and was willing
to pay for it out of his own pocket.
Due to the availability of reimbursement by the health insurance funds,
home care nursing services, wound
ambulatories as well as general practitioners can use this cost-efficient
method more frequently.

Picture 1: Decubitus wound with a maggot bag in place. Protection of wound lip with storna paste (Picture credit: cantonal hospital Baden)