Tylan shelf life

[Vance G]

I have some three or four year old tylan that has been stored sealed in the freezer. I mixed some up with powdered sugar to treat a beginners hives that have AFB. They have had two treatments and are still symptomatic and have dwindled pretty badly. There is one uninfected colony with them which I am treating because of proximity. Do I need to order fresh drugs?

[karen]

When I used it for livestock the shelf life was said to be 3 years.

[Allen Dick]

What do you folks think the risk is if using Tylan in spring?

Here in Alberta, many pros avoid tylosin, even in fall, due to its persistence and the draconian standards some importing countries apply to honey coming from outside their countries.

As far as I know, even careful spring tylosin use will result in detectable residues if all the spring feed is not consumed, but those levels are quite certain far below what has been considered acceptable in other common food products, assuming recommendations are followed.

Considering that most people -- mead drinkers excluded -- do not consume very much honey at all compared to the amounts of pork, chicken, etc. they consume, it seems to me that there is no risk to human health from any likely residues in honey, even after spring treatment.

That said, using Tylan on hives that ware producing honey that may go to export is unwise and could result in big problems for the beekeeper and others exporting, like packers, as well..