Informative Article for anyone esssential oils / homemade mite cures!

[Crofter]

This is not a 5 minute read, but appears good unbiased information. It might take out some of the fun and feel good, about some of the home made cures. Some tested info at the end on honey contamination.


http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=23&ved=0CDYQFjACOBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhal.archives-ouvertes.fr%2Fdocs%2F00%2F89%2F15%2F79%2FPDF%2Fhal-00891579.pdf&ei=A4YPU7_YErG42gW4n4C4Ag&usg=AFQjCNFbwAkvHBeNOXhZHQeKjX9eGrP5RQ&sig2=SbUR4TqEBSoIezl5-2aHqQ&bvm=bv.61965928,d.b2I

[blueblood]

Thanks for posting.  I am all about natural...yiddie up...let's read...

[Marbees]

In the line with other articles I read about use of essential oils in the hive. Basically  thyme and wintergreen are found to be the most effective against varroa and the least offensive to bees. Wondering if pads would be better than soft cardboard for 10 ml wintergreen evaporation treatment.
Some beekeepers swear by these methods for keeping varroa under the threshold level

[blueblood]

Or, how about wintergreen grease patties which also treats for Tracheal Mite?  I didn't know 10ML of wintergreen is lethal if absorbed through the skin!    Tec, especially interested in your response here.....

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/2010/Grease%20Patties%202010.pdf

[Marbees]

Whenever working with EO wear gloves. I use rubber gloves

[brooksbeefarm]

Essential oils is the only thing i use in my hives for mites if i find a need. I will spray each frame with bees brood and all twice in the spring, two weeks apart and i week in Sept. or Oct. I buy string mop heads (cotton strands) and cut the strands off and soak them in the essential oil mix, take them out and hang them in the brood chamber. The bees will work to remove them from the hive and drag them out the door, most times i can reuse them. I've not treated for several years now and won't unless i start having large hive losses due to mites.Jack

       




   

   
   

[riverbee]

jack, what's your mad mix of essential oils?

mop head cotton strands?  gee you missouri beeks are ingenious........

[LazyBkpr]

It only works cause he doesn't have stinky plastic to overwhelm the essential oils   

[brooksbeefarm]

This is not my formula, i got it from Alpa6 a beekeeper in Col., he uses it on his hives (i think he is a commercial beekeeper) with good results. It has worked for me and i will use it again if need be.
2 qts. of water
2 qts of sugar
15 drops of Thyme oil
28 drops of lemongrass oil
28 drops of spearmint oil
3 teaspoons of lecithin

Before i mix it together, i soak the lecithin in a 1/4 in.of water in a cup, let it soak overnight, then strain it through a cloth or ? to catch the flakes so when it goes through the fine mist sprayer it won't stop it up.The lecithin is used to let the oils mix with the water. When i use it, i spray each frame bees and all before the honey flow (first 70F day) then wait two weeks and spray again. I won't spray again until late Sept. or Oct. and only one time, be sure you don't forget and double dose the Thyme oil i've heard it will cause massive fanning and run most of the bees out to the front of the hive and on the landing board . Jack

[riverbee]

thank you very much jack! 
yes, the thyme oil or thymol does send the bees out the front door and does cause massive fanning.  of course i have never done this.....
sure appreciate the formula!

[Marbees]

WRITTEN BY ALPHA 6
Below are posted my recipes. I use oil and not crystals. It is easier for me. I also recommend using an eye dropper instead of just trying to flick out drops from the bottles. The patties are meant as a feed primarily and a treatment second. From the lack of mites in my hives after returning from Cali where they should have been infested or at least some sign of them my theory is as follows. Thymol is deadly on contact to mites. I suspect that as the bees stored the patties in the comb as they were packing out the combs for winter feed storage, as mites moved across the comb and contacted the thymol they died. So by having it in the comb it basically made the comb a mine field for the mites and they died out. That coupled with any that was fed to the larvae would also contact the mites and kill them in this manner.

The liquid feed is meant as a strong treatment for spring or if you are infested with mites and/or your bees have nosema. It will treat both in my experience. You can also use the liquid as a mist over your frames for a quick knock down of mites. The formula is strong, but it has been used effectively by myself with no bee kill.

Alpha6 Feed Recipes

Patties – 5 gallon bucket mixture
2 Cups of Yeast
7 lbs of Sugar
8 drops of thyme
15 drops lemongrass
15 drops spearmint

Measure out the brewer’s yeast into a large container. Add your essential oils as measured above. I recommend using an eye dropper for precise measurements. Pour liquid brewer’s yeast into 5 gallon bucket. Add sugar slowly with mixing with an electric drill equipped with a “mud” paddle. Mix until the consistency is that of a thick mushy mashed potatoes. Add sugar or small amount of yeast to get consistency right. In feeding lots of hives I find you can then pour/spoon this mixture out of the 5 gallon mixing bucket into one used for feeding and then continue to mix a new batch in your mixing bucket. If you try and mix too much, you will burn out your drill which is why I recommend mixing in the above measurements.

Patties – Cement Mixer

2 Quarts of yeast
30 lbs of sugar
32 drops of thyme
60 drops of lemongrass
60 drops of spearmint
In a large mixing bowl measure out 2 quarts of liquid brewer’s yeast and then add your essential oils. In a clean cement mixer pour the yeast/EO mixture. Turn on the mixture and begin to add the sugar. Continue to mix until well mixed and with a consistency of thick mushy mashed potatoes.

Liquid Feed –

1 Quart of Water
1 Quart of Sugar
16 drops of thyme oil
30 drops of lemongrass oil
30 drops of spearmint oil
2 teaspoons of Soy Lecithin Granules

In a mixing bowl or similar item add one quart of hot but not boiling water. Mix in 2 teaspoons of Lecithin granules. Mix with a beater or till all of the granules are dissolved. Add your thyme, lemongrass and spearmint oils and again mix with the beater. Measure out one quart of sugar and pour it in your hot water/oil mix and stir well.
I mix this up two quarts at a time and double the amounts. I then pour it in a 5 gallon bucket and repeat until I have four gallons of liquid feed in the 5 gallon bucket. (At this point you will have mixed 2 gallons of water to 2 gallons of sugar) I then use a “mud” mixer on an electric drill and mix it all very well in the 5 gallon bucket. Put a lid on and it’s ready to go out to your hives. I have a bucket with a small spigot on it that I pour the contents into in the field and then I can control filling my feeders. You can also dip, but if your bees are out they will find it (and you).

[Bakersdozen]

Jack-Where do you purchase your lecithin and EO's?

[Bakersdozen]

Jack or Marbees- the 3rd recipe, which is for liquid feed, contains equal parts sugar and water.  Is this a spring feed or an any time you want to control the mites feed?
Thanks for posting.

[brooksbeefarm]

Bakersdozen, i get my EO's and lecithin at the health food stores. If i'm trying to save a hive or start a hive or nuc, i will feed or spray them (a light mist)any time to rid them from mites. If i see a mite problem in my productive hives i will feed before the honey flow or do a split to break up the mites breeding cycle. Jack

[Marbees]

Jack or Marbees- the 3rd recipe, which is for liquid feed, contains equal parts sugar and water.  Is this a spring feed or an any time you want to control the mites feed?
Thanks for posting.

Spring feed and  spraying for mite control.