Beekeeping > Pests and Diseases
Grease patties for tracheal mite
Jen:
How do grease patties, Crisco shortening, help with tracheal mite?
iddee:
The mite lodges itself in the throat of the bee. The grease covers the mite's breathing holes in it's sides, thus suffocating it and dislodging it.
Perry:
Menthol soaked cardboard works well for tracheal mites, as does formic acid.
Crofter:
From memory the grease coats the bees and interferes with the tracheal mites ability to smell identify the proper aged bee to jump onto. Pheremones are different from different aged bees. Strong scented compounds like thymol, wintergreen, etc. probably help confuse the mites. The bees dont eat the patties but do try to haul it out of the hives and groom each other trying to clean off the smear.
Feed patties for bees contain only roughly 2% fat content; not at all like tracheal mite patties with something ~3o% grease.
Slowmodem:
--- Quote from: jaybird on December 30, 2013, 06:10:02 pm ---How do grease patties, Crisco shortening, help with tracheal mite?
--- End quote ---
http://beehivejournal.blogspot.com/2009/02/sugar-crisco-patty-for-tracheal-mites.html
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?249505-Crisco-and-Sugar-and-Tracheal-Mites
Google is your friend! ;)
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