Menthol towels

[dickm]

Somewhere I read of a recipe for delivering menthol Via oil soaked towels. Can someone point me to it?

[La ruche]

I didn't try yet, but this is the site. http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/treatmix.htm

[dickm]

Thanks, Got it!

[bobbb]

how many of ya have tried this does it work

[dharbert]

I haven't tried it yet but am going to this year. A lot of beekeepers in my area use it and really like it. They say it is better then just putting the menthol packs in because you can't be sure the bees are breathing it.

Dave

[dandelion]

For what I know, the menthol/canola oil towels are meant to dislodge the varroa form the bees, after the bees chew on the towels to get rid of them (the towels not the varroa...). It's not meant for the tracheal mites, which is what the last posting implies when it refers to the bees brething the menthol vapors.
I did use those towels on my six hives is the fall. In only one of them I had the need to use coumaphos (when daily counts hit 200 and more). The other five kept hovering around 50/day tops. All six hives are doing fine today.
However I also put cords as per Dr Pedro Rodriguez method.
If any of these was reponsible for the overwintering success I don't know, but at least it did not hurt much!
So go ahead and do it!
Alex

[dandelion]

My mistake, sort of. I did go to the original source where they refer to the mentol/canola towels as a tracheal mites kind of treatment. However I could swear I read somewhere about it helping reduce the varroa... but perhaps I'm losing it...
Alex

[Canoeman]

Just where do you get these Menthol blocks?

[mark williams]

Canoeman: you can get menthol from most all bee supply house,I get mine from Mann-Lake,1lb mixed with oil will treat alot of hives,

[paddlebee]

another advantage of the towel method is it's not as temperature sensitive.