who uses FGMO as stand alone miticide?

[Pat]

I'm thinking about trying FGMO. But I'm curious to know who has been using FGMO as their sole mite control method and for how long. What are the results, lost any colonies to mites?

Regards,
Patrick

[Michael Bush]

I have NOT used it as sole control. I have been using FGMO painted on the top bars in the spring, combined with wintergreen syrup in the spring and apistan in the fall. The combination seemed to work pretty well. I have some varroa, but not much and no lost colonies.

Using it on the top bars sure helps with burr comb between the boxes.

I have not tried fogging or the cotton mop filaments.

I moved some of my bees into an observaton hive where I can study them closely and I have to look a long time to find a bee with a mite. I have better luck looking for the ones dancing that aren't doing the "I found nectar" dance. After a bit of watching I've gotten so I recognize the "get it off me" dance. These bees usually have a varroa on them.

[fat/beeman]

hi Pat
I have been useing cannola oil for 5yrs along with wintergreen oil for mite control I also use eucalyptus oils.
I am a breeder of queens had state insoection no mites =it works and lot cheaper too no pesticides either.
good luck =Don

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello to all.
I have been using nothing but FGMO since mid 1996. I have lost all the colonies that were not treated, but none of those treated with FGMO. I have had some colonies that abandoned their hive, but that happens under just about any condition in which the bees are "stressed" and mites do stress the bees.
Also, I have lost colonies under treatment but due to disease and weakness combined with robbing, but I consider that this would happen to them with any other treatment.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[BILLY BOB]

Hi Pat,

I've been using nothing but FGMO for over a year. I have lost no hives. I started with just putting a beed of FGMO on the top bars. I now have a fogger (much better) and only use it. I couldn't think of how I could have gotten by with out it.

Billy Bob

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello to all.
Way to go, Billy Bob. I am sure that many others will feel the same and come around and say it sooner or later. I think that there are a lot more people like you but somehow do not express their findings. I sure hope a lot more would because that would convince those who may have doubts to give it a try.
Thanks to all of you who trust and have faith in my work.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[deggary]

Sorry if this is a repeat, but could not find the info in any of the posts....

Where do you find a fogger and how much are they? Thanks.

[BILLY BOB]

Home Depot or Lowes. look in the pesticides.

I think mine was around $65.00



[This message has been edited by BILLY BOB (edited October 06, 2002).]

[Russ]

I bought mine at ACE HDW> on sale in a flier for $49.00. Dale

[dickm]

I have used it all summer and still haven't seen a mite. (8 hives, just started in May)

[dickm]

I started this year with 8 nucs. Used only the fogger. Now have 8 strong colonies and had a harvest of approx 10# per hive. I fogged every 2 wks and have never seen a mite. The cords are a bore. I've been wondering if they are really needed.

Dickm

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello folks.
Wait till you see our research records this year for hives treated with nothing but FGMO for the last three years. Y
The report should be coming out around January of February. You will be glad tht you are using FGMO.
This is not a paid commercial (especialy since I receive no money for my work!) It is just plain glee.
This year we used combinations of treatments:
FGMO fog only every once a week.
FGMO fog and emulsion cords every 2-3 weeks.
FGMO and emulsion soaked cords every thirty days.
All three were quite successful!
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[Kurt Bower]

I see that this post has been been revived, so I guess I will put in my two cents.
I have been using FGMO as a stand alone since the spring with very favorable results. I think that the studies provided by Dr. Rodriguez are thorough enough to place full confidence in FGMO. I dont fully understand the reasons that this would not be used as a stand alone treatment. Using other chemicals seems to defeat the purpose as well as add cost and time to the welfare of your bees.
I look forward to see the latest results that Dr. Rodriguez spoke of and also to a new year of honey production and beekeeping.

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello Folks.
Way to go Kurt and all others. FGMO can be used successfully by itself or in combination with cotton cords soaked in FGMO emulsion. You will be delighted when my group's research report for 2002 is published in ABJ early next year. I will share with you folks in this forum also. I have submitted a manuscript to ABJ, hence I am commited to wait for its publication.
Rest assured that FGMO work continues using several methods (stand alone being one of them) in an effort to provide as many options to beekeepers as possible.
Again, thanks for your trust and support.
Dr. Rodriguez

[Pepper1079]

Hi All, I have been using FGMO for two years now with good results. I got busy toward the latter part of the summer and missed some foggings. I started back on schedule. IN late fall, I got worried and thought I should chedk to make sure. I treated several hives with Apistan. There were very few mites that dropped. Sorry Doc, I should have had more faith and saved my money.

------------------
Jim

[Kurt Bower]

I would like to clarify that I am using the full treatment recommended by Dr.R, not just fogging. Compared to the devistation caused by the V mite last season, this year has been a great success.

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello Jim and all others.
There is nothing to be sorry about. Matter of fact, you ought to be glad that you did try chemical treatment. For two reasons, one, now you know that FGMO can be trusted. And two, now you have your own assessment of prices to compare the cost between the two.
The fact that some beekeepers may be too busy to fog every week as has been proved to be the most effective means of treatment with FGMO, reinforces my recommendation of utilizing fogging and emulsion coated cords together. It gives beekeepers the opportunity to treat less often. All in all, thanks for your post and vote of confidence.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Way to go Kurt. Thanks for your input.
If you decide to try fogging alone, do it once a week in combination with screened bottom boards and you will have zero mites in the Fall. Except of course for those that foraging bees bring in when they rob infested colonies.
Good luck with your trials and please do not hesitate to write to my personal e-mail if you have further questions.
Best Regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[bic]

Well, I just started using FGMO in the fogger. I already had a fogger that I have used for many years to control mosquitos (works great!) but was afraid I could not get all the pesticide out so I bought a new one (at Wal-Mart... $65) and am very glad I did. Talked with a nurse in my Dr.'s office the next day and she said, "Well, all your bees are dead." She and her husband are commercial producers! She said the oil would cause the bees to suffocate. Itried to explain fogging to her but she insisted, "You have killed every hive!" Seems to me that they are flying awfully well to be so "dead"!!!
Haven't done a sugar roll yet but I feel certain the mites are well under control!

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello folks.
Before Columbus sailed due west, people kept telling him that he was going to sail straight into an abyss and drown himself and his crews.
Well, no one got drowned and thanks to C. C. the American Continents have developed into the wealthiest population of the world.
No one is going to kill their bees with FGMO, but on the contrary, FGMO promises to save the bees of the world in spite of the fears of those who have not dared to "sail" into the FGMO world. Unfortunately, their bees are suffering the consequences. Rest assured that those using FGMO are going to represent the Columbus, Magallanes, marching into history bearing the FGMO banners.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[Juandefuca]

<pesticide out so I bought a new one (at Wal-Mart... $65) and am very glad I did. Talked with a nurse in my Dr.'s office the next day and she said, "Well, all your bees are dead." She and her husband are commercial producers! She said the oil would cause the bees to suffocate. Itried to explain fogging to her but she insisted, "You have killed every hive!">
Just in case you did not know yet : Nurses at doctors offices took a course in nursing and as a consequence are constantly overflowing with wisdom and knowledge of about everything not known to the rest of us.
JDF

[Juandefuca]

I'm thinking about trying FGMO. But I'm curious to know who has been using FGMO as their sole mite control method and for how long. What are the results, lost any colonies to mites?
Regards,
Patrick

Patrick
I use FGMO since 2000 and lost no colony to mites yet . No other miticide was / is applied . No Antibiotic of any kind either . But FGMO is not an influence related to antibiotics . I cannot tell why I have no vector diseases . I just report my observations
JDF

[Michael Bush]

My observation would be that AFB EFB and Nosema are stress related diseases that are usually caused by things like mite infestations.

Remove the stress and they are seldom a problem.

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hi to all.
A beekeeper in my research group hs been using FGMO only for the last three years. His honey yield for the 2002 season was 70 kilos per hive. Another beekeeper in this group who has been using FGMO only for the last three years netted 40 kilos per hive.
The difference in yield is due to diffence of floral abundance where the hives are situated.
The only hives lost were the control hives which received no treatment at all.
This report will be published early next year.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello all.
Definitely, bees do suffer from illnesses that
flare up with stress induced by bee mite infestation. It has been proved that fungi, bacteria and viruses cause illnesses in hives heavily infested with mites. Actually, hives die from stress and secondary infections.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[ckinser]

Hello all,
I just started using fgmo this past year, out of seven hives i had one yield 120# and two others produce 80#. My colonies have never been so healthy. Thank you Dr. Rodriguez

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello all.
Way to go!
Thank you Kinser and all of you who trust FGMO!
FGMO when used properly has great potential for saving hives,incresed production and keeping hive products and the environment free of contaminants.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez
Best regards

[Eman]

I started this summer with both the cords and the fogging and using screened bottom boards. So far all of my hives are still OK. I have brought all of my FGMO equipment to my local beekeepers assoc. meetings and most think I'm crazy.
I would say the proof will be this spring if my hives are in good shape.

[versatile]

Hi Eman and Everyone.Your hives will be in great shape and you will have the last laugh.I have fogged swarms twice after hiving them and while they are broodless and then installed cords and they just go for it.I am in the middle of expanding my hives and having happy bees that are mite free helps in our success.We use nothing else.I have noticed since using nothing but FGMO that the loss of queens and queens being superceeded in the same season,even after introducing a new queen is almost nil.Have you noticed this as well Dr. Pedro or anyone else that has changed from a chemical control to FGMO.So far I have not had any brood diseases either and I also put this down to FGMO as I think that if you have good strong healthy hives you also have nature on your side.We notice on our organic farm the same results as far as pests and diseases on vegetables that if you can use nature as far as possible that we do not have many problems at all.
John

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello John in NZ and everyone else in the rest of the world.
Thank you John. With your last two posts to beesource.com you have given me my best X-mas present ever. Thank you so very much for your testimony.
I have been working with FGMO and telling folks that the system works very well if only they would follow directions properly. I have tried hard to "iron out all the wrinkles ¨in the system to the point that I can now recite them with my eyes closed and see the bees hapily moving about in their hives.
Yes, definitely, I have not lost queens, brood or bees to FGMO. On the contrary my bees are not only mite-free but also disease free. Like John, says, mite free bees will take care of their hygiene and keep a healthy environment and be disease free. I have been making emphatic remarks on this aspect of beekeeping. Remove the mites, and the bees will be stress free and disease free.
My very best wishes to all of you and a happy holiday season.
Dr. Rodriguez

[Keith Benson]

Dr. R wrote:
This year we used combinations of treatments:
FGMO fog only every once a week.
FGMO fog and emulsion cords every 2-3 weeks.
FGMO and emulsion soaked cords every thirty days.
All three were quite successful!

So if one had the time one might choose to only fog? My hives are <75 feet from my house and I think fogging weekly would be easier (and in many respects less time consuming) for me than using the cords as well.

Would this be a reasonable course of action based on your recent results?

thanks,

Keith



[This message has been edited by kgbenson (edited February 23, 2003).]

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello folks.
1. I am confused about brother Helmut's reply to someone because I am only able to access Helmut's reply but have not seen the post to which Helmut is replying. Can someone please point me to it?
2. While we have found that emulsion cords and fogging are complementary to each other, (because it means that there is FGMO protection in the hive at all times) fogging once a week may prove to be the answer to beekeepers who have a large volume of colonies, especially if they are located close at home minimizing labor. However, please remember that nurse bees that bring bred female Varroa mites to the surface may not be exposed FMO (when using fog only) giving mites the opportunity to migrate back to brood cells to start new cycles. Also I have observed, and recorded the fact that bees that come in contact with FGMO from emulsion or FGMO spread on the top bars tend to groom themselves promptly. Using a large magnifying glass, I have observed bees not only grooming themselves after coming in contact with FGMO but also that mites seem to become disturbed, more agile?, motivating the bees to attempt to pick them off. In essence, it seems to me that the bee's hygienic behavior is stimulated by FGMO. While the practice of spending long periods of time observing bees under the influence of FGMO may not be practical for most beekeepers, this observation may be of value here, because it may provide answers to increased mite drop-off and increased activity of colonies after treatment. It may be worthwhile for others who are using FGMO to provide comments should they have observed this type of behavior.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez

[Juandefuca]

Pedro
I wrote to you privately . However this post of mine has not been posted yet within the post of the mopping section .
It is in reference to Dicks quoting the speech of a resercher being "Ignorant " Of FGMO
No Biggy . I hope I unconfused you !Sorry about that .

JDF

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hi folks.
Thanks brother Helmut, I understand but what I am saying is that I would like to read the comments made by "the researcher ignorant about FGMO." I am just curios what the statement was like.
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez