Newbie in beekeeping and FGMO

[daniel G.]

Dear Dr. Pedro,

I have read all of the forum artcles and your research. I am in horticulture and was wondering before I decided to get into beekeeping what organic materials I could use besides chemicals on my hives.

With dormant oil used in horticulture and other insecticides, there is immunity building up within the insect world, and I to have wondered why food grade oils could not be applied for mite control. Oils are applied for scale control on plants and that causes sophication of the insect.

When I stumbled across your research, I was amazed someone had already researched this information out for me. I can clearly see that a food grade oil, which is mineral oil, is working in the beekeeping industry. Great research by the way.

I am going to start my hives in April and plan on using your system and incoporate your cords but do not plan on using thymol. If I do use thymol later on, do I have to take the honey supers off when the hive is being fogged and how much thymol do you use with the oil? When you use the chords, again I was unclear while reading your information if you place the cords in all boxes or just on the top box?

I want to thank everyone for their input as this forum and the other international beekepers forum has provided much great knowledge for those already in the business and newbies like me. I hope to keep in touch with you on my outcome.

My sister lives in Virginia Beach and I would love to meet you sometime to discuss beekeeping when I get down that way, but that won't soon. I will keep in touch with members and yourself here. Thanks for your input.

[Dr. Pedro Rodriguez]

Hello folks.
The following statements are made in an effort to provide additional information to those who have not been following FGMO application.
Place emuslion soaked cords over the brood frames in single body hives and over the frames of supers in strong colonies. As I have stated in my articles and presentations, this is particularly important, during the summer months when foraging bees rob sick dieing hives and return home with a load of robbed honey and lots of mites piggy back.
2. There is no need to remove honey supers while using FGMO/thymol as demonstrated by lack of residues in either honey or wax during gas chromatography analysis of samples taken from hives under treatment during tghree years prior to sample removal.
3. Repeated tests havce demonstrated that thymol is not toxic to bee larvae nor to the queens when applied in dosages as I have done. BUT, yes thymol is toxic when applied at higher dosages! Also, if thymol is not pure grade, there might be danger of toxicity from residues in the thymol. Hence careful selection of sources should be made to ensure quality of the product. And again, to repeat, thymol is safe if applied in the proportions that I have found (and published) to be effective during my trials.
Best regards and God bless.
Dr. Rodriguez