Varroa Mites & Essential Oils

[Illinois Novice]

I am a novice with a serious varroa mite problem. I understand that one method for treating varroa mites is essential oil in sugar water. I am told I will need to use an emulsifier to make sure the essential oil is well mixed into the syrup. I have obtained an emulsifier but do not not know how much to use--any information on how much to use? I have some winter green, some lemon grass and spearmint essential oil, which is best?

[Hillside]

There was some research done at West Virginia University back in about 1997. They appeared to have some positive results, but then they seem to have dropped their research.

www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/ (http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/)

I don't think they did enough work to convince me to use this method. Maybe someone here knows of some further testing.

When I look at the link I see they have added some new material about Honey Be Healthy and some other stuff. I'll have to take some time to review it again.

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa.htm

Their links are a bit odd. When I move around their site, I start at one page, but when I use their "return" button I end up at a different start page that has some different info and links.

Ah the joys of coding html.

[ August 08, 2006, 08:58 PM: Message edited by: Hillside ]

[Illinois Novice]

That was good reading and helpful. I still haven't figured out how much emulsifier I need to mix into the sugar syrup (I think I'll use spearment essential oil as it appears to be non-toxic)?

[Dave W]

Recipe for “home-made” Honey-B-HealthyR - Mix 5 cups water, 2 1/2 pounds of sugar, 15 drops each of spearmint and Lemongrass oils, 1/8 teaspoon lecithin granules. Dissolve granules in very hot (almost boiling) water and let it cool prior to incorporating the oils into mixture. Lecithin is an emulsifier and helps disperse the oils into water.
[http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000024.html, dragonfly, Sep 02].
[http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001163.html, Michael Bush, Jan 04].

[Robert Brenchley]

I wouldn't risk it; stick to established treatments unless you know exactly what you're doing, and have an alternative treatment in reserve.

[Aspera]

If the problem is severe, then you might want to consider a harder treatment such as Apistan and then requeen with VSH (SMR) or similar stock. Some people on this website have had good luch with thymol or oxalic acid dribbling

[Michael Bush]

If you already have a serious infestation, I think you'll need something with more knockdown than essential oils. Essential oils probably work by interfering with the mites ability to reproduce and they probably boost the immune system of the bees to withstand the viruses. But they won't knock down a population of Varroa. Oxalic acid might be your best bet at this point.

[dragonfly]

I agree with others above that if you already have a heavy infestation, use something with a faster knock-down ability.
As for the question of using lecithin granules: That's what I use, but I mix them into water that has just come to the boiling point, stir thoroughly, then strain with a fine strainer to remove what doesn't dissolve (which is a considerable amount). I use about a half teaspoon per gallon of feeding. If, after you get good control of the mites, you want to use the essential oil treatments, I do have a hive that I use this method with, but I feed essential oil syrup monthly, apply canola oil with essential oil paper inserts in the top of the hive, and I monitor very closely, because this method can easily fail, and your hive will be gone before you know there's a problem (speaking from experience).

[palikaji]

Michael,

Do you treat regularly for varroa on your regressed or feral bees, or has small cell continued to be enuf and the stock is geneticall strong and does not succomb to varroa? Or do you spot treat a hive here and there and if yes, is there any general conditions that you've discovered that lead to heavy varroa infestation in those particular hives - like its a new swarm you caught, they aren't regressed or no pattern you can see?

[Michael Bush]

>Do you treat regularly for varroa on your regressed or feral bees, or has small cell continued to be enuf and the stock is geneticall strong and does not succomb to varroa?

I have hives that I have not treated for five years. I have not treated any (except one large cell hive I inherited) for the last two years.

> Or do you spot treat a hive here and there

Not anymore.

> and if yes, is there any general conditions that you've discovered that lead to heavy varroa infestation in those particular hives - like its a new swarm you caught, they aren't regressed or no pattern you can see?

The only ones I've had problems with were large cell hives I've gotten from other people.

[jamiev]

I have fogged with fgmo/thymol four times in the past 10 weeks.
I checked the white board in a hive just prior to fogging the other day
Only one or two mites found. this has been the case for the last three mite drop counts I have done... very low #s. I re checked two days after
fogging that hive...no mites to count yet. Should I follow up with a powder sugar test? Can it be the mite population is that low? I still plan to fog more often...like bi-weekly...regardless of the counts