grease and sugar patties

[stinger]

does anyone know if applying grease and sugar patties helps the bees produce more wax in addition to keeping mite and tracheal population down? does it therefore help them to draw out comb faster if it does? Just a thought...hmmmmm

[Michael Bush]

>does anyone know if applying grease and sugar patties helps the bees produce more wax in addition to keeping mite and tracheal population down?

I do not believe it makes any difference. I've never heard anyone make that observation.

[BjornBee]

I also have never heard anything on this. (The wax portion) What is the basis for this question? Random thought, article, just casual conversation?

[Propolis30]

It doesn't seem to with mine. In fact I've notcied....with my bees anyway.....that it takes them sometimes 2-3 months to actually eat the grease patty.

[bourdeaubee]

>It doesn't seem to with mine. In fact I've notcied....with my bees anyway.....that it takes them sometimes 2-3 months to actually eat the grease patty.

does the grease patty seem to help reduce the varroa mites?do you use a screened bottom board?

I know a beekeeper that said that he had good luck with the grease patties,but last year he lost all of his hives to varroa but he didnt have bottom boards.I would think that would make it better.

[Michael Bush]

The grease patties are used by some for Tracheal mites.

[Dave W]

Usually, grease patties are used for tracheal mites, but this info is out there too . . .

"GREASE PATTY w/ wintergreen oil and salt seem to have an effect on both Varroa and Tracheal mites [http://rnoel.50megs.com/2000/part2.htm]."

[bourdeaubee]

that is what my friend was using grease patty w/wintergreen oil.he used it for years then it seemed that it didnt work last year.maybe he should have used it along with something else.

[Joel]

From a strictly theoretical standpoint both the grease patties and the wintergreen oil would help mask the hydrocarbon odors given off by larvae during respiration. Since this odor is what the T-mites hone in on to infect the host it may reduce trachael mite infestations. Also since bees contacting the patty would become "greased" making it more difficult for varroa to attach to bees reducing the success of this parasite. Bees with less problems due to the lower mite success should naturally be healthier and could be more productive, speaking just theoretically of course. In the real world of bees every domino you tip effects many others and there could be other negative impacts not as obvious.

[size="1"][ March 19, 2006, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: Joel ][/size]

[Sundance]

Great info Joel.

As to wax production??? Don't think so.

[I.C. Hemlock]

I thank you all for the info. I am rather new to bee keeping and to bee source so I can use all the help I can get. I wanted to move this to the disease section as recommended, but I did not know how to get there. I.C. Hemlock