mineral oil for mite control

[Leigh W]

Is anyone using mineral oil for mite control? I've been putting a small bead on the top bars for a couple years. Recently I saw a beekeeping site offering an insecticide fogger (one that never had insecticide in it) to atomize the mineral oil and blow it into the hives. Anyone with experience with this?

[Sundance]

Go to the FGMO section (Food Grade Mineral Oil) section.

There is tons of info and discussion.

Bruce

[loggermike]

Not wanting to start flogging this dead horse again BUT newbees should know that many of us tried mineral oil and the mites increased.So you should approach this cautiously and be prepared to use an alternative.I am absolutely convinced mineral oil is ineffective.Others believe it is the answer to our prayers for mite control.

[dcross]

No matter what: Monitor, monitor, monitor!

[otto]

Not wanting to start flogging this dead horse again BUT newbees should know that many of us tried mineral oil and the mites increased.So you should approach this cautiously and be prepared to use an alternative.I am absolutely convinced mineral oil is ineffective.Others believe it is the answer to our prayers for mite control.

http://www.apiservices.com/articles/us/mineral_oil.htm

increased?

[Andrew Dewey]

Is anyone using mineral oil for mite control? I've been putting a small bead on the top bars for a couple years. Recently I saw a beekeeping site offering an insecticide fogger (one that never had insecticide in it) to atomize the mineral oil and blow it into the hives. Anyone with experience with this?

How are you counting mites to know if this treatment is having any effect?

[Rader Sidetrack]

Andrew - Don't hold you breath for a response from Leigh W. She posted this question in February 2005, and has a grand total of 5 forum posts in the intervening nearly 8 years.

[oldforte]

According to the link provided by otto this was a very controlled study concluding that the fogging method with fgmo was effective in reducing the mite population. Are there any controlled studies out there that refute this? Other than personal opinion.

[snl]

Are there any controlled studies out there that refute this? Other than personal opinion.

Not personal opinion, personal experience! FGMO (fogging or otherwise) by itself does not reduce the mite population.......

[Rader Sidetrack]

Oldforte - Randy Oliver's site reports on his controlled studies on the efficacy of a number of different treatments. I didn't find one on FGMO, but you may be interested in this page of Randy's:
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/ipm-...tments-part-2/

[oldforte]

Controlled studies done by reputable sources....seems in the study..to have folks with that knowledge...carry more credability than single source experience. Wouldn't you agree? Any controlled studies to refute this? All i'm trying to do is try to figure out the best and easyist way to prevent mite pop. Fogging with fgmo and maybe some additive seems to fit.

[crofter]

As usual the devil is in the details. "Fogging with fgmo (and maybe some additive) seems to fit."

Here is a snip from the site Rader linked to.

"Although grease or oil patties have been proven to be effective against tracheal mite (by disrupting its questing behavior), I haven’t had any luck in finding verifiable data demonstrating success in using fixed oils to control varroa. However, fixed oil may be useful as a carrier to distribute essential oils. Indeed, the specific type of oil carrier greatly affects the absorption and excretion of essential oils (Wilson & Isman 2006)."

[oldforte]

Verifiable data showing success in using fgmo is noted in that link that otto provided.
What is using "fixed oil" mean?
Combining mo with a few drops of "Honey-be Healthy" seems like a good formula.

[libhart]

I think fixed here means the opposite of volatile (like an EO).

[crofter]

I read Randy Oliver's site rather than the experiments of Dr. Pedro Rodrigues in 1997-99. Kind of different conclusions. I think that if the process was that decisively effective we would have seen more follow up. I dont see reference to any other work.

[oldforte]

When Reading Randy Oliver's site he warns against fogging MO because breathing the fog could lead to terrible health problems. He quotes from Palmer 1990 in a site www.nap.edu on Toxicity of Military Smokes. This site indicates that breathing industrial smoke for many years in a working enviroment could cause a number of health problems. Come on Man! What does that have to do with fogging bees? It pays to research some of the stuff thats out there.

[crofter]

Cherry picking information is only one of many tactics to support or cast doubt on something. All such get in the way of objectivity. You are absolutely correct about research; just because something is written up on the internet sure as heck dont make it factual.

The easiest information to absorb is that which supports what one already believes.

[oldforte]

Randy Oliver has a very impressive looking web site but with this kind of misinformation and deceit it would discredit all the rest of his knowledge in beekeeping.

[camero7]

I think he is one of the best resources for beekeepers around. A professional beekeeper who is also a scientist. I rely on his expertise most of the time.

[oldforte]

Deceit is not expertise.