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FGMO fogger for varroa

5K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  crofter 
#1 ·
I've been looking up various varroa treatments and I have come across fogging with FGMO and thyme oil (or thymol). I have found these treatments here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcy-cozD7VQ

and here

http://www.wolfcreekbees.com/NaturalTreatments.asp

among other places.
It seems like a really fast simple way to treat for varroa, especially if you only have a hand full of hives. Has anyone used it? What is its effectiveness?

As a secondary question I noticed the FGMO fumigation is not allowed on the certified naturally grown guidelines. I found this odd since most thymol treatments and oxalic acid is allowed.
I'd love to hear any insight/discussion, just trying to learn a little.
 
#3 ·
As a secondary question I noticed the FGMO fumigation is not allowed on the certified naturally grown guidelines. I found this odd since most thymol treatments and oxalic acid is allowed.
Perhaps you could cite the reference that suggests that oxalic acid treatment for varroa is "allowed" for 'certified naturally grown'. I don't see how that could be the case, at least not in the USA.

Any treatment of pests must be done so according to the "label" of a pesticide product under federal law (FIFRA, the enabling legislation of the EPA.) If its not on the label, you can't legally do it. Oxalic acid is not a currently registered pesticide, and therefore is not legal for use as a varroa control as in the USA. That does not mean that oxalic acid isn't used anyway, but it can hardly be 'allowed' under a naturally grown certification.
 
#5 ·
Perhaps you could cite the reference that suggests that oxalic acid treatment for varroa is "allowed" for 'certified naturally grown'. I don't see how that could be the case, at least not in the
Here is list from the CNG website. Unless I'm reading it incorrectly (which I suppose is a possibility) oxalic acid is allowed.

https://www.naturallygrown.org/documents/AllowedProhibitedCNGApiary.pdf

And the link to the apiary page

https://www.naturallygrown.org/programs/apiary-standards

I thought it was odd to but it came up at my club meeting recently so I looked it up. If I'm reading it wrong I'm open to correction.
 
#7 ·
#10 ·
Thanks for the replies . . .
GLOCK that is a long thread, thanks for posting all your results. I haven't worked my way through it all yet but I did want to ask if you added thyme oil or wintergreen to your fogger? I saw where you started with just FGMO, wondering if you changed by the end of the summer. Like I said I'm just new and everything points to oxalic acid being the best option but I guess I was looking for something that was approved. I'm thinking next year I should just try OAV dribble or fogger next year.

Radar Sidetrack, I'm personally a fan of CNG. My understanding is that farmers monitor other farmers that reduces the cost while keeping many of the things people want in organic products. Plus my understanding is that it's nearly impossible to have certified organic honey. The appearance of oxalic acid on the approved list is peculiar for all the reasons you have pointed out. Maybe USDA (or FDA or whoever) has got it wrong and oxalic acid needs to be approved and become common practice. Then again maybe beekeepers just really like bleaching wood!
 
#14 ·
GLOCK that is a long thread, thanks for posting all your results. I haven't worked my way through it all yet but I did want to ask if you added thyme oil or wintergreen to your fogger? I saw where you started with just FGMO, wondering if you changed by the end of the summer. Like I said I'm just new and everything points to oxalic acid being the best option but I guess I was looking for something that was approved. I'm thinking next year I should just try OAV dribble or fogger next year.
I only used FGMO .
Don't waste your time or money go with OAV you'll be very happy .
 
#13 ·
#15 ·
Yes I am a newbie. No I'm not promoting my treatment above anyone else's. Yes I have read Glock's thread, Randy Oliver's site, and researched fogging with FGMO ( the Missouri trial). I also read Dr. Pedro P. Rodriguez information as well. In my little corner of the world, I didn't want to use store bought hard treatments unless I was to the point of potentially losing a hive. To that end, I have and continue to fog every 7-10 days with FGMO and EO including Thyme and wintergreen. I do not fog during flows or when supers are on a hive.

Personally, and it can be attributed to beginners luck by many far more knowledgable people than I, the fogging works for me. My mite counts are low. I will freely admit that I've had a lot of queen problems these first two years, but I think most of them were due to inexperience in managing hive populations rather than the fogging. I did want to throw that out for you as proof I'm not hiding anything.

If I could figure out the math and if I could get a power source realiably to my hives, I might be tempted to do a trial of one hive for OAV. However, from what I've read, there is a very fine line on the amount you should used with OAV, and I'm just not comfortable yet with the potential for overdoing it.

All I can say is try what is comfortable to you.

MBHVN
 
#18 ·
<Snip>

If I could figure out the math and if I could get a power source realiably to my hives, I might be tempted to do a trial of one hive for OAV. However, from what I've read, there is a very fine line on the amount you should used with OAV, and I'm just not comfortable yet with the potential for overdoing it.

<Snip>


MBHVN
Precise dosage has not been found to be critical for vaporization. Perhaps that applies more to the sugar water solution dribble or spray method: I have no experience with that. If you want to use OA vaporization I am sure you can arrive at the dose and find a way to get 12volt power to your hive. You will probably find more recent supportive instruction here than you will for FGMO fogging.
 
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