[Rusty Hills Farm]

No, they don't. It takes some time. And how nosema effects bees and causes mortality is still somewhat a mystery.

You're joking, right? How many times have I seen it suggested that what happened to some newbee's deadout is that it collapsed from mites? Or am I imagining that?

Deadout vs some bee life shortened...I'll take the shorter lifespan. Then I'll try to figure out WHICH EO caused it so I can eliminate it from my treatment protocol. Meanwhile I will still have some bees left to treat.

Yes, it is rotten that they suffer while we learn--but a lot of animal husbandry seems to be like that. We plan for the best for them but we are clumsy about execution. Hey, we're trying here! Trying to learn and trying to kill as few as possible in the process! If we weren't trying, we wouldn't be wasting so many hours on BeeSource looking to learn stuff!

JMO

Rusty

 

[sqkcrk]

In fact they kill the bees outright.

JMO

Rusty

"outright"? Really? Their mere presence causes colony mortality? Pretty simplistic statement. It takes a critical mass before effects are seen. A certain amount of damage has to be done from the outside by varroa and from the inside by nosema. A death from a thousand cuts.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

"outright"? Really? Their mere presence causes colony mortality? Pretty simplistic statement. It takes a critical mass before effects are seen. A certain amount of damage has to be done from the outside by varroa and from the inside by nosema. A death from a thousand cuts.

How about looking at the word in context?!? As in

Except that varroa and nosema also shorten bee life. In fact they kill the bees outright. Doesn't that still make EOs the better option?!? Isn't the key to use as little as possible to get results we need until such time as we can find an even better solution?

So you pick on my word "outright" and completely ignore the rest of it. Namely that EOs are less damaging than the mites and the nosema AND we should keep looking for an even better option. C'mon, already! Quit yer nitpicking!


Rusty

 

[sqkcrk]

Seemed conflicting to me, that's all.

 

[Moccasin]

5 cups water
2 ½ pounds of sugar
1/8 teaspoon lecithin granules (used as an emulsifier)
15 drops spearmint oil
15 drops lemongrass oil

I have seen this recipe plastered all over the internet. My confusion is this...Some people say feed as is and then again some people say use 1 capful of this mixed with so many quarts of sugar syrup. So what are the feeding directions after mixing this up?

I have seen this same recipe plastered all over the internet also! I have been keeping quiet but I am ready to help you all out even if you don't want it. The Lecithin is NOT used as an emulsifier in this product! It is a food supplement in this case an added fat. It would work to emulsify a dry powder to keep the dust down when blending such things as flour but the oil to water emulsifier you are always missing in these recipes is the additive SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE ! The SLF is a soap! It is found in almost all shampoo and dish soap and just works for one purpose IT MIXES OIL IN WATER (emulsifier) Lecithin won't even mix in water without SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE ( soap)

 

[rookie2531]

I have seen this same recipe plastered all over the internet also! I have been keeping quiet but I am ready to help you all out even if you don't want it. The Lecithin is NOT used as an emulsifier in this product! It is a food supplement in this case an added fat. It would work to emulsify a dry powder to keep the dust down when blending such things as flour but the oil to water emulsifier you are always missing in these recipes is the additive SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE ! The SLF is a soap! It is found in almost all shampoo and dish soap and just works for one purpose IT MIXES OIL IN WATER (emulsifier) Lecithin won't even mix in water without SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE ( soap)

I did a little research on this ingredient before making my own blend of hbh, and found it is used as a thickener, not an emulsifier. The lecithin is used as the emulsifier. And it does work without the slf. I have some bottled up for a couple months now, with no separation. All ingredients except the slf. I used liquid lecithin and hot water and blended for five minutes. It does work.

 

[aunt betty]

Lecithin is most certainly an emulsifier. http://www.adm.com/en-US/products/food/lecithin/Documents/Lecithin as an Emulsifier.pdf
To make an emulsion takes a blender.
Rookie...how do you do it? Go into detail please.

 

[gnor]

Does anybody know of scientific studies on the effectiveness of essential oils?

 

[aunt betty]

Here's some info on essential oils. Apparently it messes up the varroa larva.
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/varroa2.htm

 

[gnor]

Thank you.

 

[aunt betty]

Has anyone tried any other emulsifiers besides lecithin? I saw somewhere that Honey has been used, it just takes longer. Looking up emulsifiers, I saw that honey and egg yolk were two of the most common. Yolks actually contain lecithin. I think I'm going to try to use some other emulsifiers just to see what else is out there.

I thought about this and yes. Egg yolks contain lecithin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_lecithin
The HBH recipe must be older than soybean production in the US.
Someone with one of them old books from the 1800's...look up the HBH recipe from back then PLEASE!

 

[aunt betty]

Tried honey without much success. Never tried yolk. I've been using lecithin, but not the granules. I got some liquid form for soap making that doesn't incorporate too well. Now I have some capsules from CVS that seem to work really well.

Capsules from CVS!!!
That is the info I was looking for, missed it first time thru.
THANKS!

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

The HBH recipe must be older than soybean production in the US.
Someone with one of them old books from the 1800's...look up the HBH recipe from back then PLEASE!

I would be surprised if anything is found in 200 year old books about Honey-B-Healthy.

HBH was only developed about 20 years ago. Here is the history ....
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/honeyBhlth.htm

 

[aunt betty]

I've seen or heard of a recipe like this before and it was before the internet existed.
Never made any and never thought about it again like lots of things when I was a young beek in the late-70's.
Where to get the ingredients would have been a challenge for me.

 

[gnor]

Has anyone tried any other emulsifiers besides lecithin?

I saw a recipe that used emulsifying wax along with the Lecithin. You can get it here: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/emulsifying-wax.html
It's sometimes called e-wax (not to be confused with ear-wax!)

 

[gnor]

I saw a recipe that used emulsifying wax along with the Lecithin. You can get it here: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/emulsifying-wax.html

I take this back. It's not so good after all.

 

[natalia]

I am new to beekeeping just starting out and wish to make my own healthy b healhy recipe. I do have lecithin capsules on hand and I was wondering how many capusules did you use. They are large 1200 MG that I take for my own health. Thank you. Natalia

 

[gnor]

I am new to beekeeping just starting out and wish to make my own healthy b healhy recipe. I do have lecithin capsules on hand and I was wondering how many capusules did you use. They are large 1200 MG that I take for my own health. Thank you. Natalia

Here's my recipe:
I bought a jar of liquid lecithin at The Bulk Barn, so I have lots.

Ingredients:

• 1 litre/quart of 1:1 syrup
• 1 tsp each Wintergreen, Lemongrass, and Eucalyptus essential oil
• 1 tsp liquid lecithin, or break enough capsules to do it.

Method:
Heat the syrup to approx. 150-180 ºF
Add about a cup of syrup and the lecithin to a blender and blend for a minute.
With the blender running, drizzle in the essential oils
Gradually blend in the rest of the syrup. You can't over mix this.
Bottle in a hot sterilized mason jar.

I keep mine in a mason jar in the fridge, and it has not separated in almost a year. I add 1 tsp per litre/quart of syrup while it's hot, and it mixes fine. I'm not sure about Varroa, but I think it helps with the gut parasites. We have long Winters here.
It smells really good, so if you don't like it for bees you can always use it in your bath.

 

[dsegrest]

Pro health from Mann Lake costs about 75% of what HBH does. I do not use the recommended dose. A very small splash of pro-health and a very small splash of apple-cider vinegar goes in a 5 gal bucket of 1:1 sugar syrup.

 

[aunt betty]

I am new to beekeeping just starting out and wish to make my own healthy b healhy recipe. I do have lecithin capsules on hand and I was wondering how many capusules did you use. They are large 1200 MG that I take for my own health. Thank you. Natalia

Bought the stuff from that apothecary website. Used sunflower lecithin, three 1200 mg capsules. Just cut them open carefully and squeeze the stuff out. Plan on not using the blender for anything else after you make HBH.