Juniper vs. Varroa Mites

I have heard that Juniper helps with Varroa. I put Juniper needles and sticks in my smoker and it seems like I have less Varroa now, but I haven't done official counts.

I have not tried Juniper, but I have used cedar boxes and the Varroa didn't mind at all...

Was it the western red cedar you used or the eastern red? Eastern red has a stronger smell to it..

I have used every kind of scrap cedar I encountered. I was a carpenter and some of it was cedar siding (I think it was western cedar) and some of it was aromatic (for closets). The wax moths did not seem to mind and when Varroa turned up they did not mind either... I have not used Juniper that I know of (unless someone makes closets out of it...)

Funny thing is, I peeled off some bark from a juniper tree and collected some leaves as well.

While I haven't used it yet, I think that's how you're supposed to use it in a smoker.

Not, the wood shavings, etc. .

oh, I'll have to try this... I have lots of juniper in my yard and I hate the stuff!

It smells better than burlap in the smoker...

I usually use grass in my smoker, but the juniper needles smell much nicer.

This is the study they probably read: http://juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/documents/phpW3BwYe_royce.pdf

We've been pondering offering a juniper product line, being in Oregon and having easy access to this lumber. It's a pain to work with though, as it's full of knots and rarely available in boards wider than 6"...