Wormwood!

beepro · Feb 12, 2017

"WORMWOOD ABSINTHE SEEDS-- Artemisia Absinthium Medicinal Pests Deer Repellent

* Wormwood, is likely, the number one plant deer repellent. It has been found that deer and other marauding creatures find the smell repulsive and will leave the area where wormwood is planted.* Not only does the smell of wormwood repel insects but it can also kill insects and parasites effectively.
* The smell of wormwood is strong even to insects. In fact, poultry farmers can use the leaves of Wormwood to ward of fleas, ticks and other nasty insects like the dreaded Red Mite that find the smell unappealing."

While searching on ebay for the bee plants, I came across this herb plant.
Thinking that the varroa mites might not like the smell too and just die off.
What do you think? Who is brave enough to try it out this coming bee season. And what is
the best method of delivery?
The above is just a small description of the cures.

shinbone · Feb 12, 2017

Dry the leaves and burn in your smoker.

If the bees don't abscond, check the mite drop.

Learning2Bee · Feb 12, 2017

This.

This sounds interesting.

funwithbees · Feb 12, 2017

In Nepal, the beeks there place a sprig of artemesia ( related to wormwood) in each de-queened hive after the honey flow to repel and kill mites during a broodless period . The bees don't like the smell either-the essential oils in the plant are very similar to wormwood. I saw this done in their small apis cerana colonies during the monsoon in the mountains near Jumla, Nepal a few years ago. we also witnessed PMS just like ours when we don't treat. It was a non-swarmy year for them that year. Makes me think that a combo of swarmyness, small colonies and a little mite treatment is the key to apis cerana(native host of varroa) survival, not an actual resistance.:lookout: Maybe our researchers didn't know the language or the Nepalies didn't want to share with us foreigners. Ave honey production of these smaller colonies is 2KG/hive there.
Nick
Gridleyhollow.com

funwithbees · Feb 12, 2017

we also used the artemesia to entice bees to move out of a log hive into a topbar. Also made them a hotter to work with.
Nick

jean-marc · Feb 12, 2017

A paper just came out recently showing promise in controlling Nosema ceranae using wormwood and a related species.

Jean-Marc

beepro · Feb 13, 2017

If they are able to control the mites by burning wormwood in a queen less state then I suppose that
might work here. Of course an alternative option is to make the tea spray or a powder dust on the bees.
Without a queen I'm sure they will not pick up and leave the hive. A good experiment on a queen less hive the
next time. Its closest related cousin is the sweet annie--annu.
The bees go crazy on the sweet annie during the Autumn here as a coworker pointed out to me last year. Maybe they are
gathering pollen or nectar or both?

Michael Bush · Feb 13, 2017

In the West we call it "Sage" though it is really "Artemisia" and real sage is "Salvia". I've used it in a smoker. I didn't see any difference between that and any other smoke except it smells better than burlap.

And it's harder for me to come by.

DavidZ · Feb 18, 2017

the reason absinthe plants work is because it's primary hallucinogenic alkaloid is thymol, and we all know thymol and mites don't mix well.

sage, salvia, and artimisia are 3 different plants always confused due to their naming conventions.

Wormwood!

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