# Grease Patty?



## Brudd (Mar 24, 2007)

I was told to use a Grease Patty for tracheal mites, what ia it? how do you make it? does it work? is it worth it?
Also told to add terrymycin to the patty but I would like to stay as organic as possible.

Thanks, 
Brudd


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

Brudd, good for you for making a decision to take some preventative steps on Trachaels, I think they kill many hives and are little talked about in comparison with other threats. Here's my thoughts on patties:

People use crisco for patties, the hydrocarbons given off by the patties mask the hydrocarbons given off by brood in respiration which is how the parasite locates the host. As far as adding antibiotics you're best to use some other standard delivery method. Delivery of TM threough grease patties can result in sub-lethal dosages resulting in the build up of resistance. Patties will encourage hive beetles which should not be a problem in your area.

Some here have all kind of recipies I'm sure they'll post. I would suggest using formic or menthol for trachaels (formic of course kills varroa as well) and leave the crisco in the kitchen cupboard.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I was told to use a Grease Patty for tracheal mites, what ia it?

Powdered sugar and crisco.

>how do you make it?

Take crisco and mix in powdered sugar until it's thick enough to make a patty.

> does it work?

Yes.

> is it worth it?

No. You'll bring small hive beetles if they are around, and mask that you do or don't have bees resistant to Tracheal Mites. It's not that hard to get resistant bees.

>Also told to add terrymycin to the patty but I would like to stay as organic as possible.

I have not use terramycin since 1975 or 1976. If you want to stay as organic as possible, then don't use it at all.


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## Nick Noyes (Apr 28, 2005)

2 parts sugar 
1 part crisco
Mix well and put between brood boxes.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

*Tracheal Mites*

I see you're in Connecticut. Enough of a winter to have problems with Tracheal mites. Do you? Did your bees come through this winter in good shape? Or, were there small clusters, poopy upper entrances, and lots of bees dead on the ground? Maybe you already have reasonably resistant stock. 

But, if you think you have a problem,
Why don't you requeen your colonies with resistant stock. The president of your state association, RH, raises queens. You could ask him about his stock. 

Grease patties are just big messy band-aids. Resistance is the way to go.


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

>Grease patties are just big messy band-aids. Resistance is the way to go.

Glad to hear you say that.


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## Brudd (Mar 24, 2007)

Bees came through awesome, 60 degrees yesterday and they were coming and going like its June 1st and theres still snow on the ground. My bees were bought as italians but I was told by a friend who seen them that they look like russians to him, I don't know I'm only 12 months in/

Brudd


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

T-mites are the forgotten pest in the past number of years. I think they play a bigger part than what most people think. 

Lets scan the latest bee mag I have....

Wilbanks
Pendell
Honeyland farms
Weaver
Koehen
Shuman
Hardeman
Tabers
Strachans
Rossman
Olivarez
Miksa
Holts
Ruhl
Harrel
Chandler
Norton's
Indian summer

NOT ONE! Thats not one advertiser of queens and bees even mentions t-mites. Many of them mention "we select for hygienic behavior" or "good honey producers" or "gentle bees". But not one mention of anything with t-mite resistance. Not one producer that advertises. Don't get me wrong, I deal with a number of those listed above. But you can rationalize it for yourself. If any actually had a bee worthy of being called resistant to t-mites, why does not one mention it? They mention the other abstract or generalized marketing fluff..like "gentleness", or "we select for this or that". Thats easy to do. But make a claim about t-mite resistsnce...and thats another story.

I find it ironic that some suggest that you should seek resistant bees to t-mites, but flee in fear from SHB, as if somehow a grease pattie in Connecticut is going to doom your hives to infestation from SHB. First, its not going to happen in Conneticut, and two, having resistant t-mite bees is on par to having bees handle SHB. I have seen many hives handle SHB problems in yards they are exposed. And I highly doubt a grease patty is going to make or break SHB problems. Perhaps more should look into SHB resistant strains. That would be better than fooling yourself into thinking the SHB are holding out entering a hive, until some unknowing beekeeper places a grease patty, and one SHB calls out to the rest.."Thats the signal, LETS ROLL!" Like a hive itself will not bring in SHB if they are "around the area", but a grease patty alone will. Wrong.

SHB will also eat pollen patties. But not near the "HYPE" as when mentioning grease patties. Mention a grease patty, and its the patented same comment..."beware the SHB!" But discussion after discussion mention pollen patties and not one peep. So predictable.

Brudd, I see nothing wrong with a grease patties. And certainly nothing on par with running in fear of SHB infestations. The grease actually will get tracked around the hive and will aid in promoting more hygienic behavior. Thats not a bad thing.

I look for small advantages in beekeeping. Will grease patties make or break a hive. Probably not. But they will help.

Everyone says "get t-mite" resistant stock. Ok, pony up guys. Who are you saying has guaranteed t-mite resistant stock. If its so easy, lets have some names. Lets see the advertisements. Lets see some ink on paper!

I know most or near 100% of beekeeper do not have microscopes and do t-mite testing. 99% of beekeeper buy queens. So knowing beekeepers buy queens, instead of saying its easy to have t-mite resistance stock, help out a guy asking question. Provide some actual names and producers if this is so easy.

Other than the ontario breeders group, I see nobody else willing to stick thier necks out with such claims. And certainly nobody has provided testing data.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

*Resistance to Tracheal Mites*

>Everyone says "get t-mite" resistant stock. Ok, pony up guys. Who are you saying has guaranteed t-mite resistant stock. If its so easy, lets have some names. Lets see the advertisements. Lets see some ink on paper!

>I know most or near 100% of beekeeper do not have microscopes and do t-mite testing. 99% of beekeeper buy queens. So knowing beekeepers buy queens, instead of saying its easy to have t-mite resistance stock, help out a guy asking question. Provide some actual names and producers if this is so easy.

I have to agree. Why is it that no queen producers advertise TM resistance? Are there lines out there that are resistant? Surely there are. 100% resistant? Obviously, not.

Years ago...in the 80's, Dr. Gene Robinson gave a report at EAS. He compared different strains of bee for TM resistance. I believe 3 strains were looked at. These were Italians, Buckfast, and Websters. The Italians had very low resistance. The Buckfast was quite resistant...over 80%. The Websters were the same...over 80%. What was the point? To show that there was TM resistance out there in commercially produced stock...Buckfast. Also, to show that, through selection, resistance could be developed...Webster. 

Where can resistant stock be purchased? Are there Buckfast bees still available? If so, you could buy those. Russian bees are said to be very resistant to TM. If you don't mind putting up with Russians' quirks, get those. 

If I was to start new, I would buy a dark strain of bee, and select. Colonies that winter well, when others in the yard don't, are probably resistant to TM. Several years of selection...without using grease, or formic...would greatly increase the TM resistance in your bees. It really is a simple matter. Breeding from the best performers. You mention the Ontario Beekeepers program of TM resistant bees. They have a program, where queen breeders can send samples and they are evaluated for TM resistance. This is a must for them, as they use Formic acid for Varroa control. Formic kills TM, too. So, they have reduced the TM levels with a treatment, and can't rely on selection/performance. Without treatment for TM, it becomes clear which colonies have resistance.

So, can I easily give names of producers that sell TM resistant bees? Look in the Ontario Queen Breeders site. There are some there. Search for Buckfast...if there are any available. Any reputable Russian breeder has TM resistance. Or, buy NWC, or Heitkam's Hygienic Carniolans, etc, and select the best winterers. 

My comment about resistance to TM being easy is from years of selection. I used grease only a couple years back in the 80's. Since then, it's been selection, and the results have been very good. Are my bees 100% resistant? Of course not. Is TM a problem in my bees? No.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

*Buying TM Resistant Bees*

I just received my April ABJ. I noticed an ad for Ontario Buckfast queens. "Proven winter hardy, tested for mite resistance and hygienic."

I assume they are talking about Tracheal mites, since that's what they test for in Ontario.

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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

Michael Palmer said:


> I just received my April ABJ. I noticed an ad for Ontario Buckfast queens. "Proven winter hardy, tested for mite resistance and hygienic."
> 
> I assume they are talking about Tracheal mites, since that's what they test for in Ontario.
> 
> ...


So, did they pass the test? One has to wonder why they didn't just state outright that their queens are T-mite resistant.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

>So, did they pass the test? 

Must be. The Ontario Bee Breeders has producers send bee samples to a lab, to be tested for Tracheal. Only those that "pass" are used as possible breeder queens.


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