# Menthol V. All Other takers



## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*Menthol*

What is your method of delvery using the menthol?
Regards,
Ernie


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## Robert Brenchley (Apr 23, 2000)

What are you treating for? I'm guessing tracheal mites, but in that case, why keep susceptible bees?


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>why keep susceptible bees?


easy to say,
t mite losses arnt as obvious as v mite or queen failure losses,
In Northern areas as I beekeep in, t mites will cause problems 
Not familiar with your area climate,


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

Thymol works excellent and is relatively cheap.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Robert Brenchley said:


> What are you treating for? I'm guessing tracheal mites, but in that case, why keep susceptible bees?


RB, on target. 

how about formic


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

NO, I am treating for varroa mites. My method of delivery is 50 grams in a mesh bag, applied late in the season for 6 weeks. To my knowledge, it is almost impossible to find stock in PA that is not fully resistant to tracheal mites. I have never seen a single tracheal mite and have looked repeatedly.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Aspera said:


> I have never seen a single tracheal mite and have looked repeatedly.


Where are you looking? Try looking at the bees on the top bars under the inner cover, when the bees have been confined for awhile. The ones with the K wings. I bet you find some, although maybe at a low level.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*I have never seen a single tracheal mite and have looked repeatedly.*

You can look for tracheal mites all that you want and you will not "see" them because you need a microscope.
http://photo.bees.net/gallery/tracheal
Here is another good URL:
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honeybee/files/speaker_notes/exp_wksp_Tracheal_Mite_Dissection_Notes.pdf

Regards,
Ernie


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Michael Palmer said:


> Where are you looking? Try looking at the bees on the top bars....


I assume that Aspera knows that TM is microscopic, and the bees have to be cut, treated with KOH, and examined at what? 40x-60x? He's a veterinarian, with a lab at his disposal.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I assume that Aspera knows that TM is microscopic, and the bees have to be cut, treated with KOH, and examined at what? 40x-60x? He's a veterinarian, with a lab at his disposal.

And that menthol kills them?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Michael Bush said:


> And that menthol kills them?


Yeah, I'm sure. But menthol was never a perfect cure. There were always some colonies that were still plagued by TM. So, all I'm saying is...look in the right place at the right bees. TM will be there, but maybe at low levels.


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Look, I started beekeeping after the great epidemics of the '80s, and I began with Weaver Buckfast stock. Since then I have progressed to SMRxRussian hybrids bred from Glenn stock. It's not a big deal for me to section bees of look at them. I've spent a significant portion of my life working in pathology labs, cryostat tissue sectioning and looking at slides of almost every type of creature.
My point is, I have recently been reading about the proposed mechanism of essential oils, but have been unable to find proof that any is significantly more effective than menthol in the treatment of varroa (or any disease for that matter). I have personally tried Honey -b- Healthy, Api-life Var and menthol and was impressed by the cost of the first two products.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Menthol has worked well for me in the past, I havent used HoneyBHealthy or ApilifeVar, But they also hold the same claims.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I believe formic acid is the best for reducing t-mites. Usda tests were run on formic back in the 80s(from memory) in Texas. The results weren't great for varroa but they noted excellent tracheal mite control.
Here is a Canadian study: (I was surprised by the Apilife Var results-would have thought it very effective on t-mites)


http://www.alp.admin.ch/themen/00502/00567/00573/00574/index.html?lang=de&download=M3wBPgDB/
Go down to :

Efficacy of Three Miticides (Oxalic acid, Formic acid, Apilife Var) on Varroa destructor and Acarapis woodi in Honey Bee Colonies in Canada
M. E. Nasr, D. Servos, R. Bannister, G. Wilson


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Thanks Logger. Good link.


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