# Varroa Mite control



## wltwine (Oct 13, 2009)

Hello fellow bee keepers, does anybody have a recipe for grease patties. I think my hive has Varroa mites and would like to treat them if passable. I would like to treat the hive as natural as I can, but I will use what I have to to deal with this problem. Any suggestions on dealing with mites would be greatly appreciated.


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## jdpro5010 (Mar 22, 2007)

Grease patties treat for tracheal mites not varroa.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

Yes, grease patties are for tracheal mites _[Acarapis woodi],_ not generally for varroa _[Varroa destructor]._

"I think my hive has Varroa mites,.."

Can you do [or know how] a test to see how your mite [varroa] load is? You can do a powdered sugar 'roll' using a screened jar. Do a search on Beesource! A microscope [low power] is needed for the tracheal mites.

Grease patties: "One part vegetable shortening to 2 parts white granulated sugar. Patty size should be about one-half pound (size of a hamburger)." >> http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2164.html

Powdered sugar roll/shake test: > http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pdfs/Varroa_Mites_PMP2.pdf
Another one: > http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

"I think my hive has varroa mites.." The odds are, _every_ hive has varroa, to some degree or another. Depending on the type of bees you have, you may not have to treat. I was in my hives last weekend, and saw varroa on drone brood in burr comb between the boxes. Didn't worry about it, the colony was three years old, and have been dealing with the mites at least that long. And no, I don't treat for varroa with anything.
Regards,
Steven


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## wltwine (Oct 13, 2009)

OK so what do I use for treatment for Varroa mites a few of my bees have the symptoms of mites, wings are shriveled up and the bees just don't look right.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

My guess is that you are in, or are near the time of honey/nectar flows in your area. You can use the powdered sugar dusting method. This works best if your hive is on a screened bottom board with a sticky board. Dust every 4-5 days for two weeks and then once a week or 10 days thereafter.>> http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71

You can also use drone comb removal later. You can find information within Beesource about that, and sugar dusting by using search.

"Some people apply *sugar* dusting not by shaking *sugar* on every side of every frame, but rather by sifting the *sugar* through a screen onto the tops of the frames of each deep, then brushing it around so it rains down between the frames and in the process, coating most of the bees on each frame. If you look at youtube videos, some show a window screen laid on top of the hive box and just sprinkle the *sugar* over that, and others use a flour sifter to apply the *sugar* to the tops of the frames. Then you can brush it around so it fall down the sides of the frames." >> http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239101&highlight=powdered+sugar


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## MichelinMan (Feb 18, 2008)

I have never used grease patties. I understand that if you add some essential oils to the mix they can be useful against varroa, but only for bees coming in direct contact. I prefer to add tea tree oil to the syrup. The essential oil ends up in their food supply and apparently disrupts the mite`s reproduction. But I don`t do this while the bees are collecting surplus honey.

Putting crisco in a hive just doesn`t sound right to me. Bees eating grease? I don`t care how much sugar is in the patties... they`re still eating grease and I don`t think that does them any good. Just my opinion.


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

if you are seeing DWV now, and you are close to a honey flow, this hive will not be a producing hive. Take this hive out of production and decide on what to treat with. With DWV, you are past the point of this hive being saved with sugar dusting several times. It needs help NOW. My preferred choice is Mite Away 2. However temperatures are a concern. Not higher than 27 Celcius, not lower than 10 Celcius. You might need a second treatment in a few weeks. Test mite counts pre treatment and then post treatment and then test again in a few weeks. I would also add feed and pollen to help get this hive on it's feet before another infection sets in.

JMO

PS...remove any honey supers before treating


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Pay attention to those who are suggesting how you should treat. With dwv, you are at a critical point. And if you do not have resistant bees, or what some call survivor stock, your hive will undoubtedly crash without treatment. Some folks have success requeening with resistant/suvivor queens. B. Weaver advertises such stock, and at one time demonstrated that requeening with their queens turned a colony around. I have bought and used their bees, and they're good. But you would probably get the same results with other types of survivor stock. However, you'd probably have to keep treating until the new queen's brood started emerging. http://www.beeweaver.com/home.php
I wish you much success!
Steven


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## indypartridge (Nov 18, 2004)

This article was in last month's _Bee Culture_ - a bee drench. Looks promising.

http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/index.cfm?cat=Story&recordID=697


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## LadyBuzz (Mar 16, 2010)

MichelinMan said:


> I have never used grease patties. I understand that if you add some essential oils to the mix they can be useful against varroa, but only for bees coming in direct contact. I prefer to add tea tree oil to the syrup. The essential oil ends up in their food supply and apparently disrupts the mite`s reproduction. But I don`t do this while the bees are collecting surplus honey.
> 
> Putting crisco in a hive just doesn`t sound right to me. Bees eating grease? I don`t care how much sugar is in the patties... they`re still eating grease and I don`t think that does them any good. Just my opinion.


Hi...say, how much tea tree per qt jar? Please...I have a population explosion of varroa.


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