# Thymol Crystals



## af_newbie (Feb 9, 2011)

Hi there,

I was wondering if any of you guys tried Thymol Crystals for Varroa management.
How do you deliver them? In cages? On top of frames, built in cages in special frames?

Any experience with Varroa reduction? Does it actually work?

Thanks,
Peter


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Oxalic acid and sucrocide works well.


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## 100 td (Apr 3, 2011)

RAK said:


> Oxalic acid and sucrocide works well.


Is that the basic ingredients of Thymol crystals?
As was asked by the OP, how do you deliver them?


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Oxalic acid and sucrocide are not in any way related to thymol crystals. There have been many threads about thymol and how it is used. Perhaps the search feature will help you find the information you seek.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Deliver thymol in 3 trays with 4 grams each. 12 grams of thymol per 2 deeps of brood. Make sure to put netting over trays because the bees will throw it outside. You want the thymol to evaporate and when its hot it will evaporate but when its cold it doesn't work to well.

Therefore Oxalic acid would be something to consider. Thymol will work well now because it is fairly hot in most areas.

Put trays on top of outer frames. Problem is the vapor kills unsealed brood and eggs. Solution is to use an electric vaporizer which don't kill as much brood and works fast. W/O vaporizer it takes days and bees won't cap the larvae. You could make a vaporizer ... Not to hard.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

This site gives info... 

http://www.members.shaw.ca/orioleln/index.html


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## af_newbie (Feb 9, 2011)

RAK said:


> Deliver thymol in 3 trays with 4 grams each. 12 grams of thymol per 2 deeps of brood. Make sure to put netting over trays because the bees will throw it outside. You want the thymol to evaporate and when its hot it will evaporate but when its cold it doesn't work to well.
> 
> Therefore Oxalic acid would be something to consider. Thymol will work well now because it is fairly hot in most areas.
> 
> Put trays on top of outer frames. Problem is the vapor kills unsealed brood and eggs. Solution is to use an electric vaporizer which don't kill as much brood and works fast. W/O vaporizer it takes days and bees won't cap the larvae. You could make a vaporizer ... Not to hard.


Can I vaporize Thymol crystals by heating them in a pipe. Do the vapors go up or down? i.e. are they heavier than warm air? I can probably whip something from a 3/4" copper pipe. 

Thanks,
Peter


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## criscojohn (Sep 11, 2010)

Why not just use ApiLife Var or Apiguard and save yourself the trouble?


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## af_newbie (Feb 9, 2011)

criscojohn said:


> Why not just use ApiLife Var or Apiguard and save yourself the trouble?


I would. Do you know of any place that would ship to Canada?

Thanks,
Peter


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## criscojohn (Sep 11, 2010)

Sorry, I didn't know shipping to Canada was a problem.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

I don't think vaporizing thymol would be a god idea. Oxalic acid would be the best. Also oxalic acid does not harm or affect honey and does not go into the honey.. Use trays with thymol when there not to much brood. I would recommend spraying bees with sucrocide this time of year...


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## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

There are a couple frames designed to deliver thymol crystals inside the hive, This is one of them. This is another. I read today on BEE-L that some put thymol crystals in the hive to evaporate. 6 or 8 grams per hive. I'd like to read the studies on this method of delivery....It sure seems simple compared to the commercial products available. HTH


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I have never used crystals but I did experiment (two years) somewhat successfully with EO of thyme mixed with mineral oil - soaked paper towel pads. Applied exactly like apiguard. The bees react to and treat it exactly like they do apiguard, but I don't have the research capability to make any claims about how effective it is or what the dosage should be. Wonder if I could get a grant to find out?

If you could saturate paper pads with a solution you could accomplish the same thing - a possibly promising (possibly illegal) treatment with unknown dosage, and efficacy. Which I bet is pretty much how apiguard started out.


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## Glen H (Aug 17, 2013)

af_newbie said:


> I would. Do you know of any place that would ship to Canada?
> 
> Thanks,
> Peter


AF you can get all of this stuff in Guelph Ontario!
at Propolis ect new store there. Here is their catalog look on pages 26 and 27.

http://www.propolis-etc.ca/Propolis-etc_2013.pdf

There is also Formic acid along with Oxalic acid, Thymovar, Apivar, Apistan Menthol that they sell.

Glen


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

af_newbie said:


> I would. Do you know of any place that would ship to Canada?
> 
> Thanks,
> Peter


Some years back, one of the few sources for thymol was in Canada. I don't recall the name.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/

That is the Canadian site. It took me about a week to get Thymol crystals. 57$ a kilogram if I remember correctly. Also have most essential oils and the ones to make a home version of Honey Bee Healthy. Considered hazardous goods so wont ship through the post office. Fedex was about $15.00 

They also have US store on the same site. Lebermuth is probably cheaper but do have a surcharge for orders under $300.00 I dont know how the hazardous goods shipment works for crossing the border from them. New Directions Aromatics is dead easy for Canadians.

Have been playing with a method to make a gel formation of the thymol but mite levels are low enough that a November Oxalic vaporization after brood shut down will take care of that.


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## rweaver7777 (Oct 17, 2012)

RAK said:


> I don't think vaporizing thymol would be a god idea. Oxalic acid would be the best. Also oxalic acid does not harm or affect honey and does not go into the honey.. Use trays with thymol when there not to much brood. I would recommend spraying bees with sucrocide this time of year...


A little off-topic to Thymol, but if OA crystallizes inside the hive after vaporization, how could it NOT get into uncapped honey? Just curious.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

crofter said:


> Lebermuth is probably cheaper but do have a surcharge for orders under $300.00


If you speak to "Eve" at Lebermuth and tell her that you're using the thymol for honeybees she may wave the minimum order requirement/charge...


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