# Tobacco and Varroa



## Beeswax (Apr 21, 2008)

I was looking through the Thornes catalogue and came accross a bag of tobacco for sale. Its states use for braula control. I don't think that I've got braula but it does say that it's useful for varroa detection.

What if any effect does using tobacco have on varroa?

Bob


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>What if any effect does using tobacco have on varroa?

The same effect it has on the bees. 

nicontine
neo*nicotin*oids (a family of insecticides)


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Smoking with various materials coats the bees, comb and other hive parts with a residue. This residue is foreign to the bees, and interferes with the normal pheromone communications of the hive. Bees react on different levels, but some bees groom more heavily in cleaning themselves of the residue. Bees that groom, whether that be from a smoke residue, oil patties with thymol/menthol. etc., and other trigger mechanisms, will groom mites off also.

If you smoke your arm in the morning, you can normally still smell it that evening. Its that same residue that is placed on the bees that enhances grooming and increased hygienic behavior.

Some claim that tobacco, sumac pods, and other smoker material "kill" mites off the bees. I don't buy into that. If your killing mites with tobacco smoke, your probably killing bees also.

There have been studies that have shown that merely opening the hive without smoke, increases the mite drop afterwards. Bees go into a period of grooming, social increased activity, and enhance the colony's efforts in making things right again. The smoke enhances this to an increased level with bees ridding themselves of the residue and foreign smell.


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## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

In the early days of Varroa in Europe, some time in the mid 80s, beekeepers use to put tobacco on a bucket of water let it sit overnight and spray that water the the frames of bees. Bottom sceenes were widely used. 

Gilman


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## naturebee (Dec 25, 2004)

I tried using Tobacco about 10 years ago.
It’s hard on the bees, and they come out of the hive and buzz to the ground and other drunk like symptoms.
You will get a varroa drop, but it will not kill the varroa.
The varroa I gathered up that appeared dead, woke up several minutes later and walked off the tray.

Joe


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## Robert Brenchley (Apr 23, 2000)

I use bee tobacco a lot, and have never noticed that it affected either bees or mites adversely. It burns well, and I've seen no sign of tracheal cancer in my bees.


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## Tim Hall (Sep 14, 2007)

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug97/mitesmoke0897.htm

There is more stuff on the web about Eischen's research if you're curious. I try to smoke them as little as possible, but have been curious about using things like tobacco and cedar bark. I once grabbed a handful of fresh wood sorrel (oxalis), put it in my already-lit smoker, and noticed it made a thick cool smoke that was sorta "tangy."

People of some traditional cultures "cleanse" themselves and their surroundings with smoke (incense, smudging)...such as the aboriginal people of the Americas, who first grew and smoked tobacco. I think there is no harm in a little ceremony to show respect and benevolence. Make a burnt offering.


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## Veracity (May 3, 2008)

BjornBee said:


> There have been studies that have shown that merely opening the hive without smoke, increases the mite drop afterwards. Bees go into a period of grooming, social increased activity, and enhance the colony's efforts in making things right again.



Forgive my ignorance, when you say open, is this to mean just peaking inside?


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Veracity said:


> Forgive my ignorance, when you say open, is this to mean just peaking inside?



I think the study was showing the difference and mite drop totals from actually completing some type of inspection. There was a spike in mite drop after the hive was inspected, and was shown to also exist where no smoke had been used, and this compared the the graph of normal mite drop of hives not opened.

I am sure they were actually doing more than peeking in through the inner cover. But this was a study I read about, and do not have a copy.


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## naturebee (Dec 25, 2004)

Robert Brenchley said:


> I use bee tobacco a lot, and have never noticed that it affected either bees or mites adversely. It burns well, and I've seen no sign of tracheal cancer in my bees.


Depends on what procedure you applied the tobacco. Simple use by smoking with smoker is not the method. If I recall, the original (don’t quote me needs verified) description calls for smoking in the entrance till you see smoke come out the vent on the inner cover, and seal entrance for can’t recall how many minutes. 

But then again, I used stinky type 'Denobili' cigar stubs. 

Joe


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