# Natural Varoa Mite Controls



## Robert Brenchley (Apr 23, 2000)

As long as the mites fall a couple of inches clear below the bottom board they can't get back. I thinnk you need to look for resistant stock, and keep a very close eye on mite levels. Keep chemicals in reserve for emergencies, as it's possible to have the sort of experience I did a couple of years ago when my hives were flooded with mites from someone else's collapsing colonies.


----------



## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

Essential Oils have been shown effective in controlling varroa mites. Do a search there have been lots of discussions on EO's.


----------



## Robert Brenchley (Apr 23, 2000)

The two chemicals I use are oxalic acid and thymol. I ought to leave it longer between treatments since I know my bees are fairly resistant.


----------



## drobbins (Jun 1, 2005)

I'm like Robert
OA and a little thymol
so far mites are no problem
I'm about to do away with both chems
Robert, what kind of foundation, if any, do you use?
I'm using 4.9 mm

Dave


----------



## Fishdude123 (Jul 28, 2008)

How can mites be transfered from one hive to another? The only thing I can imagine is they attach when your bees rob out the other hive?


----------



## franktrujillo (Jan 22, 2009)

*natural remedies*

i have read in my reaserch .that mint and lavender plants is the pollen and nector the bees collect from them the mites and varrora dont like the smell 
so far i have mint near my hive and seem that no mites have been detected yet.I havent looked for brood yet i'm waitng for a day with no wind i did lift my top cover and there was a lot of bees i winter over in two brood boxes high 1st winter from 3# PACKAGE  BY THE WAY IM KEEPING BEES WITH HALF PLASTIC FOUNDATION AND THE OTHER HALF HAD NO FOUNDATION\I HAVE SEEN 5 DIFFERENT SIZE WORKER BEES SO FAR..1 ST OF MARCH AT 6000' SEEN BEES BRING IN MAPLE POLLEN...


----------



## drobbins (Jun 1, 2005)

>>How can mites be transfered from one hive to another?

drones drift from one hive to another and transfer mites

Dave


----------



## Robert Brenchley (Apr 23, 2000)

drobbins said:


> I'm like Robert
> OA and a little thymol
> so far mites are no problem
> I'm about to do away with both chems
> ...


Mostly 5.1, which is the smallest I can buy over here. The bees are very hygeinic, and I get a lot of cells being uncapped and chewed out. I acquired two hives in December; one died out, but the other has come through strongly. It's showing signs of DWV despite an oxalic treatment, so I can only think the bees are a lot more vulnerable than my own strain. I've put a box of drawn 5.1 over the current broodbox for them to move up into - I first saw hygeineic behavious immediately after moving bees onto it - and I'll be requeening as soon as I have drones. Meanwhile I can't do much apart from watch and hope, until it's at least warm enough to do a thymol treatment.


----------



## gingerbee (Jul 22, 2006)

I have mites now and am going to be trying the thymol recipie. Hope it works!


----------



## Bud Dingler (Feb 8, 2008)

*all your questions*

on drone comb and dusting are answered here

http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=58

Randy does a great job on providing proof of his work not some speculative claim. I believe his opinion on essential oils is they essentially do not work. 

why not use apiguard? its based on thymol, safe and legal for your bees in USA and available at most bee supply houses. too many stories here on beesource and elsewhere of well meaning beeks ruining their hives with some homebrew thymol recipe they got off from some website or back of a cereal box!

i don't get it - we have formic acid and apiguard that are natural materials, have research proving they work and do not contaminate brood comb or honey and are a lot less monkey work then dusting and so on. the problem with drone combs is timing. you forget to remove on time and walla you just raised a nice crop of mites! OA is great but again the caveat is it only works during the broodless season which is now 10 months away on the calendar. 

keep it simple and go with a proven approach is my advice to beginners.


----------



## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*Buds' advice*

Also good for commercial types


----------



## gingerbee (Jul 22, 2006)

*Thymol?*

Is thymol the essential oil sold in health food stores as red thyme (thymusvulgaris)?

I just went and got the ingredients for the thymol recipe posted on Beesource, except the thymol. There seems to be very conflicting opinions on whether essential oils work or not.

Why would a commercially made product with thymol work if essential oils that contain thyme don't?

Also, I would like to spray the bees this weekend as I am going into the broodboxes to check for brood/presence of the queen. The weather is supposed to be good Sat and Sun temperature-wise and is supposed to be warm for the rest of the week. Will spraying bees in these temps/this time of year cause problems for them? Or should I just feed the thymol mix in the hive-top feeder?


----------



## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

They are and they are not.  Thymol is a much more concentrated version of the chemical that can be derived from thyme. It is also found in other mints as well.

Whether or not thyme oil as an essential oil is as effective as the concentrated thymol, I wouldn't know? I think that some have assumed that they are one in the same since thymol is derived from thyme, but whether it has been actually proven to be as effective or not and presented or published is another question. I haven't personally seen or heard of any documented proof of it.


----------



## gingerbee (Jul 22, 2006)

Where can I buy thymol rather than the essential oil?


----------



## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

Wow, it's been years since I bought any. Last I got was online somewhere? Someone else will have to chime in on that for you. Sorry..........


----------



## Bud Dingler (Feb 8, 2008)

*What the ?*



gingerbee said:


> Where can I buy thymol rather than the essential oil?


try here

http://www.dadant.com/Apiguard-Howtouse_003.htm

FWIW

Safety data for thymol

General

Synonyms: 6-isopropyl-m-cresol, 3-hydroxy-p-cymene, isopropyl cresol, 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol 
Molecular formula: C10H14O 
CAS No: 89-83-8 


Physical data

Appearance: white crystals or powder with a pungent odour 
Melting point: 49 C 
Boiling point: 233 C 
Vapour density: 
Vapour pressure: 0.04 mm Hg at 20 C 
Density (g cm-3): 0.97 
Flash point: 107 C (closed cup) 


Stability

Stable. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, organic materials, strong bases.

Toxicology

Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Eye, skin and respiratory irritant. Eye contact may cause serious harm.

Toxicity data 
(The meaning of any abbreviations which appear in this section is given here.) 
ORL-RAT LD50 980 mg kg-1 
IVN-MUS LD50 100 mg kg-1


CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: The substance is toxic to mucous membranes.The substance may be toxic to kidneys, liver, central nervous system (CNS).Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage


Environmental information: 

Harmful in the environment.

Personal protection: 

Safety glasses, adequate ventilation.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoursimplesteps.htm


----------



## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

you could of course begin by doing something very old school like raking drone brood. add this to one or two other low impact techniques, start learning about how to easily monitor for varro and voila you have your own NATURAL ipm system.


----------



## gingerbee (Jul 22, 2006)

*Thanks*

Thanks all for your input. At first I though thymol was like an essential oil, that you could buy it in a health food store- now I've learned it's not. I don't want to hurt my bees or the environment or taint the honey. I'm glad Bud pointed out the restrictions on use in another thread. if I use essential oils to treat instead of the commercially made product it will be the red thyme essential oil in conjunction with lemongrass and spearmint. But now I'm really hesitant to use treatments of any kind until I learn more about them.

I appreciate all the comments and help. Here's to healthy bees.


----------



## Robert Brenchley (Apr 23, 2000)

I used Apiguard, which is basically thymol, for several years. It's effective, but I prefer oxalic, and just keep it as a backup these days.


----------

