Mite treatment

[pokeyjeeper]

Do any of you guys use the mineral oil and winter green oil in a big fogger to treat for mites if so does it work I'll be doing the alcohol wash test on my bees soon for a mite count and just looking at drug free treatment options

[bk]

Jul 10, 2017 15:22:39 GMT -5 pokeyjeeper said:

Do any of you guys use the mineral oil and winter green oil in a big fogger to treat for mites if so does it work I'll be doing the alcohol wash test on my bees soon for a mite count and just looking at drug free treatment options

I'm not a great believer in pouring poisons on my bees.  Some of the more effective treatments involve acids.  I have used oxalic acid with a vaporizer, but most use it as a drip treatment.  Oxalic acid is a natural acid found in lots of items like rubbarb, for example.  Formic acid is the active ingredient in Mite a Away Quick Strips, one of the better known commercial treatments.

I haven't read much in the way of research studies that show the effectiveness of mineral and wintergreen oils on treating mites.  Lots of folks are trying lots of different home brew treatments.  A treatment that knocks down the adult mites and gets the mites in the capped brood is the best, but that is sort of a pipe dream at this point.

I think the best way to handle the mite issue is the raise bees that are resistant.  That is a goal, not a reality at this point in time.  We raise our own queens from hardy over wintered, gentle stock, that produces good honey stores and plenty of bees, and have had low mite levels.  The mite biter or ankle biter line of bees from Indiana Purdue offers some hope as does the lines of VSH bees being breed by a number of Queen breeders.

Keep posting on your bee journey and let us know what you do and how it works.  Good luck.

[swampcat]

I bought one of those cheaper oxalic vaporizers that ya hook to a battery to heat up and melt the acid.

I haven't tried it out to see if it works or not yet, was holding off till after I harvest honey.
My mentors suggested the strips, but since I have this thing I guess I'll try it..

[pokeyjeeper]

Thank you bk I also don't want to put harsh poisons on my bees I went to a local bee club meeting last night and two of the members have those ankle biters queens and are grafting them and selling cells cheap $5 a cell I may go that route at some point but I'll wait and see how my queen does as I'm certain she is Survivor stock

[bk]

Jul 11, 2017 4:31:40 GMT -5 pokeyjeeper said:

Thank you bk I also don't want to put harsh poisons on my bees I went to a local bee club meeting last night and two of the members have those ankle biters queens and are grafting them and selling cells cheap $5 a cell I may go that route at some point but I'll wait and see how my queen does as I'm certain she is Survivor stock

I'd sure be willing to try a $5 cell, but I have a bunch of splits I could experiment with.

That being said, stay with your line and see how they produce, overwinter, and how gentle / easy to work in the long term.  If you are satisfied, stay with them.  All good bees are local bees.

Good luck.

[bk]

Jul 11, 2017 4:24:39 GMT -5 swampcat said:

I bought one of those cheaper oxalic vaporizers that ya hook to a battery to heat up and melt the acid.

I haven't tried it out to see if it works or not yet, was holding off till after I harvest honey.
My mentors suggested the strips, but since I have this thing I guess I'll try it..

I have a home built vaporizer.  Works well, but I recommend a windy day or a good organic mask.

With any sort of brood break (and the honey supers off), OA is very effective.  With out the brood break, the strips work better.  

Test for mites before you do anything - you might not need to do any treating.  Our mite load this year has been almost non existent - and I am thankful.