Randy wrote:
> Not sure that they are--that's why I asked Ghislain.
Randy, as you know, 'my English' is not very good, but I'll give a try ...
I use thymol since many years:
Thymovar (see: http://www.biovet.ch/en/Imkerei/thymovar.html) or Api Life Var (see: http://www.alveis.it/wp/it/prodotti/#category_id_48). This last product contains also eucalyptus oil, camphor, menthol oil, ...
Already in 1912, Etienne Bruneau, from CARI at the university of Louvain-la-Neuve, travelling for beekeeping affairs throughout all the European countries, and in that way a litte bit 'our' Randy, came back from Italy with the first reports of mites showing resistance to thymol (Italy was the first European country to use thymol). The years that followed, resistance was also reported from France and Switzerland, continuing its way from south to north Europe.
In 1914, just as Kris told us, the mite drop here was low during thymol treatment (from 15/08 until 25/08). However, the climate was humid and, as we assume in Europe, thymol doesn't work properly in that circumstance. So, I had doubts as to the exact reason for the failure of Thymovar. At mid-October, natural mite drop made clear that an early intervention with oxalic acid was necessary (normally such an intervention takes place at the end of the year). My beekeeping is buckfast-oriented, so my colonies breed also, more of less, during the winter months in us moderate climate. A second oxalic treatment at the end of the year was necessary. All my colonies survived winter months but, very unusually, I loosed a few queens, hence my question to Cam about queen events with multiple oxalic treatments.
This season, mite drop with Thymovar is low again, but I had many swarms at the end of the month of May and that can play a role. With Kris, I'm curious about the mite drop in September. At Louvain-la-Neuve they don't use Thymovar anymore, they went back to amitraz. Was this a good decision? I doubt.
Kind regards,
Ghislain De Roeck,
Belgium.
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
