List readers who want to follow up on Allen Dick's recent posting as to the
use of grease in the control of tracheal mites may want to look at:
 
 
Diana Sammataro, Susan Cobey, Brian H. Smith and Glen R. Needham,
"Controlling Tracheal Mites..In Honey Bees..With Vegetable Oil," _J of
Economic Entomology_, 87, (4): 910-16 (1994).
 
The abstract reads in part:
 
"Field experiments ...between 1991 and 1993 demonstrated that treating
colonies of honey bees...continuously with vegetable oil depressed
populations of tracheal mites....Oil patties were made from a combination of
solid vegetable oil (shortening) and white sugar, with or without the
addition of [Terramycin]."
 
References cited in this article include at least two other directly
relevant papers.
 
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       Joseph Cooper
 
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