At 03:42 AM 6/4/96 +0000, you wrote:                                            
>I am new to this list as I have just started keeping bee's (two new hives).    
>If this is a rehashing of old topics I apologize.                              
>                                                                               
>I understand that a patty can be made to keep down tracial mites using         
>wintergreen.  My question is would one made with pepermint work just as well   
>or better or not at all?  If it does work does anyone have a recipe for        
>this?                                                                          
>                                                                               
I don't know about wintergreen but menthol is, I'm told, derived from           
peppermint.  I use a spray made by mixing 2 ml peppermint oil with 1 quart      
of 1:1 sugar syrup to combat tracheal mites.  This is sprayed directly on       
the bees in early spring and during summer after the honey supers have been     
removed.  I also keep grease patties on the bees all the time, medicated in     
winter and unmedicated during honey production.  It has been almost 2 years     
since I've used any menthol an my bees and I haven't lost any to tracheal       
mites, knock wood.                                                              
                                                                                
Frank Humphrey                                                                  
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Franklin D. Humphrey Sr.                                                        
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