Bill Truesdell wrote:
>
> Forgive me if I violate any etiquette. This is my first try at sending
> something to the list.
>
> I and some others think that some of the mite control we get from
> menthol and even the "oils" used by some comes from the heat generated
> by the bees to fan out the vapor from the hive. If you look at most of
> the methods to control mites, especially tracheal, they all involve
> irritating gasses introduced into the hive.
> When the bees fan, they increase their body temperature. I believe they
> can go as high as 120-122F which should be high enough to kill any mites
> in their trachea. In Japan, bees "ball" hornets and fan to bake the
> hornet to death. If the bees can stand the high temperature and the
> hornets cannot, it seem that the same might be true with the bees and
> tracheal mites. Even some varroa could succumb if they are lodged into
> the bee and not able to get out before being baked. Varroa are probably
> least effected because are more distant from the wing muscles and quick
> little bugs while the tracheal mite is inside the bee and cannot go
> anywhere.
>  It works with us. Our bodies create a fever to kill viral and bacterial
> infections.  The same increased temperature should also work to kill
> trachel mites.
> Would appreciate your comments.
 
Bill
 
        One of the biological controls for varroa is to heat the hive to
45 deg. C.  and add 5mls of wintergreen oil. This was mentioned in an
article in the Beekeepers Quarterly mag. and I think the work was done
by Dr. W Ritter. It was supposed to give an 80% kill.
 
        I don't know how he went about heating the hive or how long the
temperature had to be maintained but it does not sound very difficult if
you have an electricity supply.  I also do not know whether this killed
the varroa in the cells as well as those on the bees.
 
        If anyone has any more information on this method I would be
very interested.
 
Harry
Scotland