On Fri, 8 Mar 1996, David Eyre wrote:
 
> Regarding the following, I make no claims!
> I have been asked to post this to the list. It came to me from Simpson's Bee
> Supplies in Danville, Ohio.
>         Essential Oil Treatments for Varroa.
>         Spearmint Oil, added to sugar syrup at the rate of 15 drops per
> quart. To be fed to the bees at Spring and Fall.
>         Wintergreen Oil, added to sugar syrup at the rate of 80 drops per
> quart. The cluster to be sprayed with a fine nozzle spray and to wet thoroughly.
>         Teatree Oil, placed on a tray beneath the cluster 8-10 drops. The
> evaporation through the hive repeated as necessary.
>
>         These treatments were brought to my attention recently. I know there
> has been work done on essential oil treatments. Does anybody wish to comment?
>
 
  David, We have a beekeeper here in Washington state that sprays his
bees in the fall with a few drops of peppermint extract in light sugar
water.HIs claim is, no problem with the tracheae mite. No mention of
helping out with Varroa
 Word to the wise.Some of the mint can get into plastic and it will not
come out.I learned that first hand. I was backpacking way up in the
Olympic mountains years ago and a lady that liked to live off of the land
in the summer. Gave my wife and myself some alfalfa mint tea to have
after a trout dinner. I had my plastic cup for ten years after that and
never did get rid of the mint smell and now and than you could get a
faint taste of the mint in clean mountain water.
 I think I have stated before that we need to support our researchers and
keep them out in front. They can keep us out of trouble.You are doing the
right thing to help beekeepers. Breeding bees that can handle the mite.We
need to push and get as many people as we can to help get funds for the
USDA and researchers. I don't think that the Almound growers want to
start to make furniture in a few years. Enough said.
 Clean Honey and a Happy World
 Roy