Hi All

Going through my hive records, I noticed something odd about some
hives especially my highest producing hive.  I used Medhat's mitewipe
formic acid treatment last August when I found high mite levels in
some hives.  Mitewipe pads are similar to the adsorbent pads you find
in store bought meat packages such as steaks.  The treatment calls
for 6 applications of pads with 20-40ml formic acid at 3 day
intervals on the top bars of the brood box.  11 of my 13 hives
removed, at least partially, one or more of the pads from the hive.
Sometimes there was a pile of fluffy stuff, sometimes the complete
pad intact on the ground in front of the hive.  Some hives removed
one pad, others two or three but my highest producing hive removed
all six mostly intact.  Could this be considered a hygienic trait, to
drag a 3"x4" pad completely out of the hive???  The daily high
temperature was never over 25C during the treatment period and most
of the hives concerned were in a cedar bush with little direct sun.

Bob Darrell
Caledon Ontario
Canada
44N80W

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