Hi all!  I've been following the recent debate on formic acid and just
wanted to add to it (for whatever it's worth)  A friend of mine who has kept
bees commercially in western Canada for 20 plus years has had great success
using formic in the spring and apistan in the fall to control mites.
Granted, it's a moot point at best because formic is illegal in the U.S. for
use with bees.  He seems to think that the use of the two makes it more
difficult for the mites to gain a resistance to either.  Have other Canadian
beekeepers had the same experience?  I would like to stay away from
chemicals as much as possible though.  Does anyone have any ideas for
organic substitutes for chemicals.  I have used Tansy and Pennyroyal for
fleas on my dogs with great results.  I'd like to see some research on herbs
and such on mites.
     Someone a week or two ago posed the question "what plants should be
planted to help the bees?"  There are lots of plants (and trees!) that the
bees love!  Borage has an abundance of small, light blue flowers that bloom
profusely from mid-summer to the first frost. The young leaves are also
quite tasty in salads (tastes alittle like cucumber!)  Many of the herbs are
also good.  Bee balm,  Anise Hyssops, lavender,  the mints... these will all
have the bees jumping for joy.  However, you should remember that unless you
plan to plant a large plot with these plants ( say an acre or more per
hive!)  the plants you use for your garden won't make much of a dent in your
honey supers. If you DO want to plant a large area, Buckwheat of course is a
great one as is Vetch and clover. In the tree category, there is a beautiful
tree that was written about in a recent Bee Culture Mag. (I forget which
issue but within the last six months) called the Chinese Evodia tree aka the
Bee-Bee tree as well as Basswood, Locust, and any other trees that you
normally get a flow from.
Happy planting!
James Jacobs
Hobbyist beekeeper
Organic gardener