The late Peter Teal obtained a patent to use butyric to control varroa mites:

We describe two chemicals (butyric acid and isobutyric acid) that surprisingly act as attractants to phoretic Varroa mites.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for attracting
honey bee parasitic mites to an object or area, involving
treating the object or area With a composition containing a
honey bee parasitic mites attracting effective amount of at
least one compound selected from butyric acid, isobutyric
acid, or mixtures thereof, and optionally a carrier or carrier
material.

As discussed herein, butyric acid is produced by
honey bees, and thus is naturally present in the ambient air of
a colony, denoted hereinafter as the “background level.” For
the purposes of this invention, the effective amount of butyric
acid to control mites is an amount greater than the ambient
background level of butyric acid naturally present in the air at
the time of exposure. 

That is, control of parasitic mites is
carried out by exposing the target mites to a source of butyric
acid other than or in addition to the naturally present back
ground level. In one aspect of the invention, naturally occur
ring levels of butyric acid are augmented to ensure persistence
of this volatile compound at attractant levels.

United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,647,615 B1
Teal et al. (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 11, 2014

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