From: "allen dick" " From what I gather, SOE application requires spraying
the surfaces of all
> combs which are covered with bees at a time when little or no brood is
> present.  I wonder if using SOE is any more efficacious than using
powdered sugar?"

Personally , I was deeply impressed by Allen's earlier description of
shaking bees into a box with some powdered sugar and rolling them around
before release.  It seemed to me that this could get the mites that are
stuck to the undersides of the bees as well as those on their backs. It
would also ensure no brood was killed by dehydration from sugar getting into
open cells.
Spraying bees on combs with SOE will presumably only get mites on bees's
backs. As any SOE that gets into open cells will be an unexpected 'extra' to
the carefully controlled food of a larva it could also interfere with normal
larval development.  Could those be  reasons why powdered sugar might prove
to be more effective?
If u have to take ouit each comb anyway, a quicj shake to dislodge bees
might not take langer than spraying each frame one by one.
Bob has tested SOE I think.  Any comments?

Robin Dartington

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