allen dick wrote:

 >> (the study)"The data indicates FGMO fogging of hives is of no benefit in
 >> controlling varroa populations or improving the overall health of the
 >> colony during the test period."
 >
 >
 > I don't know if any one - or two - studies really proves anything.

When two different groups test and arrive at the same conclusions, and
when many who try it do not have the advertised results, it does prove
something.

I have never seen a scientific study that shows FGMO, alone, works. In
fact, that has been the one constant from when it first came to our
attention.

There is lots of anecdotal evidence that says it works great. But there
was lots of anecdotal evidence that said menthol cough drops worked in
controlling tracheal mites. I know, I tried them when I first started
keeping bees. They did not.

The problem with FGMO, in my opinion, has always been that it does not
work when tried alone, with no additives or special hive configuration.

Most of the success with FGMO is when it is used in conjunction with
other know mite controls. Check the archives and you will see that every
time it was shown not to work, in each of its many different application
methods, a new method was announced. The latest FGMO iteration uses
Thymol, a known Varroa control.

So why not just use proven Varroa controls alone, like Thymol, and
eliminate the cost and labor of using FGMO?

Because anecdotal evidence trumps science almost every time, especially
on the Internet.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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