I have been using mineral oil (FGMO) as part of an evolving IPM program
since '99.  My last report to the list was 9/99 (so this post may be a
bit long).  I have not used scientific methods like controls (I have a
BS in Biology and like most biologists have limited income for expensive
studies).  I do keep thorough notes.  I now have 40 hives and counting.
   Lost 1 hive of 30 (March starvation in out yard) last winter here in
the South Carolina Piedmont after 3 years of brutal drought. I have
never used Apistan or Coumaphos. I'm a newbie beekeeper, only since '97
tho with good mentoring.

My mineral oil method was inspired by a UVA essential oil trackboard
recipe in '99.  I melt beeswax (my own non-pesticide wax) over hot water
and add an equal amount of FGMO.  This melted glop is painted thinly
inside the hive body walls (and on bottom boards if solid). During
active seasons I TRY to replace the glop every 6 weeks by moving frames
into a freshly glopped box as I inspect them. Presumably little bee feet
pick up the glop and it is spread onto mites through grooming.  Mites
that fall onto glop get bogged down and then die (observation, not
speculation).  The one hive that didn't get any spring glop had nervous
numbers of mites in May.  Other hives, so far so good.  We'll see come
September.

In 2000 I went to all screened bottom boards. I use an extruded
polyethylene plastic 1/8" mesh from our fish farm. Cheap, non-toxic,
easy to work with, but un-tested by mice, which don't bother us.

In 2000 I used formic, as labeled, on most hives in March. I had planned
to use it in 11/00 but unusually cold weather pushed it to 1/01 for all
hives. Daytime 50's (F), nighttime 20's/30's is probably too cool to
release enough vapor in one brood cycle.  Formic seemed most effective
on tracheal but apparently helped some on varroa.  This year's plan
depends on how bad the drought is.

Other parts of my IPM:  Drone trapping and freezing (drone foundation);
reversing drone-carrying boxes to the bottom over mesh; purchase of and
selection of diverse hygienic stock and stock showing signs of
suppressed mite reproduction; introduction of feral bees to genetic pool
that have survived at least one wild winter; re-queening;  powdered
sugar treatments in all or part of the hive (depends on honey flow,
brood), especially when multiple mites are found in drone brood; and
NUTRITION, including mineral salt and agricultural lime spread on the
shores of one pond near where bees collect water (they like it).  Also
every time I go in a hive I use a pastry bag to stripe the top bars with
a pollen-substitute/sugar/water/cold-pressed-vegetable-oil mixture.  The
latter ingredient replaces Crisco patties, a nutritional disaster (do
bees get hardening of the arteries?) which my bees wouldn't eat.  When
fresh it gives those little faces something to do besides sting, which
is helpful since I rarely use smoke, tho I'm considering it if I can get
grapefruit leaves. Also puts all basic nutritional elements throughout
hive (see Taber's thoughts on pollen).  I group-fed dry pollen
substitute and sugar syrup during Jan and Feb, plus sugar syrup in some
nucs and splits.

I'm perpetually playing catch-up on reading the bee-l list -- but many
thanks to all who contribute.  Special kudos to Dr. Rodriguez on the
FMGO thing -- like so many issues of non-patentable foods and
supplements, there is no "scientific evidence" because there's no money
for scientific study. At least in nutrition there's a body of basic
biology and animal-feed research from before the 80's when basic
research became an endangered species. Most of the latest nutritional
headlines (Trans-fatty acids! Vitamin E! Soy phytoestrogens!...) can be
found in Adelle Davis' 1960's analysis of existing literature.  Too bad
no-one was working on bees!  Maybe we could learn from the fruit fly
guys....what are the essential nutrients for insects???