REGARDING MR. HARRISON'S STATEMENTS REGARDING A COMPARISION BETWEEN THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF MENTHOL AND FORMIC ACID GEL  ON TRACHEAL MITE.

HERE ARE THE ACTUAL RESULTS FROM THE COMPARISON AT THE BELTSVILLE BEE
LABORATORY DONE BY DRS. PETTIS, KOCHANSKY AND SHIMANUKI.   "The ability
of the formic acid gel to control the tracheal mite was evident in as
few as four days.  Dissections of live bees revealed that mites exposed
to the gel suffered 92% mortality at this time, and mortality approached
100% on the eighth day.  Levels of formic acid ranged from about
2ppm-4ppm over the eight day period. By comparison, menthol showed only
a 32% mortality on day four and slightly better than 80 % morality on
day 8.  Tracheal mite mortality in controls receiving no treatment
remained well under 20%."

Our experience using gel bears out the label designation that it will
fume when daytime temperatures are as low as 45 degrees F. In upstate
New York, that is November and March.    Bob Stevens