T.V. Fischer wrote:
 
> Dr. Rodriguez -
>
> I received a copy of your post regarding the use of mineral oil in the
>
> treatment of mites, and I thank you for the extensive time and effort
> you put into this study.  This obviously was done for the benefit of
> beekeepers, not commercial interests, as I assume that the proportion
> of
> food grade mineral oil going to the beekeeping industry is miniscule
> compared to its overall usage.
 
     Dear Ted:Answer:
  I agree with you. It is best that I post the answers to your question
through Bee-L in order that
others with similar questions may benefit from them.
 
Answer:
            You are absolutely correct. I have funded the cost of eleven
years studying bee mites.  My reward is that of working with my
life-long devotion, the honey bee and recognition of the threat of bee
mites to honey bees and hence to humanity.
 
Answer:
     My work as posted on Bee-L represents a very much abbreviated
sample of
the data collected during eleven years of study.  It is meant for
beekeepers world-wide, including tropical countries that practice
yearlong beekeeping.  It is only logical that bees can not be subjected
to the stress of opening their hives during the cold months of the
winter.  On the other hand, there are special circumstances  even in
temperate climate countries (like our southern hemisphere).  I for one,
did not open my hives in the months of December and January.  However, I
started using oil as soon as the queens started laying in late February
and I live in Virginia (USA).
 
> I have a few questions regarding your methods, which may be of
> interest
> to others as well.  You might rather reply to the Bee-L if you deem
> these of more general concern.
>
> 1) Why is the oil applied throughout the winter?  I can understand
> giving it in late fall and early winter when the queen pauses in her
> egg
> laying, and the mites are completely unprotected by brood cells.  But
> is
> it really necessary to continue from then on until spring.  Where
> would
> the reinfestation with mites come from in midwinter to spring?  It
> would
> almost seem to me that opening the hives continually throughout the
> winter would be a hardship worse than the few mites which might
> survive.
>
> 2) Many brood frames have a coating of beeswax, sometimes extensive,
> on
> their upper surfaces.  Must this be scraped off whenever the oil is
> applied, or can the oil be put over this wax?
 
Answer:
 
>         Yes.    I find that the wax on the top bars does not have any
> influence on the application of the mineral oil.  At the beginning I
> did scrape the wax off but gave up because it was too labor intensive
> (time consuming) As it turned out, it did not make any difference.
 
>
 
> 3) Using the wax paper strip method, how hard is it to get the strip
> to
> slide down between frames, especially when this space is well filled
> with bees?  I ask this because when using Apistan strips sometimes the
>
> strip must be gently pushed down between the bees, and wax paper seems
>
> to be much less firm.
 
Answer:              It is not difficult at all.  I folded the strips on
the of my uncapping knife   and slid them in between frames with
relative ease.  I gave up that practice because I found that it was
taking up too much time.  I wanted to find ways thatwould be convenient
to all beekeepers, including commercial operations.
 
     I agree with you! It is very hard work indeed.  I now have three
colonies with six honey supers and two with six honey supers (each has
two brood chambers) and it is hellish (to say the least) to take those
down.  However, I don't want any factor to interfere with my treatment!
I apply oil to all the top bars in all supers and brood chambers.  I
have made adaptations which make my work relatively faster and easier
than one would think.
 
> 4) When in summer supers are placed and filled with honey a lot of
> work
> will surely be required to move them to get at the brood chambers.  Do
>
> you have any recommendations here, such as tipping the hive backward
> as
> a whole?  Or how do you get to the brood nest easily?  Also, at this
> time the colony will be packed with bees.  I assume extensive smoke
> will
> be neccessary to move bees away from the frame tops so that the oil
> can
> be applied.  Do you have any hints or experience that can be of
> general
> help here?
 
> Answer:
>        I have prepared a board (out of bakelite) with slits that
> coincide with the top bars (thus keeping the bees below) which allows
> faster application of the oil,  no stinging, and little use of smoke.
> It is not easy work.  I hope that in time someone will develop a
> mechanical method for applying the oil in order that it wont be such a
> back breaking operation and that it could be feasible for commercial
> operations. I am sure that someone will!
 
> Thank you for your consideration of these items.
>
> Ted Fischer
 
  Thanks for your questions.  I welcome all the questions and input that
all of you may have.  Beekeepers (and other related personnel) working
together will lick bee mites eventually.  Let stay together!
Best regards.
Dr. Rodriguez