> Now almost twenty years later I say test and see if you even
> need to treat for TM as many lines do not need treatment
But the key here is test, test, test.
TM resistance is not consistent in many commercial lines or from generation
to generation. We discussed this some time back and a chart from USDA and
some discussion can be seen at
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/tracheal.htm.
At http://msa.ars.usda.gov/la/btn/hbb/rgd/survey.htm DANKA, R. G. and J. D.
VILLA say, "The most striking result of this survey was the variability in
levels of tracheal mite resistance among colonies of U.S. commercial
breeding stock. This breeding population can be expected to yield propagated
queens that range widely in quality: some queens will be useful in improving
stock by imparting resistance, while others will predispose their colonies
to damaging mite infestations. In the absence of knowledge about the
resistance levels of individual breeder colonies, the performance (vis-a-vis
tracheal mites) of production colonies headed by commercial queens becomes
largely a matter of the chance associated with a queen producers' random
selection of a grafting source from among his or her breeder colonies. "
> > Microwave for 4 minutes at 50% power. Check to see that all crystals
> > dissolved-if not, microwave for an additional minute at 50% power.
> > Must be used while warm otherwise crystals will reform.
>
> The above is a Mickey Mouse way to get the result . I would never
> make the formula in the house due to smell and risk of spilling a
> chemical which stinks for months and doubt many beekeepers wives
> would lend the kitchen or microwave.
If I recall, menthol is also flammable (explosive?).
> Using your Barbeque grill or a hot plate outside and a coffee can is
> better and safer.
And constant attention is necessary or you'll have a fire or evaporate all
your menthol out of the mixture.
>> Place one paper towel over the top bars of each brood chamber.
>
> SHOULD SAY ACROSS END BARS AND NOT OVER BROOD NEST!
That's for sure, and we went to 1/3 towel from the 1/2 because that was all
we
found we needed. Not two towels. They need two, because they use cheap
household towels rather than the thick, absorbent shop towels, and because
they use twice the dose we do.
> > Best time to treat is September.
I agree with Bob on this.
Best time to treat is when you know you have tracheal mites and can see that
they will reach damaging levels, the weather is appropriate, and there are
no supers on. That leaves most of us with spring or Fall.
I had some reservations about this article as well. It is in our archives,
and was in some of the references I provided recently, but has some serious
flaws IMO. The menthol does is twice what we use, and placing that many
towels above the brood will drive the bees off it for sure.
Bob brought the blue shop towel method to our attention, and many of us have
adopted it. If done right, it is simple, places the menthol where it
actually does some good, ON TOP of the hive, and ensures it evaporates.
Recent discussion in Saskatchewan reveals that the Hamilton boards, a
similar idea popular there, for over a decade, which placed menthol and
grease mixture UNDER the hive, have been shown not to have been working
nearly as well as thought!
As Bob says, TEST. It is amazing how people can use a technique for a
decade or more, as with the Hamilton board, then find that someone does a
test and finds it does not work or the dose was wrong.
One problem with TM, though is that the dead mites and tracheal scarring
remain in the bee after treatment until the bees die, and the methods of
testing are more technical and labour intensive than varroa surveying, so
evaluating success of TM treatments is more difficult than with varroa.
allen
A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/
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