On Mon, 8 Sep 2003, Blane White wrote:

> Other thymol based products have been used at very high temperatures
> with no visible damage to the colonies so hopefully any damage due to
> unseasonably high temperatures would be small.
>

That's OK for most of the country, I guess, but what about those of
us in the opposite temperature situation?  From what I've read about
thymol treatments in general, I'd need average daytime temperatures
to be above 12 C (about 50 F) for six weeks straight.  That limits me
to the last two weeks of July and all of August in this area (northern
Michigan, by Lake Superior).  That's my primary honey flow.

Does this mean that I cannot use the thymol-based varroacides?  Can
the required outside temperatures be lowered by insulating the hives?  For
that matter, what is the internal hive temperature that is needed?
If necessary, I can stick thermometers into the hives and go for a
target internal temperature, but what temperature should this be?

Of course, what would make me happiest would be effective methods
that don't depend on the temperature at all.  Aside from apistan or
checkmite, what are the legal options?

--
Tim Eisele
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