>>>Not so simple to explain.
>Bill's answer to all that is, "Watch the movie".
>This evening, I decided to finish watching Bill Ruzicka's DVD.  
Allen Did You got to this part?

MiteGone releases acid constantly, one pad evaporates 6 grams of acid over a
24 hour period. This provides a sub lethal concentration of fumes that
circulates between frames. This doesn't affect the bees. 
Acid fumes are heavier than air and eventually flow down onto bottom board,
where they form a pool of heavy/ lethal concentration of acid fumes.

The COSTIC action of circulating fumes breaks the mite's foot pads and mites
loose grip on the bees and fall down into pool of heavy concentration and
die.
Those who don't fall; become sick as acid enters their bodies through
respiration and their exoskeleton: of  those who enter cells, 80% will not
reproduce. Many die in cells, and those who do reproduce; their offspring
are immature or dying. 

MITES keep dying for a long time. Often 21 days after the start of the
treatment the drops are higher than natural drop before treatment.

The point is DO NOT test after treatment .Test before the next to verify you
below 8-10 NMD.
.  How do entrance "gadgets" effect the treatment of Formic Acid with
MiteGone?
As long as these entrance "gadgets" like entrance reducers, pollination
gates, and pollen inserts do not fully restrict the entrance and ventilation
they can be used.  Some of these entrance devices create a "tray" out of the
bottom board collecting and retaining the heavy acid fumes; they are
actually beneficial to the treatment as mites that fall to the bottom board
also fall into a heavier concentration of acid fumes and die there.  The
slanted wooden pollen insert is ideal for this function.  Tilting the hive
back can also be used as an option in dry climates

In 2007 after my visit to the CZECH Republic, MITEGONE become very popular
and the CZECH research institute ran a series of tests:

THEY  used: "VARROA MONITORING BOTTOMS" which are actually fully open screen
bottoms with drop boards put in at designed intervals.

 Regardless of the fully open bottoms they achieved 87% efficacy
.
This research made me revise the instructions. 
You do not need to do anything if you have screen bottoms.

 BUT If you have Boards with trays you can replace the OIL OR GREASE with
one acid pad laying flat  it will last 3 months and kill all mites which
fall down into the tray.

Bill Ruzicka

Bill's Honey Farm - Home of the MiteGone Formic Acid Treatment
Kelowna, British Columbia,  CANADA
Tel/Fax: 1-250-762-8156 (the best way to reach me is by phone Pacific Time)
Email: [log in to unmask] Website: www.mitegone.com 

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