On Aug 12, 2004, at 2:23 AM, Peter Edwards wrote:

> "Zachary Huang" wrote:
>> I am thinking of using tabacco stems (any tabacco farmer here? :)
>> since
> they can be
>> cheap or free.  I am sure it would work fast, but I am not sure if it
>> will
> leave some
>> residue (tabacco taste!) in honey or not. I suppose if we give say, 10
> puffs to a
>> colony, count mite drop after 15 min on a sticky trap, the residue
>> cannot
> be that bad.
>
> I would urge caution with tobacco.  Our National Bee Unit inspectors
> used it
> in a very similar way to that which you suggest in the early days of
> varroa,
> but it was discontinued after higher than normal winter losses in the
> treated colonies.


I've used tobacco in the manner Zachary suggests,  it certainly knocks
the mites for a loop, the bees don't like it(good for those mean hives
until you get rid of the queen), and it can lay the beekeeper low if
you stand downwind from the smoker or get too much.  Tibor Szabo of
Puslinch Ontario has been doing some tests with tobacco to control
varroa.  He worked for Ag Canada both in Guelph and Beaverlodge Alberta
before he retired.

Bob Darrell
Caledon Ontario
Canada
80W44N

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