-----Original Message-----
From: Lloyd Spear <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sonntag, 24. Januar 1999 23:47
Subject: Oils and use of 6 5/8" supers
 
 
Rod says "I have been using essential oils for mite control with good
success =
but find little about it on the net or in the bee journals? Why?"
 
Rod, there is a lot about this in the Bee-L archives but you are right
that
there is little in the journals.  My understanding is the reason there
is
little in the journals is because there has been real difficulty:
- getting predictable, consistent, and reproducible results
- determining which of the many ingredients in essential oils are
causing
the effects.
 
Many of the researchers at USDA and universities believe that there is
"something" going on with essential oils that (sometimes, often?) kills
or
controls mites.  My understanding is that they have encountered great
variability in results.  Sometimes a given oil will work well, and
sometimes
it won't work at all!  I also understand that in the simplest essential
oil
there are a bewildering variety of chemicals, any one or more of which
can
be causing the effects.  This makes it very difficult to determine just
what
is going on, which makes it difficult to reproduce the desirable
effects!
 
 
Hope this helps,
Lloyd
Email [log in to unmask]
Owner, Ross Rounds(tm), the finest in comb honey production.
http://www.rossrounds.com
 
 
        Hello dear Lloyd and friends,
 
    As a medical doctor (and hobby beekeeper) which uses regularly the
essential oils I have here few comments to make:
 
    * the big ADVANTAGE is that the essential oils have MANY ACTIVE
SUBSTANCES!!!
 
    * it has been so many times proven by the experience that the use of
only one or few substances against viruses, bacteria, fungus or
parasites (as is our case) leads sooner or later to RESISTANCE
towards that substance; so, in my humble opinion, it will be again a
 big mistake to repeat ("ad infinitum"...) the same type of error,
just for the sake of so called "science" or to fill up with a couple of
more
billion dollars the pocket of some chemical companies...;
 
    * this extraordinary variability in the composition of essential
oils, again,
is the big advantage! Why? Because:
 
        - it fights much better millions of DIFFERENT bacterias,
viruses, fungus,
bacteria, parasites by having so many DIFFERENT ACTIVE
SUBSTANCES; in this respect, the essential oils are like a huge NATURAL
PHARMACY;
 
        - it HELPS, in the SAME TIME, the bee's physiology
(improves it's respiration, immune system, haemolymph flow etc., etc.);
thus, the bee colony can get rid of many diseases mainly through its OWN
acquired "powers" through this NATURAL, gentle treatment;
 
        - through a controlled methodology, one can use the hundreds of
different USEFUL pharmacological properties not only for the bees but
also for us, human beings! How?
            through "intentional" administration of the essential oils,
in certain
well controlled amounts, BEFORE honey's collection;
            thus, you can get an excellent "natural (bio) aroma-honey"
with
natural fragrances of let's say lavender, peppermint, rosemary etc.,
etc.
            maybe it is well to be known that there are already
companies
which are getting a lot of money by selling already honey "man mixed"
with essential oils; why shouldn't you do the same thing in a much
natural way, even if you have no varroa in your hives;
 
        - a client which will consume your future "aromatic honey" will
be very
happy not only with the new attractive NATURAL fragrance, but also
he/she
will see that this new type of honey it's a kind of "healing honey"
because
his/her general health will be IMPROVED; so, you can increase at least
two fold the number of your clients, by advertising in a better way the
new
properties of your honey; I know the story with FDA, white Mafia etc.,
etc.;
don't worry, honey will be always used not only by the healthy people
but
also by the mothers for their children having a cough, by the asthenic
fathers,grandpa or grandpa or by surgeons in healing difficult wounds...
 
        - this great variability in NATURAL substances from the
essential
oils, again, is the big point; all your oriented "BIO", "ECOLOGICAL"
clients will be very happy with your new beehive products and will even
pay more for the same amount;
 
        - all over the world it is a big "movement", a big change
towards
NATURAL MEDICINE or NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE; there are
millions of specialists in such therapies which are not satisfied
(to use gentle words...) with the "heavy" and toxic chemical treatments
of bee colony's diseases...
    So, why not to cooperate with these new "bio" generation?
 
    I have nothing against "Apistan" or similar products.
    I'm OK if they get day by day a couple of more thousands of dollars.
 
    The problem here is of PRINCIPLE and mainly GLOBAL EFFICIENCY
not only for our beloved bees, but also for ALL our human clients...
 
        :-))
 
 
        Stefan Stangaciu, MD, LAcup.
       Constanta, Romania
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