I am a hobby beekeeper and do not have the resources to do all the
testing that you ask. Also I may not have been clear. But I will try to
answer your questions.
 
"First, how do we know bees "fan" to reduce the "irritant" oils, as
opposed to fanning to eliminate moisture (evaporating nector), or heat
on a 95 F. June day?"
 
My observation is that if you smoke a hive bees buzz. So instead of
calling it "fanning" call it buzzing. In any case, they are doing what I
theorize causes the mites to die, which is heat their bodies by wing
movement. I am not sure what your comment on brood box temperature has
to do with my theory since I am talking about the *individual* bee
infected with tracheal mites. Bees do "shiver" in winter to maintain
cluster warmth, which is more in keeping with what I am talking about.
 
As far as measured temperatures, the Japanese did measure the
temperatures generated by the bees killing giant hornets and it was in
excess of 120F. I do not know the temperature that kills mites, but one
control used in Russia is to heat the hive to knock down varroa (and
some bees too), so my guess is tracheal mites are probably susceptable
to temperatures lower than that which would kill the bee. I'm not sure
what your comments on vegetable oil are in relation to bees "buzzing" to
kill mites. I use crisco as a mite control.
 
As far as the fever comparison to humans- it was only to show, as you
stated, that the host seems to be able to stand higher temperatures than
the infecting organism. I did not imply that the bee generated the heat
to kill the mite. It was more a cause (smoke, vapors or whatever)
resulting in the bee "buzzing" and generating heat in its body to kill
or damage the internal mite.
 
Anyway. This was just something a couple of us were kicking around. It
was not meant to be the "Universal Theory of Mite Control". I would
guess that like most things we use without knowing the "why" of how it
works, heat generated by the bee may be a part (or not) of the mite
control equation. All the comments I have seen in this forum about mint
and menthol point to it possibly being a miticide. But proof? I have not
seen any. And I have not seen anything in the literature on why Menthol
works. But lots of it is sold.
My "theory" is just a little mind candy to while away a cold Maine
winter.
Regards, Bill T.