"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 do not have all the details, but I believe that the
colonies were smoked with tobacco and then closed for 15 minutes.  Perhaps
someone on the list can provide more detail.

Nicotine is, of course, a potent insecticide and smoking colonies with it
will presumably leave some residue on the combs.

Peter Edwards
[log in to unmask]
www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/

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