From danamex@mail.internet.com.mxSat May 25 21:49:54 1996 Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 21:57:12 -0600 From: Ronald Nigh To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Subject: Re: Sustainable Varroa mite control >X-Sender: wgysi@mail.awinc.com >Date: Thu, 23 May 1996 09:06:54 -0700 >To: Ronald Nigh >From: Werner Gysi >Subject: Re: Sustainable Varroa mite control > >Hi Ronald, >I have heard many reports of Apistan resistant bees in the south of >Switzerland due to missuse of the chemical. It seems to be always the case >that somehow it turns sour. This is why we practice farming with only >natural products and if possible things we do not have to buy or are readely >available, to maintain our independence and fredom. > >I hav not figuered out how to send a message to sa-net and therefor answer >your request directly to you as good as I can. Please feel free to put this >information out for others to read. >I have kept bees for 17 years and 15 years of it in Canada. While in Canada >I did never use any antibiotics or other chemicals but fed my bees with >herbal teas. I do not have any problems with nosema and had one outbreak of >AFB. Three years ago a beekeeper spilled some honey while traveling around a >sharp bend in the road nearby. That was enough to spread it. But we burned >all the frames/bees that were infected and torched out the boxes etc (AFB >spreads by the honey, pollen and brood). With this method we have >encountered no further problems. We however also recycle all our own beeswax >and with this no spores are carried in via sources from outside. I have a >VHS video about how to recycle beeswax from a to z. Nosema was never a >problem with the method we use to keep bees. We have had no varroa mite yet, >even though they are all around us now. The tracheal mite has been detected >this year but on a rather low level and with no impact at all (maby due to >the climate). >About Varroa: >We consider to use the following methods if mites would be detected in the fall: >In the early spring (before to much brood is available) using thyme- and >sage- essential oils we would spray the colony using 1% thyme and .5% sage >oils. It needs 10 ml per colony and is sprayed into the hive with as fine a >nozzle as possible (as it is an oil). The oil should be 35 degree C. It >sould take about 1 minute to spray one colony. This treatment has to be >repeated 3 times in intervals of 3 to 4 days. This method has been used in >France and I have this information from the beekeeper journal >"Schweizerische Bienenzeitung", April 4/91. >In spring, when the dandelions flower and the spring management is due we >remove the 2 drone frames put in last year and replace it with a 1" cut off >comb. This will allow them to build more drone cells and to produce two more >frames of drone brood. Varroa is attacking mostly drone brood. After about >30 days this brood is checked and if infested, cut again. > >However formic acid at a 60% concentration (the secretion from the ants) >used in Switzerland has been very effective and easier to apply. A higher >concentration is used if applied at the bottom of the hive (85%). They use a >"Kraemer Platte" (the name comes from the guy that did the first commercial >products) which is a plate that soacks up the formic acid and is then >wrapped into plastic foil and holes drilled into it. It needs as many holes >as to evaporate 7g per day. the plate is placed on top of the frames. This >has been found to be enough to kill the mites up to about 95% success per >treatment done in the fall (or right after the removal of the honey and one >about a month later). Day temperatures need to be above 20 degree C. Some >also use honey jars or similar with the liquid in it and a linen pulled >through a slot in the lid to soak out the liquid for evaporation. All this >is put above the frames, about 3 to 4 cm away from the 1st frame. I would >think above the hole on the inner cover would work fine, using an empty box >atop the inner cover to provide a space. As I understand formic acid also >removes tracheal mites. It is recommended that you use rubber gloves and eye >protection. > >Oxalic acid is another substance that could be used in a 3% solution. Oxalic >acid is naturally in the honey. Rhubarb leaves have a .8% content in their >leaves. I speculate to do some experimenting on that, extracting the juice >from the leaves and to apply it to the bees at the time the leaves are >available. Also spinach has oxalic acid in a natural form but is available >later in the spring only. This is what makes your tounge rough when you eat >to much of it. I have no experience on the effect on the mite. > >I also heard that there are varroa resitent bees in Africa or the far east >available for warmer climates, which would suit you just fine. You may want >to investigate on that on the Internet and sa-net. >I hope to be of help and may hear from you again. It sounds like you have a >lot of challenging things to do in Mexico. Please let me know where you are >located and what you are doing? Please feel free to call up my homepage >http://www.jetstream.net/business/gooly if you like to find out more about >us and my book "Harmonic Farming: a love style". > >Werner M.Gysi > >At 05:41 PM 5/22/96 -0600, you wrote: >>Dear Sanet users, >> >>Is anyone working on a non-chemical approach to varroa mite control for >>honey production.??? So far two insecticides have had to be "retired" from >>use due to toxic residues in the honey. Much of the little literature we've >>been able to find seems to assume that insecticides are the only control. >>Have there been any results on possible biological control agents, >>management practices or other approaches? Thanks. >>Ronald Nigh >>Dana Association >>Mexico >>danamex@mail.internet.com.mx >> >> > > > Ronald Nigh Dana Association Mexico danamex@mail.internet.com.mx