> I can roughly translate Allen's
> recipe to a single pound of Crisco vegetable oil to a pound of
> menthol crystals to soak a single roll of BSTs. I would be inclined
> to cut the roll of BSTs in half and divide the Crisco/menthol between
> the two half-rolls. I am not altogether comfortable with my
> conversions, especially to publish in a newsletter.

Many recommend a half-roll, but also, many of them also mention bees driven off the brood, brood damage, etc. We found 1/3 was right for us, and our conditions are fairly cool, so in warmer places, beware.

As it happens, I was at an oxalic research discussion/demo today, and in the discussion, menthol came up. A new commercial beekeeper had made up the towels, but found that they were hard to separate (he had stored them in a cold place, I gather) and therefore decided to make them on the spot as he went next time. He did, and it was not nice. I also gather that this (liquid, hot Crisco and menthol) was killing bees on contact and driving them out, too. Ugghhh!

It is important IMO to use Crisco, and not some other brand, since some are not as flexible when cold. Also I can assure you no other towel but the blue shop towel works well. I've tried fooling around a bit with the formula. What I present on the pages works well for me and for others who have followed the instructions. The problem is that it is very hard to mention every detail and anticipate every misunderstanding readers might have.

In a nutshell, about 6 grams of menthol and 6 grams of Crisco saturate each sheet of a 1/3 roll of towel. I think Bob described here on BEE-L how to melt the Crisco and then the menthol in a coffee can, then soak the roll. It is that simple. I think there should be a link to his BEE-L post from somewhere in my shop towel pages. See the third ref, below.

http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/blueshoptowels.htm  http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/2001/diary041701.htm#Blue
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/blue2.htm
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/blue.htm 

There are about 55 sheets per roll, so about 330 g of each is required for a 1/3 roll. A half roll takes 10 grams of each for 550 g menthol and 550 g Crisco. Otherwise the process and details are just as described for our washtub amounts.

allen

And more...

(Colour code: Bob, A previous poster, me).

> Now almost twenty years later I say test and see if you even
> need to treat for TM as many lines do not need treatment

But the key here is test, test, test.

TM resistance is not consistent in many commercial lines or from generation to generation. We discussed this some time back and a chart from USDA and some discussion can be seen at http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/tracheal.htm  .

At http://msa.ars.usda.gov/la/btn/hbb/rgd/survey.htm  DANKA, R. G. and J. D. VILLA say, "The most striking result of this survey was the variability in levels of tracheal mite resistance among colonies of U.S. commercial breeding stock. This breeding population can be expected to yield propagated queens that range widely in quality: some queens will be useful in improving stock by imparting resistance, while others will predispose their colonies to damaging mite infestations. In the absence of knowledge about the resistance levels of individual breeder colonies, the performance (vis-à-vis tracheal mites) of production colonies headed by commercial queens becomes largely a matter of the chance associated with a queen producers' random selection of a grafting source from among his or her breeder colonies. "

>> Microwave for 4 minutes at 50% power. Check to see that all crystals
>> dissolved-if not, microwave for an additional minute at 50% power.
>> Must be used while warm otherwise crystals will reform.

> The above is a Mickey Mouse way to get the result . I would never
> make the formula in the house due to smell and risk of spilling a
> chemical which stinks for months and doubt many beekeepers wives
> would lend the kitchen or microwave.

If I recall, menthol is also flammable (explosive?).

> Using your Barbeque grill or a hot plate outside and a coffee can is
> better and safer.

And constant attention is necessary or you'll have a fire or evaporate all your menthol out of the mixture.

> > Place one paper towel over the top bars of each brood chamber.

> SHOULD SAY ACROSS END BARS AND NOT OVER BROOD NEST!

That's for sure, and we went to 1/3 towel from the 1/2 because that was all we found we needed. Not two towels. They need two, because they use cheap household towels rather than the thick, absorbent shop towels, and because they use twice the dose we do.

> > Best time to treat is September.

I agree with Bob on this.

Best time to treat is when you know you have tracheal mites and can see that they will reach damaging levels, the weather is appropriate, and there are no supers on. That leaves most of us with spring or Fall.

I had some reservations about this article as well. It is in our archives, and was in some of the references I provided recently, but has some serious flaws IMO. The menthol does is twice what we use, and placing that many towels above the brood will drive the bees off it for sure.

Bob brought the blue shop towel method to our attention, and many of us have adopted it. If done right, it is simple, places the menthol where it actually does some good, ON TOP of the hive, and ensures it evaporates. Recent discussion in Saskatchewan reveals that the Hamilton boards, a similar idea popular there, for over a decade, which placed menthol and grease mixture UNDER the hive, have been shown not to have been working nearly as well as thought!

As Bob says, TEST. It is amazing how people can use a technique for a decade or more, as with the Hamilton board, then find that someone does a test and finds it does not work or the dose was wrong.

One problem with TM, though is that the dead mites and tracheal scarring remain in the bee after treatment until the bees die, and the methods of testing are more technical and labour intensive than varroa surveying, so evaluating success of TM treatments is more difficult than with varroa.

allen

It works. It's cheap.  It's easy to use.  It should be safe.  (I need to know more about the effects of oxalic acid on people over time.  I hear various things, but some people seem to think it is almost harmless.  I just do not know).

> I am a first year beekeeper (haver?) and I want to avoid using the Checkmite I have bought and is now in my basement. I recently (last week) re-queened with Russian queens, have screened bottom boards. I have only two hives that I got no surplus honey from this year (Italians). I plan on getting two or three more hives of Carniolans also plan on getting two or three nucs for backup for the spring, however both Russians and Carniolans are prone to swarming when crowded? I am willing to use lactic acid, oxalic acid, formic acid etc, more "organic " methods of control for Varroa. I have not seen any on my bees, not yet done the confectioner sugar roll.

Testing is the first thing to do. That determines what needs doing.

> Would menthol give better control of TM if I added thymol?

That is outside my field of knowledge. I know the methods I describe work for me. The blue shop towel method does the job, so how can it be improved by adding another, more nasty essence?

> I do have SHB, beetles only visible, but there has to be some larvae somewhere, but haven't seen even eggs.

They bear watching. I have no experience with them.

> Planning to use terramycin patties or sugar sprinkles, fumagillin B.

I recommend you evaluate the need for each treatment constantly, and not treat more than necessary based on what you see in tests or know about your risk of disease.

> I enjoy your website. Thanks for your time

No problem. Thanks.

allen