[Western Phil]

“1. You say you experienced losses due to mites? 2. The tracheal, or the varroa, or both? 3. Do you still have bees? 4. Did you ever try feeding “grease patties” for reduction of tracheal mites, or use Api strips for the varroa? 5. Ever try other varroa treatments?”

What is this? Some kind of test?

1. Never sure about this. Until the publicity of the mites showed up, I would loss 1 or two hives overwintering - out of 15 or so. (Ask me about the 3000 lbs of honey in late 80s one time.) This included the severe winters in the seventies (east central Illinois). Mostly those were weak due to various reasons - including Penicap poisoning (spelling?) and yellow jacket predation. Likely due to the mites, overwintering losses went to about half or more. Soon I was down to 0 overwintering.

2. Never looked for mites. Didn’t think I could see them so didn’t bother. The last few years my granddaughters (for a 4-H project) and her mother have started keeping bees - attending classes and the local beekeeping meetings. (I never did get involved with that kind of thing. Too much time and too little information, I thought.) They have learned quite a bit there and my daughter-in-law has pointed out some varroa mites on her bees. She uses the screened bottom board and we have procured some commercial ones with the hive bettle traps. They thought they had the hive beetle last year. Don’t know if that was a false alarm or what.

3. I am up to three hives again now. One here in town and two out in the country.

4. Tried both a number of years ago. Could not tell that the bees were doing anything with the grease patties or that the strips were effective.

5. Have used food grade mineral oil fogging. Don’t know if that is supposed to treat tracheal mites or the varroa. Two years ago, I did it faithfully once a weak and my tow hives overwintered well. Last year, I fogged the country bees twice and the home bees not at all. All overwintered, but the home ones are considerably weaker. My take on the fogging is that it suffocates the mites and has limited effect on the larger bees. The bees’ response to the oil fogging is somewhat similar to smoking.

[BlueDragon]

Thank you for the reply. Good info. I offer sincere apology if my questions offended you in any way. No, it wasn't a test. I was just curious. Have never used the FGMO but have nothing against it. It does seem to be gentler than many other treatments.

The screened bottom boards are probably a good idea. Some add a shallow tray of mineral oil, to drown the mites when they drop. Trouble is, one has to go clean the trays out.