He suggested using Thyme oil. Has anyone tried Thyme oil before?
In Finland we use now thyme oil, formic acid and oxalic acid trickling
In reserach the August treatments with
formic acid or thymol have shown an average effecacy of 65-80 % in hives with one box. It is time when honey yield has taken away from hive.
In hives with two boxes they have a lower effecacy.
Oxalic acid trickling is very important part of the concept. It is done to all hives after all of the brood has emerged in October/November. The research with simultaneous advising has had a remarkable effect to beekeepers work. Almost all professional beekeepers, and half of the hobby beekeepers use some kind of double treatments.
In two years the percentage of beekeepers doing oxalic acid trickling has risen from 0% in 2000 to 35 % in 2002. 2002 was the first year for beekeepers to buy the pads for thymol treatments.18 % of beekeepers chose to use this method.
Now 70% of beekepers use oxalic acid trickling
If you use thymol in spring, it may violate brood bably. Most of mites are inside brood combs.
I change every year my queens but it has nothing to do with varroa.
Drode brood trapping takes away 50% of mites.
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