How do you know its tracheal mites? Have you sampled and analysis? Sliced and scoped?
It could just as easily bee a case of poisoning, pesticides
Or for example CBPV: Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus.
- quick video searches give many examples:
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgNd9YeTRGITry not to make assumptions. If your bees are direly sick, take sample and get it analysis by your state apiculturalist to know what it is. Only then you can know what to treat and properly how.
Wrt to success of grease patties for tracheal mites, my practice is yes absolutely every hive gets a patty religiously twice a year spring and fall. My grease patties are very greasy pollen feed patties. Crisco + pollen + treatment for whatever else I may need to be dealing with. I have not had any tracheal mite levels of any concern for .... decades .... I suspect that the methods applied for effectively managing varroa has an equal if not more decimating effect on the tracheal mites.