Hopguard

[Hivemaker.]

Sounds like it may be a handy kind of varroa treatment, see all the bee's going down the local for a pint of bitter next.

http://www.wasba.org/Request for us...e colonies to control varroa mites 082410.pdf

 

[Mike a]

Interesting read.

I was a little surprised to read Apiguard and Api Life Var both caused noticeable signs of mortalities over that side of the pond. Any found this over here?
Thankfully not found this with any of my hives after following the instructions on treatment duration and number of applications other than the normal colony size reduction for the time of year.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from people who have bought Varroa Gard. The active ingredients are oxalic acid, green sulphur, wild thyme oil and BIOVX an approved virucide.

 

[BKF Admin]

I may be spouting !"£$£$% but from memory there is an ester in Hops that is also an ester of Thymol,all to do with alcohol and phenol's anyway.

Is it a case of same results just with different ingredients.

Think I may take out a patent using Vicks on wicks for varroa control,or maybe crushed Polo mints in a pint of John smiths.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Think its more to do with alpha and beta acids......

The method involves contacting the parasitic mite with an effective amount of a composition comprising a hop derivative (e.g., alpha acid, beta acid, or combination thereof), thereby controlling a honey bee parasitic mite. In one embodiment, the contacting of the mite occurs while the mite is in contact with a honey bee (e.g., honey bee egg, larva, or pupa).

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7767234.html

 

[BKF Admin]

Same difference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-amino-acid_esterase

Also:
The degree of bitterness imparted by hops depends on the degree to which otherwise insoluble alpha acids (AAs) are isomerized during the boil, and the impact of a given amount of hops is specified in International Bitterness Units (IBUs). Unboiled hops are only mildly bitter. On the other hand, the (non-bitter) flavor and aroma of hops come from the essential oils, which evaporate during the boil.

The four major essential oils in hops are Myrcene, Humulene, Caryophyllene, and Farnesene which comprise about 60–80% of the essential oils for most hop varieties

Myrcene, or β-myrcene, is an olefinic natural organic compound. It is classified as a hydrocarbon, but more precisely as a monoterpene. Terpenes are dimers of isoprene and myrcene is one of the most important. It is a component of the essential oil of the several plants including bay, ylang-ylang, wild thyme, and hops

Were does Thymol come from ?

 

[drstitson]

We Three Beeks?

Perhaps we should organise a trial of the use of Gold, Frankinsense or Myrrh (and combinations thereof) as varroa treatments?

 

[MuswellMetro]

Same difference:
Were does Thymol come from ?[/quo...asudev-ent.com/thymol-crystals-thyme-oil.html

 

[BKF Admin]

You may be on to something with Frankinsense.

Admin goes to the back of his shed for his old 1968 chemistry set:

 

[BKF Admin]

The four major essential oils in hops are Myrcene, Humulene, Caryophyllene, and FarneseneIt is a component of the essential oil of the several plants including bay, ylang-ylang, wild thyme, and hops

Were does Thymol come from ?

normally made from thyme

Thank you MM,I rest my case for the prosecution.

 

[Skyhook]

The worrying thing to me, is that they seem to be getting resistance to thymol- unless, being american, they're just doing it wrong? DOH!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sounds like they are getting on with this method of mite control at last.

A biopesticide formulation using isolates of the fungus Beauveria bassiana has been developed, which can be used to control arachnid infestations of honeybee hives. The formulation is particularly useful for controlling infestations of Varroa destructor in honey bee hives.

Read more: http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090060880#ixzz0zcEJKbie