Natural pest remedies?

[Bakerbee]

While i take pests in hive seriously and treat accordingly with approved bee safe brands from vets ect.. i was wondering if there are any natural remedies or treatments that could work with them to keep the nasties at bay. Very often in life these are passed on from experience through generations. Are there any out there for bee pests? A decent one for keeping spiders at bay in our homes is conkers on the inside corners of our window ledges. This works btw really well.

 

[Hivemaker.]

A decent one for keeping spiders at bay in our homes is conkers on the inside corners of our window ledges.

A decent one for keeping flies at bay is to allow spiders to remain.

 

[alfazer]

I hear about rhubarb leaves for varroa, but haven't tried it yet.

Copper wire or tape to stop slugs.

Mouseguards for mice.

The problem with natural remedies is that people start demanding quotes for scientific or peer reviewed research.

 

[madasafish]

A decent one for keeping flies at bay is to allow spiders to remain.

Our house is elderly.In the winter we find some really large spiders# which find their way into it for warmth. I am deputed to exile them to the cold outside - which I duly do - and they then appear in another part of the house.

(I prefer spiders to flies. We have a lot of flies being miles away from any arable land and close to marshy fields and woods.)

# Not as large as the ones wintering under the cosies on our hives...

 

[Erichalfbee]

i was wondering if there are any natural remedies or treatments that could work with them to keep the nasties at bay.

Oxalic acid
Formic acid
Thymol

Then you've got

Rhubarb leaves
Icing sugar
Bananas

The first three have worked for me the second three I haven't tried

 

[Kenson]

Hi Eric, so:

Rhubarb Leaves (across top bars) = Varroa defence [Rhubarb Leaves contain acid]
Icing Sugar (dusted over brood box) = Varroa Defence [Causes bees to Groom]
Bananas (Can't remember, I think it was something to do with Varroa) Can you remind me?

I attended the "Disease Identification" course hosted by our Association. The "Bee men" were very clear:
"It is illegal to put anything in a hive they do not specifically authorise".
This meant all "Home remedies" and pretty much everything else

From the "Interweb" (Youtube):
A bear fence is absolutely vital.
"Wintergreen" cures Nosema (actually it may well do).
"Lemongrass oil" - bees like it. (They like the smell of Lemons?)

 

[Erichalfbee]

I attended the "Disease Identification" course hosted by our Association. The "Bee men" were very clear:
"It is illegal to put anything in a hive they do not specifically authorise".
This meant all "Home remedies" and pretty much everything else

That is indeed true
Maybe there are more "non treaters" as a result?
None of it really matters if you are using the honey for your own consumption

 

[Kenson]

All our really experienced beeks laughed (about 40 of them), when "Top man" fenced with "Mr Bee" about it, even Mr Bee wound up smiling

I got the point (I think everyone did).

 

[nightshade]

Banana skins are in relation to chalkbrood...I conside red trying it when my nuc developed chalkbrood soon after being delivered. ..they were very hygienic in clearing out however...and seemed to expel over about ten days without help...I kind of likened it to cat flu brought on by stress...

Was quite chuffed with myself that I identified it myself at the hive entrance!

Dreading having to identify or more importantly miss something more serious..

 

[Kenson]

Thanks Nightshade

Yes. The "Disease Identification Day" was very good, but we concluded it should be "Hive/Colony Health Day", it was a positive day and I think we all need to study all this stuff, because if we harbour disease we spread disease.

Although I do think the OP is asking the right sort of question, and some good research should be done into what natural remedies work, are harmless and can be used (should be approved) by the Bee Gurus.

This was discussed and our suspicious Bedfordshire gang reckoned it is because the "Big Business Chemical Companies" are the source of money

 

[beeno]

Hi all, Just wanted to say that natural does not necessarily mean bee-safe or safe for humans.

 

[Bakerbee]

Thanks all for your comments. I shall take ideas on board and read, read, read once again as for leaving spiders to stop flies, maybe till halloween to add web decorations to my home but after no way im sick of the cobweb clearing

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Oxalic acid
Formic acid
Thymol

Then you've got

Rhubarb leaves
Icing sugar
Bananas

The first three have worked for me the second three I haven't tried

the last three to be used to make a fruit crumble

 

[Gilberdyke John]

the last three to be used to make a fruit crumble

Sure rhubarb LEAVES were used in the crumble recipe IBM?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sure rhubarb LEAVES were used in the crumble recipe IBM?

Of course.......have you never heard of Banana and Rhubarb leaf crumble?
Where have you been?

 

[JWF]

Of course.......have you never heard of Banana and Rhubarb leaf crumble?
Where have you been?

Yum yum does my gout the world of good

 

[nightshade]

I do like the idea of rhubarb leaves and I'm sure in the wild bees situated themselves in places that had deterrent planting around a nest....I wonder if varroa are like headlice however?...doesn't matter how clean you are ...when they invade they are no less severe than on a dirty head?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Often get called out to swarms settling down near rhubarb patches.

 

[Eyeman]

Call out 2 days ago by an organic farmer scything his green manure only to be chased away by some angry bees.
Clearly been there a while and firmly anchored to the bases of the stems and on the earth.

 

[Teemore]

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Call out 2 days ago by an organic farmer scything his green manure only to be chased away by some angry bees.
Clearly been there a while and firmly anchored to the bases of the stems and on the earth.

Clipped Queen or have you looked yet?