No sign of any Varroa!

[drex]

One of my old patients used to put all his dog ends and old bits of soap into a jar of water and sprayed it on his plants. Swore he never had a problem with white or black fly

 

[joelsoo]

Really? the only place I have seen them grown is in Alnwick Gardens. They have a poison garden with all sorts in and the last one they show you is the Tobacco plant as it's the biggest plant poison.

Yeah here is the pic of tabacco plants.. Was thinking to dry a few leaves in autumn and roll a couple of cigars.

 

[Buzzlodge]

If you watch the old footage of beeks working with skeps you will frequently see the men with pipes blowing the smoke on the bees.
This particular video they seemed to have some specialist smoker which I haven't seen used:

Everybody smoked then, especially pipe tobacco. You don't see pipe smoking any more. I used to like the smell of pipe tobacco.

I presume in less sophisticated times, long before varroa, beeks would puff their pipes at the bees if it helped calm them.

I very much doubt that nicotine would help against varroa. It would need to be smoked in high concentrations, penetrate the capped brood cells and have a more detrimental effect on the mite than on the bees - all unlikely I think.

 

[North End Bees]

This particular video they seemed to have some specialist smoker which I haven't seen used:

Really interesting video. Thanks for posting.
Haven't seen a smoker like that before.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Really interesting video. Thanks for posting.
Haven't seen a smoker like that before.

Really good way to get oral cancer.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Really good way to get oral cancer.

And the preferred fuel in those smokers is tansy I believe which is toxic!