Thymol crystals

[Ian123]

I think you need to clarify what your trying to do I previously thought you meant apiguard…..dropping some leftover crystals about won’t have any affect!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I think you need to clarify what your trying to do I previously thought you meant apiguard…..dropping some leftover crystals about won’t have any affect!

Ploughing through this and some other threads I start to wonder where some of the fanciful ideas that surface from time to time actually originate. Not wishing to upset some of our thinner skinned souls but in previous years and different levels of moderation would have seen some very forthright responses, together with some real guidance.

 

[pargyle]

Ploughing through this and some other threads I start to wonder where some of the fanciful ideas that surface from time to time actually originate. Not wishing to upset some of our thinner skinned souls but in previous years and different levels of moderation would have seen some very forthright responses, together with some real guidance.

Actually, I think there has been some guidance in this thread .... perhaps, as it it the beginners section, we don't need forthright responses ....?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/forum-poll.52664/

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ploughing through this and some other threads I start to wonder where some of the fanciful ideas that surface from time to time actually originate. Not wishing to upset some of our thinner skinned souls but in previous years and different levels of moderation would have seen some very forthright responses, together with some real guidance.

Yes I miss those days. Sadly, most of the call a spade a spade posters have either been intimidated off or have got fed up of the lack of cut and thrust.
I haven’t moderated anything for weeks.
Edit. Oops @pargyle never noticed this was in beginners.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes I miss those days. Sadly, most of the call a spade a spade posters have either been intimated off

I think you mean intimidated - or maybe hounded.
And what about those of us who call a spade a f&*$$£g shovel?

 

[Ian123]

And what about those of us who call a spade a f&*$$£g shovel?

They are clearly not educated!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think you mean intimidated - or maybe hounded.
And what about those of us who call a spade a f&*$$£g shovel?

I do. Corrected.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

They are clearly not educated!

They do indeed, and some of us are trying their best to beat it into them
A spade is something you draw in a pack of cards for goodness sake

 

[Big ears]

I think you need to clarify what your trying to do I previously thought you meant apiguard…..dropping some leftover crystals about won’t have any affect!

Are you sure? There is some who would disagree and thymol crystals are licensed for the control of varroa as a non medicated treatment.
they wouldn’t be dropped but carefully placed in a mesh bag on top of the frame.

 

[pargyle]

Are you sure? There is some who would disagree and thymol crystals are licensed for the control of varroa as a non medicated treatment.
they wouldn’t be dropped but carefully placed in a mesh bag on top of the frame.

No it's not a licenced treatment and I rather doubt the method you are describing will have the desired effect either. There is a treatment (unauthorised) detailed here which describes use of Thynmol crystals but I would exercise caution using them.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/Thymol Evaporator John Dews.pdf

 

[Big ears]

No it's not a licenced treatment and I rather doubt the method you are describing will have the desired effect either. There is a treatment (unauthorised) detailed here which describes use of Thynmol crystals but I would exercise caution using them.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/Thymol Evaporator John Dews.pdf

Thanks, What are the negatives? Apart from not working clearly and the handling of the crystals. Will they damage the bees or affect the brood?

 

[pargyle]

Thanks, What are the negatives? Apart from not working clearly and the handling of the crystals. Will they damage the bees or affect the brood?

Who knows ? I can find very little reference to the use of raw Thymol crystals as an effective treatment although Thymol is the principle ingredient of a number of licensed varroa treatments (and quite a few that are not).

If you are going to try this then you really need a carrier for the thymol .. Have a read through this thread on another forum:

https://www.beesource.com/threads/thymol-treatment-for-varroa.275238/
Which gives you some ideas about how to make home made Apiguard or Thymovar but you are delving into the unknown and the risk is that you damage your bees or the brood and it will certainly contaminate any honey that is uncapped when you apply it. Thymol treatments are also temperature sensitive as they rely on the thymol evaporating slowly over a space of 10 days or so.

I don't treat my bees for varroa but I have used OA by sublimation and I'm convinced that treatment with a sublimator is by far the most effective and least invasive treatment for varroa.. You can legally apply Api-bioxal or if, as you appear to be, you are happy to ignore the Veterinary Medicines Directives then generic OA works even better than the licensed treatment (None of the residues in the sublimator that you get with Api-bioxal),

 

[Big ears]

Who knows ? I can find very little reference to the use of raw Thymol crystals as an effective treatment although Thymol is the principle ingredient of a number of licensed varroa treatments (and quite a few that are not).

If you are going to try this then you really need a carrier for the thymol .. Have a read through this thread on another forum:

https://www.beesource.com/threads/thymol-treatment-for-varroa.275238/
Which gives you some ideas about how to make home made Apiguard or Thymovar but you are delving into the unknown and the risk is that you damage your bees or the brood and it will certainly contaminate any honey that is uncapped when you apply it. Thymol treatments are also temperature sensitive as they rely on the thymol evaporating slowly over a space of 10 days or so.

I don't treat my bees for varroa but I have used OA by sublimation and I'm convinced that treatment with a sublimator is by far the most effective and least invasive treatment for varroa.. You can legally apply Api-bioxal or if, as you appear to be, you are happy to ignore the Veterinary Medicines Directives then generic OA works even better than the licensed treatment (None of the residues in the sublimator that you get with Api-bioxal),

Thank you that’s very helpful. My situation is that I’m hoping that my virgin queen will have mated and will be laying soon. I’m happy to OA sublimate am I OK doing this just before the brood starts to be capped with such a young queen?

 

[pargyle]

Thank you that’s very helpful. My situation is that I’m hoping that my virgin queen will have mated and will be laying soon. I’m happy to OA sublimate am I OK doing this just before the brood starts to be capped with such a young queen?

You can use OA by sublimation at just about any time ... it does not affect brood or the queen although, if you have a virgin I would wait until she's definitely mated and there is BIAS. But ... I'll ask again ... Do they REALLY need treating for varroa ?

 

[Colin buckingham]

I use it in a fog machine with food grade mineral oil and drops of pure thyme oil essence
And fog regularly throughout the season for mite control works extremely well
For me
As I found the oxalic made my asthma worse so I thought if I can’t breath it why should I make the bees do it !! Just me
But I love the smell and I I spill it in my boot then I have ready made car air freshener

 

[pargyle]

I use it in a fog machine with food grade mineral oil and drops of pure thyme oil essence
And fog regularly throughout the season for mite control works extremely well
For me
As I found the oxalic made my asthma worse so I thought if I can’t breath it why should I make the bees do it !! Just me
But I love the smell and I I spill it in my boot then I have ready made car air freshener

Fogging is not a widely used Varroa treament in the UK .. it's not a licensed treatment and although it's used widely in the USA there is some doubt about whether it is a really effective treatment. They use a mineral oil as the carrier and often wintergreen (which has a high percentage of thymol) as the active ingredient. There are a number of commercially available devices to create the 'fog' and a few 'redneck' ones as well !!

 

[Ian123]

Fogging is not a widely used Varroa treament in the UK .. it's not a licensed treatment and although it's used widely in the USA there is some doubt about whether it is a really effective treatment. They use a mineral oil as the carrier and often wintergreen (which has a high percentage of thymol) as the active ingredient. There are a number of commercially available devices to create the 'fog' and a few 'redneck' ones as well !!

As you say fogging was trendy many years ago, it’s been found rather lacking!

 

[ericbeaumont]

I use it in a fog machine with food grade mineral oil and drops of pure thyme oil essence

I found the oxalic made my asthma worse

There's no way on earth that beekeepers should sublimate OA wthout a proper full-face respirator (at the very least, a half-face and goggles) to prevent inhalation of vapour or absorption of it through eyes.

If you do so your life is likely to be shortened.

 

[Colin buckingham]

Hi thanks for the input folks
I do use a full face respirator with the correct cart for OA but still struggled with it due to my Asthma
But I have found the fogging very effective with drops of over 20+ on hives I previously thought very low and not needing a vape ??