Thymol

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Poly Hive

Queen Bee
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Like many I am now considering how to treat for Varroa this autumn.

as my flow seems to be over I will be taking off the full supers such as they are shortly.

I have read that thymol can be offered in oil or as crystals. What are the benefits of using it in oil as opposed to just crystals?

PH
 
Never had very efficient results with crystals,no idea why not,perhaps the evaporation is not as good,or the fact the bee's don't spread the oil around to a certain extent.
 
What are your thoughts Hivemaker on closing off the floor? Apart from getting a decent idea of mite fall is there any advantage?

PH
 
Will simply not work with any efficiency with the floor open,must be closed and entrance reduced.
 
I shall be using the Thymol in oil recipe again this year as last year I was very pleased with the results of Thymol followed by OA at xmas.
 
I will do Thymol in Autumn and then follow with OA around new year.
 
So I need to make up blanks for my floors then. What size of entrance do you reduce to?

PH
 
2" OR 3" depending on size of colony,bigger colony,bigger entrance.I just use foam strips.
 
I think the correspondents on this thread have referred to the 'thymol-oil-oasis' treatment method.

I seem to recall from somewhere, that 'green' oasis must be used not 'grey'.

Is that recollection correct ? and what is the difference ?

JC.
 
Hi
Does anyone have a link to anywhere describing how to make up the oil treatment and how to administer it.

Keith
 
I think Hivemaker did a "Howto" on the forum last year.
I will see if I can find it for you.
 
JC Brum, the grey oasis does not absorb the oil.
 
Grey oasis is designed for things like silk flowers which are by definition a dry product not requiring moisture, just support.
 
Thanks everyone. I've saved it as a document. (I'll probably be able to find it again :) )
 
thymol crystals

There was a mention earlier in this thread of thymol used as crystals, rather than oil-dissolved . Hivemaker. commented he had had less [or was it no?] luck with this form. The use of thymol in the crystal form has just cropped up on the IrishBeeKeeping site ... and I cut-and-paste the relevant entry. Apart from Petert Haywood, with success, and Hivemaker., without, ae there any other comments on the crystal method mentioned here??
//////////////////////
quote:
"....The way I use thymol is to spread two teaspoonsful, well crushed to remove lumps, on a strip of hessian sacking about 9"x 2.5" laid on the brood frame top bars across the width of the brood area, or on the Qex. if using bottom beespace with the slotted excluders. I don`t use an eke as the fumes can filter through the sacking. I usually top it up after 7-10 days. The bees generally destroy the sacking after a few weeks. I do this variously in april or early june and late summer as I feel necessary. I don`t remove supers or honey and over 9-10years and 60- 100 hives I`ve never had any problem with tainting of honey, even that in the frames almost directly in contact with the thymol. Pete Haywood"
 
I have been informed that if treatment with OA is used around December and administered by the trickling method, then there should be no need for any other treatment until the following December.

It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many different answers to a single question in this beekeeping lark.
 
I have been informed that if treatment with OA is used around December and administered by the trickling method, then there should be no need for any other treatment until the following December.

It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many different answers to a single question in this beekeeping lark.


My view is that OA was for varroa and thymol was for Disentry prevetion/cure?
 

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