Thymol

[wightbees]

Has anyone used crystals straight into the lid of a jar,placed on top of the B frames ?
I have just read the post with link to this person > Peter Edwards
Updated 5 August 2009
but the ref is a bit dated so i'm not wanting to do this if it's of no use now.

 

[gavin]

Yes, Peter still does it that way and that is his only treatment for his 100+ colonies. There was some discussion recently on the Irish list of alternatives, including sprinkling on a piece of hessian which the bees will chew up eventually.

G.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Has anyone used crystals straight into the lid of a jar,placed on top of the B frames ?
I have just read the post with link to this person > Peter Edwards
Updated 5 August 2009
but the ref is a bit dated so i'm not wanting to do this if it's of no use now.

For those interested, the thread wightbees is referring to is

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1829&page=2

 

[wightbees]

Thanks Gavin

 

[Rosti]

It's an option certainly, but without the grooming perspective that I think adds potency. I quite like the idea of the 'Hivemaker' brew on an 'Admin' tissue delivery system. If I hadn't bought (and was still using up) a job lot of Apiguard I think I'd be trying that.

 

[BKF Admin]

"Spanish scientists at Cordoba University’s Andalucian Centre for Ecological Apiculture (CAAPE) have spent several years researching thymol with the idea of producing a cheap and effective preparation that the beekeepers will actually use.

They found that pure thymol (99%) that came into contact with bees could cause retardation of the development of the colony and in some cases caused a decline in the colony. Careful dosage was therefore essential.

 

[wightbees]

I have found 2 hivemaker mixes so far.
1 is put on oasis green stuff.
The other is in the sugar syrup. Is one better than the other or are they for different uses.It all gets a bit confusing you know .

 

[Erichalfbee]

The first is for autumn varroa Tx
The second is for adding to the autumn syrup feed to help prevent nosema

 

[Hivemaker.]

They found that pure thymol (99%) that came into contact with bees could cause retardation of the development of the colony and in some cases caused a decline in the colony. Careful dosage was therefore essential.

Careful dosage was therefore essential. Having found an effective dose they then devised a way of treating the colony effectively. They finally came up with the following, and extensive and wide ranging field trials in the various different climates of Spain are now underway.

 

[Rosti]

Hivemaker, do you know how this relates to the 12.g (or is it 12.5g?) active thymol in an Apiguard treatment pouch? Not sure what a pouch weight is wrt dilution rate though. R

 

[Hivemaker.]

Can't see as it relates to it at all,apart from it both being thymol.

 

[BKF Admin]

They found that pure thymol (99%) that came into contact with bees could cause retardation of the development of the colony and in some cases caused a decline in the colony. Careful dosage was therefore essential.

Have I taken the above post out of context ?

I assumed they were saying that using pure Thymol (in crystal form) was a problem so it needs to be put in a carrier oil.

 

[Hivemaker.]

No, not at all Mark.....i was just adding a bit more of the paper...lol.

 

[sherwood]

Hivemaker I have sent you a Pm I wonder whether you had received it

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sherwood......just checked...and no...can't see any pm from yourself, try again.

 

[wightbees]

Ok , this is the one i will go with but need some advice

(Hivemakers)
.......................................................................................................
, The mixture is 8 grams thymol to 12 grams oil,sunflower,rape,olive or even old chip oil,multiply this measurment to make more. warm in old pan outdoors until all the thymol crystals have dissolved then add 20 mil of this mixture to a piece of the green absorbent garden oasis(not the grey one) this is the size of a sardine tin or half pound cut comb container. two inches wide, three and a half long, and 8 ml thick. put oasis in container then put liquid on, leave overnight to soak in,will soak in better if warm. to treat bee's cut this in half and place the two parts on top of brood frames over the brood area. reduce entrance to about 2 inches and block of any feed holes,and mesh floors,give second treatment in two weeks and another 2weeks later
........................................................................................................
I go on holiday the 4oct which just gives me time to treat all 4 hives.But can i feed them at the same time as treating ?I was planing on using Hivemakers other thymol mix for the feed.
I was going to start feeding them up mid sept.Also i have mesh floors but no other upper vents, do i still have to block the whole floor off ?

thanks for any help

 

[BKF Admin]

I would treat then feed.
Reason is because they will often ignore the treatment if a feed is on.

I only give a single dose as I use OA at xmas.

 

[beebreeder]

I would treat then feed.
Reason is because they will often ignore the treatment if a feed is on.
Admin
I was talking to another beekeeper earlier this week about thymol and its temperature reliance and he came up with a simple comment along the lines of "Don't the bees control the inside temp of the hive and therefore the thymol should work independant of external weather", obviously with entrance reduced and floor slide in. Something I had never thought about

 

[BKF Admin]

I can only think that an outside temperature is important because the internal temp varies considerably within the hive,so certain parts of the hive will have temps and humidity that are the same as the external temperature.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I go on holiday the 4oct which just gives me time to treat all 4 hives.But can i feed them at the same time as treating ?I was planing on using Hivemakers other thymol mix for the feed.
I was going to start feeding them up mid sept.Also i have mesh floors but no other upper vents, do i still have to block the whole floor off ?

thanks for any help

Concensus here seems to be to feed if they need it - starving doesnt do the bees any good. If they dont need the feed then delay until after the treatment.

Blocking the floor off is necessary I believe