Varroha Brushing

[The Apprentices]

Please excuse my asking if this subject has been covered elsewhere or done already/before but.

Has anyone ever tried fitting a brushing system to try and knock the mites and similar off of the bees and down through the mesh.

A freind and I were talking about this the other day and thought that if an overhead brush like the types fitted to doors as a draught excluders might be used.

If fitted above the hive entrance the varroa might be disslodged and fall into a drawer similar to a pollen box but filled with white oil suffocating the mites.

White oil is used where food and machinery is concerned, its non toxic so won't harms the bees, it can be purchased really cheaply from outlets that sell French polishing gear and is used in that process for lubricating their polish rubbers.
The trap drawer is a similar idea to the bettle traps that the American's use in the top corners of the supers.

I also thought that the brush system could be used incorporated into clearing boards where the bees are moving en-mass and dropping the mites into another central drawer below the escapes.

A sort of sweeper system for varroa and mites, what does the masses think.

 

[huntsman666]

Varroa are usually underneath the bee. Everything will be brushed off.

But keep thinking!

 

[The Apprentices]

Varroa are usually underneath the bee. Everything will be brushed off.

But keep thinking!

If the mites are on the underside then a lower brush or a circular brush would possible knock a few off of the bees.

This would also take any pollen off too, so if you could catch the pollen and filter the mites out too then one would have a system worth employing.

It could be used at certain times as not to upset the flow of food and upset the breeding cycle of the mites.

Then you have the emmerging varroa in the brood cells to contend with waiting to take their parents places, but anything could help.

I have always thought that the direct route for attacking the mites is not the way to go, but an inditect route via their food through the bees digestive system, so when the varroa feed they are then given a dose of medicine.

There must be a natural oil from nature that can help, we have been using these compounds for thousands of year so there must be something.

 

[drstitson]

have you not seen HRP's video where he picks off varroa one bee at a time?

 

[Poly Hive]

ATM the most hopeful research appears to be the work being done at Aberdeen Uni.

PH

 

[Dishmop]

I envisage a motion activated system at the entrance whereby every bee is sprayed with thymol.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I have always thought that the direct route for attacking the mites is not the way to go, but an inditect route via their food through the bees digestive system, so when the varroa feed they are then given a dose of medicine.

There must be a natural oil from nature that can help, we have been using these compounds for thousands of year so there must be something.


http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=230111

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/varroa2.htm

 

[huntsman666]

Varroa prefer to be on young house bees as they are the ones around the brood cells.

However, keep brainstorming!

 

[enrico]

I reckon a minature vacuum cleaner that they could use on each other might work!

 

[russw]

most of the varroa are in the capped brood cells (thats what I thought). thats why we treat when there's little or no brood

 

[The Apprentices]

I have always thought that the direct route for attacking the mites is not the way to go, but an inditect route via their food through the bees digestive system, so when the varroa feed they are then given a dose of medicine.

There must be a natural oil from nature that can help, we have been using these compounds for thousands of year so there must be something.


http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=230111

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/varroa2.htm

Having studdied as a sideline in tropical medicines and others ideas from Culpeper in the past and surely in the future, I thought as much that someone has already had a trial of the naturals.

And yet the creeping Codex Alimentarius is snapping at the heels of the naturals already, terming what is a vitamin in such a way as its a poison and needs a prescription to be obtained at normal strength.

A cat and mouse game with the big pharma and the boys and the bees too, rather silly games from the corporations who want everything for themselves.

So naturals it is for a few trials of my own, if its safe for me it should be safe enough for my girls, carefully and responsibly goes it.

The combination of both direct and indirect will probably be how things get done and thanks very much for the links.

 

[BBG]

"There must be a natural oil from nature that can help, we have been using these compounds for thousands of year so there must be something."

Was going to say that is what I believe Hivemaker's principle is and from the inside out but see he is here to speak for himself.

OP I had thought about the 'car wash' principle!? There is apparently a patent on this that you suggest too.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

There must be a natural oil from nature that can help, we have been using these compounds for thousands of year so there must be something.

I'm a bit ignorant on the pharmacology front, but isn't thymol derived from Thyme oil?
Seems to do a fairly good job of killing varroa too.

 

[The Apprentices]

Varroa prefer to be on young house bees as they are the ones around the brood cells.

However, keep brainstorming!

Maybe a periodic filtering through a cleaner escape might knock a few off, or filtering the bees with a Taranov swarm board or box to sellect the youngest bees before placing in a new colony, like Cushman collects his youngest stock for placing into his nukes.

You got any good ideas or use something similar or tried them already?

 

[Tom Bick]

I have seen a product but not able to remember its name at the moment but basically it’s a powder that is placed in a tray at the entrance of the hive. The bees walk through it and the mix that makes up the powder is supposed to kill or knock off the Varroa.

I understand the powder is supposed to be similar to chemicals found up old chimneys as the chap who developed it noticed from many years of beekeeping that colonies in old chimneys had less varroa on them.

 

[The Apprentices]

I have seen a product but not able to remember its name at the moment but basically it’s a powder that is placed in a tray at the entrance of the hive. The bees walk through it and the mix that makes up the powder is supposed to kill or knock off the Varroa.

I understand the powder is supposed to be similar to chemicals found up old chimneys as the chap who developed it noticed from many years of beekeeping that colonies in old chimneys had less varroa on them.

Not sure what the contents of the chimney are apart fro sulphur and carbon, but if you take the powder and wet it, the stuff burns like hell, very corrosive.
It could bee that the dust makes the bees clean each other so they could be getting something from the soot that discourages the varroa.

Has anyone studdied the basics on cell regression and its benefits if any towards the smaller cell sizes and natural enviornmental stresses.

 

[victor meldrew]

Sulphuric acid is a well known by product of combustion

VM

 

[hughjamton]

Coal tar, kills red mite in chicken houses, or rather kills them when it's in creosote.

 

[Poly Hive]

If you are suggesting going back to creosoting hives it's time for a reality check.

PH

 

[hughjamton]

Absolutely not suggesting that, no more than Victor Meldrew was suggesting using sulphuric acid.
The post drifted to contents of chimneys and what may be in them to kill mites, coal tar will kill mites, probably kill bees as well, but it will kill mites.