What to do about Nosema?

[VEG]

Hivemaker can I ask why different strength's are needed?

 

[Hivemaker.]

I believe this came about when people were making the stock solution up at different strengths,until Manleys solution became the standard. Just a tiny ammount will stop any fermentation of syrup,as its a very strong fungicide. But using two teaspoons to 1 gallon of syrup is better for treating nosema,which has been classed as a type of fungi. When the bee's are fanning during storing this it also plays havoc with varroa.

 

[BKF Admin]

Great posts Hivemaker,thank you.

 

[jezd]

Thymol
http://www.scialert.net/pdfs/pjbs/2005/1142-1145.pdf

anyone have a copy of this?

JD

 

[Hivemaker.]

http://www.scialert.net/qredirect.php?doi=pjbs.2005.1142.1145&linkid=pdf

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the natural occurrence of Nosema apis in honey bee colonies and evaluated of N. apis presence in colonies after medical treatment with fumagillin and thymol in consecutive 3 years period. For this purpose, 208 honey bee colonies randomly selected for detection of N. apis infection from Aegean ecotype of Apis mellifera anatolica, 1 years old queen in April, 2002. The colony development performances and honey yields were evaluated through the years from 2002 to 2004.

Yücel, B. and D.L. Muhsin, 2005. The impact of Nosema apis Z. infestation of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies after using different treatment methods and their effects on the population levels of workers and honey production on consecutive years. Pak. J. Biol. Sci., 8: 1142-1145.

This is also part of a short thread from a person who i have been chatting with,may be of intest to some, i am currently using just under 1g of emulsified thymol per gallon of syrup myself,and am very pleased with the results looking at the bee's this spring.Pre 2002 i only fed thymolised syrup,only when i stopped have the nosema and mite problems got worse,so now gone back so to speak to what works well.

extract.
Yes, I use thymol crystals crystals in all my sugar syrup. This will be my 3rd year. I have tried various dosages, up to one gram per gallon, usually 0.5 or 3/4 gram per gallon.

Certainly think it helps with nosema and mite levels, of course it is only legal for mould in syrup, I have done no studies on thymol's effects on mites or nosema but my winter losses are getting lower, only 7% THIS SPRING.

Mite counts taken last Sept were less than 3% and mostly lower, we did have to treat 100 nucs bought from BC in spring of 09, they were 5-10%.

We also feed Fumidil-B and from previous experience we were getting mixed results with year to year comparisons, since the thymol we seem to be more consistent results with wintering and spring build up.

 

[Poly Hive]

I know I am confused here as the numbers are jumping around.

three quarters of a gram per gallon is how many ml of 30g in 150ml spirit please?

I spent today making up syrup and I have a few days grace before I need to feed it.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

Poly Hive,

Watch out - mixing different units! The Americans were suspected of missing Mars with a space probe because the conversion factor was incorrect.

US gallons or Imperial? The important thing is content when condensed to honey? So 1:1 or 2:1 sugar to water?

Regards, RAB

Relative Molecular Mass is 150, so 150g is 'one mole'.

 

[Poly Hive]

Which is why I raised the matter.

I am awaiting Hivemaker when he gets a minute to expound and clarify.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

I only use 5ml of surgical spirit now,and 140ml of boiling water to one teaspoon of lechithin, still the same end mixture but it mixes perfectly as its emulsified instead of floating on top of the syrup when added,well some of it least ways. So mixture either way is 180 ml OF pre mix,6ml is as near as makes no difference 1g per gallon,i use 5ml of premix to one gallon of syrup for nosema control and to help bugger up varroa mites,5 ml per 3 gallons is fine if you just wish to prevent fermentation,you can add a couple of drips of lemon grass EO if you wish to the pre mix,similar to HBH.

Rab, Don't know what the Americans did to miss mars or whatever,but it was R.O.B Manley who pioneered the use of thymol in syrup as far as i know,could be wrong but i don't think so,and he was doing it back in the middle of the last century and before. A man i have a lot of respect for,apart from those bloody super frames he invented....LOL.

 

[grizzly]

Hi Polyanwood, i have been spraying mine with syrup/Fumidil mix, fine mist so they have no choice but to ingest, they wont touch it in a feeder.

Even after one treatment there was a noticeable difference in their behaviour, much less lethargic.

Good luck with it.

Oh and Hivemakers directions for Emulsifying works bloody brilliantly, tried it last night and my thymol mixed perfectly with the syrup.

 

[jezd]

Hi Polyanwood, i have been spraying mine with syrup/Fumidil mix, fine mist so they have no choice but to ingest, they wont touch it in a feeder.

Even after one treatment there was a noticeable difference in their behaviour, much less lethargic.

Good luck with it.

Oh and Hivemakers directions for Emulsifying works bloody brilliantly, tried it last night and my thymol mixed perfectly with the syrup.

Grizzly. what ingredient measurements are you mixing in?

Cheerz

JD

 

[grizzly]

HI JD

For the Thymol ?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Jez, fumidil spray is 2g fumidil in 1 litre of 50/50 syrup. spray three or four times about 3/4 days apart,then they should take feed from feeder,but not at the same strength.

 

[jezd]

thanks HM, I have thymol and Fumidil-B to hand and need/want to treat for nosema.

Grizzy, yes please , I get the impression that thymol is seen as a nosema treatment too as well as for mites.

 

[grizzly]

Hi Jez

I should let Hivemaker give you his little recipe, after all without him my thymol syrup would still be ineffective.

Over to you Hivemaker.

 

[Polyanwood]

I did what hivemaker said about spraying fumidil B when mine were bad last year. My beardy bee friend had to hold the frames for me to spray them. He swore a lot. I managed to get the proportions wrong though... made it too strong, and some died, but most of them perked up quite quickly,

 

[Poly Hive]

I am getting very confused indeed here Hivemaker.

I thought we were discussing thymol, and now lechithin is in the frame.

They are not the same from what google is saying so can you please say what recipe you are using.

So many grams of thymol crystals to so many ml of surgical spirit please?

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

lechithin

Simply an emulsifying agent to get the oily and aqueous parts to stay mixed homogenously.

Regards, RAB

 

[grizzly]

lechithin

Simply an emulsifying agent to get the oily and aqueous parts to stay mixed homogenously.

Regards, RAB

Perfectly put, and it works very well.

 

[Poly Hive]

Can someone please post the recipe precisely. If I have missed it I apologise but it will do no harm to put it up again.

PH