Mite Control in Honeybees with Essential Oils

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Mite Control in HoneybeeswithEssential Oils
East Antrim Beekeepers

• Michael Young
• Institute of Northern Ireland Beekeepers
• www.inibeekeepers.com

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The Black Death of Honeybees
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Essential Oils

• Are strongly scented oils that are created
  through the distillation of plant materials. Most
  commonly derived from the flowers, leaves or
  stems of a plant, they may also be derived from
  fruit or the skin of a fruit.
• Many of these oils have common uses in aroma
  theory and alternative medicine
• Beekeepers however, also may have a used for a
  select few of these common oils
• Essential oils can often be found in health food
  stores or aromatherapy shops, the price may be
  high, but keep in mind that a little oil will go
  a long way.

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Essential Oils/Grease Patties

• Essential Oils have Two Modes of Action
• Toxicity by direct contact
• When Varroa mites feed on larvae that contain
  essential oils, their reproduction is interrupted

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Impaired Reproductionin feeding syrups
containing essential oils

• When Varroa mites feed on larvae that contain
  essential oils, their reproduction is interrupted
• If the oil is strong enough, the females are
  unable
• to lay eggs
• If the oils are in lower concentration, eggs are
  layed, but development of immature mites is
  delayed
• Young mites do not reach maturity before the bees
  emerge from the cell consequently, the immature
  mites die.

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• The syrup and essential oil is ingested by nurse
  bees and enters the communal food in the crop and
  passes into the milk glands.
• When the nurse bees feed larvae, the essential
  oils are in the bee milk and communal food and
  are ingested by the larvae.
• Thus, when female varroa mites feed on treated
  larvae or larval food at the bottom of the cell,
  they ingest the essential oils which adversely
  affect their reproduction.

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Trophalaxis
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Dosages Used in Experimental Treatments

• Syrup 25 drops (1 cc) of wintergreen or
  spearmint is
• One pint of honey (or two cups of sugar (about
  one pound or 453.6 grams)
• Quart gallon (0.95 liter) hot water is added to
  fill the jar.

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Commonly Used Oils

• Banana
• Though it has been unconfirmed, reports state
  that banana oil seems to closely mimic the alarm
  pheromone of honeybees
• Lemon Grass
• Works conveniently as well as the pheromone
  created by the honeybees nasanov gland
• Peppermint
• Oil is used as a general-purpose pheromone
  masking scent

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Paper Towel Formula

• 220 grams of paper towels
• 300 ml linseed oil (corn oil )
• 1 ½ ounce of wintergreen oil.
• Note The synergistic effect of adding
  wintergreen oil to the active ingredient linseed
  oil has a devastating effect on parasitic mites
  in honey bees during broodless times.

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Feeding
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Grease Patties/Treatment

• 4 Pounds of Granulated Sugar
• 3 Ounces of corn/vegetable oil
• 1 ½ Pounds Shortening
• 1 Pound of Honey
• 1 ½ Ounce of Wintergreen Oil (45ml)..

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This Treatment controls Tracheal Mites Year
Around and Varroa Mites During Broodless Periods
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Emulsifyable Concentrate!
Feeding stimulant during late winter/early spring
and dearth's or nucs
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Conclusions

• Have delayed onset of economic threshold
• Drone Foundation
• Use bottom screens
• Essential oils
• Grease patties
• Spray/feed

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Thank you any Questions!