Tracheal Mites are Still a Thing

We talk so much about varroa that we tend to forget there are still a few other pests out there that cause our bees some trouble. Tracheal mites, nosema and SHB to name a few. What can and should we be doing for the other bugs we don't want in our hives? Try this:

Grease patties --yes grease like Crisco or Vegetable Oil Shortening of some off brand name can help in the battle against some pests- specifically tracheal mites.

Grease Patties Recipe

Grease patties, consisting of a mixture of vegetable shortening or oil and sugar are a natural treatment for tracheal mites in honeybee hives, that works by interfering with the mites’ ability to transfer between bees.

How they work:

The grease/oil coats the bees, making it harder for tracheal mites to latch onto their hairs and transfer between bees.

Traditional Recipe: One-part solid vegetable shortening (like Crisco) mixed with two to three parts granulated sugar. Add sugar until the mixture sticks together but can be handled and rolled into a ball. If it's too wet or sticky, add more sugar. Add a few drops (up to a tablespoon) of wintergreen essential oil depending on how much you make. (Wear gloves! Wintergreen absorbs into the skin and can be toxic to your liver.)

Application:

●       Form the mixture into patties and sandwich them between wax paper discs.

●       Place the patties centrally on top bars of the frames within the brood box, peeling off the upper wax paper disc. The bees walk over to clean up the sugary mess and get a little greased up. Tracheal mites can’t move on the greasy hairs from one bee to another. They can’t jump to another host to reproduce.

●       You can use them in early spring and/or autumn.

●       Adding mineral salt (pulverized) can also be beneficial.

Important Considerations:

While grease patties are a natural treatment, they might not be a complete solution and should be used in conjunction with other preventative measures. Formic acid is an effective organic treatment against tracheal mites, but it is temperature dependent 55°-85° and requires specific equipment and knowledge for safe handling/use. Patties can be used with honey supers on- it gasses off to pure water and as it does, it kills off varroa and tracheal mites. It's the only treatment approved during the nectar flow.

Some beekeepers are concerned about potential contamination of honey or beeswax, but others find grease patties effective and safe.  If this is a concern, wait before harvesting. After removing the treatment, wait several weeks before harvesting honey to ensure any residue has dissipated. Or better yet, use early in spring so it's not an issue for honey production.

Alternative Recipe:

Other natural mite control methods include feeding essential oils to the bees in 1:1 sugar water mixture. Some beekeepers use essential oils for liquid feed.  Emulsify 1-Tbsp each of wintergreen, tea tree, and spearmint oils +8 to 10 drops of lemongrass oil in a glass blender with 1.5 – 2 cups of water until it turns cloudy about 5 minutes. Use ½ tsp per gallon in liquid feed. (Note: Plastic will melt and be ruined after using it for this process.  You will not be able to rid plastic of the oil smells.  Look at the thrift store for something you don't mind ruining.)  Tiny amounts of these oils go a long way. Bees have incredible scent organs and too much can overwhelm them.

Important Note:

Always wear protective gloves when mixing grease patties as some ingredients can be toxic when absorbed through the skin.