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Formic Acid
Formic Acid
Aluminum flashing
16 1/4(41.275 cm)
absorbent pad to keep
bees from removing fibers.
Bee Way
ALUMINUM FLASHING
ABSORBENT PAD
SCREEN
Queen Space
Fig. 5. End view detail.
ACTIVATION CAVITY
Black = Al flashing
Blue Absorbent Pad
Red = Al screen
1.25
activation cavity
ACTIVATION CAVITY
Fig. 8.
Fig. 9. Results of Using the 50% Formic Acid Fumigator: top three pictures show initial
treatment on 09/12/2000. Bottom two pictures show second treatment on 09/28/2000
Old
Style
Fumi-
gator
Test Hive #5 Ricks; 12Sep00. Results Hive #5, Ricks. Close-Up Hive #5, 49 mites.
Ricks Hive #5 30, Sep 2000. Exploded View, 30 Sep 2000, 8 mites.
Video Results of Using
the 50% Formic Acid Fumigator
Video I Video II
Detector Board Demonstration Mite Drop
50% FA Water
90% FA
A simple way to estimate 50% Formic Acid: a cherry tomato sits about 2.5mm
above the surface of 50 % FA (center); sits 4-5 mm above the surface of 90% FA
(left) and sinks in tap water (right) [23 March 2006].
Use Honey-B-Healthy to Prevent Queen Loss
HBH contains spearmint and lemongrass essential oils.
Two teaspoonfuls in a quart of 1:1 sugar syrup delivers a
total of one cc of both essential oils (0.5 cc each).
Because we use the natural emulsifier, lecithin, the essential
oils are evenly distributed throughout the syrup.
Honey-B-Healthy produces rapid build up of bees and (in
our opinion) helps to reduce pathogens. However, Honey-
B-Healthy alone does not significantly reduce mite numbers.
It prevents queen loss when treating with 50% Formic Acid.
It calms the bees. It also helps to introduce queens: spray
The brood frames and queen cage with a little syrup contain-
ing HBH, and the bees will accept the queen in a direct
release with no chance of balling. It also helps to reduce
stings: sprinkle the bees and mix a little on your hands
and watch the difference in bee behavior- - you will get
very few or no stings at all.
Constituents of Lemongrass Oil
Lemongrass oil is purchased From INDIA:
It is distilled from two Tropical Grasses:
Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf
Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees) Stapf.
Constituents: Citral (75-85%)
Methylheptanone
Citronellal
Gerianiol
Limonene
Dipentene
Others?
Lemongrass calms and attracts the bees, much like the Nasanoff Gland.
Constituents of the Honey Bee
Nasanoff Gland:
Fig. 1.
Typical Results:
1. Varroa Mites are killed in capped brood cells as
well as on the bees.
2. Detector boards show large mite drop for 13-14 days
after treatment (time required for brood emergence).
3. A few varroa mites in newly capped cells survive
the fumigation: they are found with larvae. They
immerse themselves in larval brood food at the
bottom of the cell, and this protects them from the
formic acid.
4. Honey left above the fumigator does not absorb
formic acid, which is dense (sp. gr.= 1.22) and sinks.
Cost for FA treatment using the
Bob Noel Formic Acid Fumigator.
Cost of 15 gallons of 90% FA, about $100 ($142 with deposit).
One gallon of 90%FA = $6.66 ($9.47).
Dilution of 1 gal. to 50%, makes up about 1.8 gallons
(6.81 liters).
@ $6.66/gal. or $6.66/6.8 liters = $0.979 per liter.
. . . EXTINCT?