What are grease patties?

Grease patties for bees and extender patties for bees are used to treat several different bee pests including tracheal mites, American foulbrood, European foulbrood and Varroa Destructor mites. The pest you are trying to control will ultimately decide which patty you are going to use.

How do you treat bees for tracheal mites?

Control. Treatment for tracheal mites includes vaporizing menthol crystals and chemical miticides. Cultural control measures include resistant lines of bees, grease patties made from vegetable shortening and sugar, and proper apiary location. No biological controls currently exist.

How do you make bee pollen patty?

Ingredients

1. 1 quart 1:1 sugar syrup (4 c sugar to 2 pints hot water)
2. 6-8 c Dry Pollen Substitute (I use Ultra Bee)
3. 1 Tbls Honeybee Healthy or 4 drops lemongrass oil (added to syrup)
4. Wax Paper.

Is coconut oil good for honey bees?

I am the only beekeeper willing to use coconut oil exclusively for the treatment of mites. If too much oil is used, and the bees get too much coconut oil on them, the other bees will kill them.

What kills tracheal mites?

Menthol crystals
Menthol crystals provide a fumigant action that kills tracheal mites without harming the bees at certain temperatures. The crystals start to evaporate about 70°F and will melt to a liquid at about 102-105°F. The vapors are heavier than air and best evaporation rate occurs between 80° and 85°F.

What happens to bees when they get tracheal mites?

Tracheal mite infects and reproduces inside the tracheae (breathing tubes) of the honey bee and feeds on the honey bee’s haemolymph (blood). Infection affects the honey bee’s capacity to breathe, opens the tracheal surface to pathogens and reduces capacity of air flow to the wing muscles.

Are pollen patties good for bees?

Pollen patties are good for bees, but only when they need it. That’s why it’s important to know when to feed pollen patties to bees. There are times when it is not good for the colony to have a lot of brood. Fall and winter are times when brood production is naturally at a minimum.

When should I feed pollen patties to bees?

Bees will benefit from protein feeding at any time of the year. However, they are best fed with pollen patties in spring. As mentioned prior, the main purpose of pollen patties is to stimulate brood rearing but to do this earlier than required can impact the bee colony negatively.

Do bees like olive oil?

Bees also have a distaste for lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime. Unlike other flying insects, bees are not attracted to the scent of humans; they are just curious by nature. Once a bee gets a waft of any of the scents above, it will head the other direction.

Is olive oil harmful to bees?

Most commonly used oils on hives are corn, canola (rapeseed), and vegetable oil…with coconut oil becoming a more popular option as of late. Avoid olive oil – Bees are picky eaters and tend to dislike the taste of olive oil, so mixing it into your patties might affect palatability.