Menthol Boards
Swinger articulated Loader
For the treatment of Tracheal Mites
Tracheal Mites
Tracheal mites are too small to be seen by the naked eye. To detect them, you would need a microscope and laboratory facilities.
Tracheal mites make for bad wintering, poor honey production, and decreased bee vigor. Winter mortality may be indicated by a fairly sudden collapse of colonies, especially in the snow immediately in front of the hives as the bees crawl out, loaded with fecal matter, with an abundance of honey left inside the hive. (1)
Therefore, it is important to test and be aware of any tracheal mite infestation in your hives.
C. Peng
Several life stages of stained honey bee tracheal mites are visible in the cleared trachea of an adult honey bee. (2)
Treatment
Menthol has proven to be an effective treatment for tracheal mite control. The menthol needs to vaporize inside the hive to be effective. Various forms of treating with menthol have been developed. Crystals may be introduced into the hives, loose on the bottom board, placed on a towel over the brood nest, or put into a paper bag with holes punched in and hung on a frame. Temperatures need to be above 70 F (21 C) for the menthol to vaporize and be effective.
Some beekeepers treat mites with vegetable oil. This reduces the ability of the mite to find young hosts and spread.
Our method is to combine the two. Menthol dissolved in vegetable oil provides the best of both treatments
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The Menthol Board uses a combination of the two best methods of mite control. It is a combination of menthol dissolved in hydrogenated vegetable oil. A piece of corrugated cardboard is saturated with the solution; then allowed to set. The boards are wrapped in plastic and frozen for storage.
The menthol board is placed on the bottom board of the hive. The oil helps in the diffusion of the menthol and effectively lowers the evaporation temperature. This allows the board to be used in cooler temperatures and provides effective treatment in the spring (before the honey flow), and fall (after honey supers are removed).
Menthol Boards provide a very easy and user-friendly method of controlling tracheal mites.
