instead of apiguard?

[kathyp]

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-oz-THYME-PURE-ESSENTIAL-OIL-AROMATHERAPY-50-THYMOL_W0QQitemZ200256662709QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2ea03a2cb5&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A30

50% is higher than the concentration in apiguard, but i'm wondering if some on a cotton ball or two would not do the same and be considerably cheaper?

[annette]

I know that essential oils are extremely concentrated and you have to be very careful using them. Other than that, I do not know.

[MustbeeNuts]

If there was a way to join it to a jell of some sort, and just make your own apiguard mix, you would have to figure out a good mix per evaporation combination. I don't know how U would do that but I bet you could find it somewere on the net, to figure it out. mix it with pectin or some type of jelly mix perhaps. so the bees could cart it out.

 the bees clean it out of the hive, but a cotton ball would be almost impossilbe for them to pull apart and remove, I would think,  in api-guard its a jell so I would work with that make a cup of jello/pectin perhaps with 3 drops of thymol. test it and do a mite count. I would try it slowly at first and work up to a dosage that works for you. make it a bit weak so it could evap and dri out.pastey. hmm might try it myself.

Me thinks it would be a bit of work but in the long run way cheaper if it works for you.

[Little John_NC]

Kathyp give my friend Donald Kuchenmeister a call
(706)677-3502 or email him at beekeeper4u2@wmconnect.com
Don teaches Organic Beekeeping Classes at his bee yard and he dont mind talking bees. If I remember correctly he was using a florist foam pad,(I dont know the right name for it but you stick flowers into it make floral arrangements)
 He cut this into small squares then soaked in  FGMO and thyme oil. I dont know how he mixed his formula. Give him a call.

Im building one of these frames now. But it uses Thymol Crystals. Thymol Crystals really stink....
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/fraknoframe.html

[pgayle]

Thymol and thyme oil are not interchangeable.  Distilled thyme oil contains a variable percentage of thymol, up to 40%.  I expect the reason for using thymol rather than the oil is so you can be sure how much of the active ingredient you are actually using.  [Kind of like trying to make your own heart medicine from foxgloves, rather than buying prescription digoxin.. you may be walking a fine line between effectiveness and toxicity.]

I'm using apiguard in 2 of my 3 hives right now.  The third had low counts and I elected to not treat.  The apiguard packs could get expensive for a lot of hives.   

I had some interesting links but could not post them.  IF anyone is interested, my Google search string was:

       what is the difference thymol thyme oil

The hit near the bottom of the search page (alp-thymol) was specific to bees and was from Switzerland. 

[kathyp]

thanks for the info!  i found i do not need to treat this year.  i still have apiguard from years ago.  i was just curious.  the expense of treating a lot of hive can get up there, although as i remember, you can buy apiguard in bulk,

[BjornBee]

The thymol products are not just designed for evaporation, but the spreading on the stuff also through contact with the bees as they try to rid themselves of the stuff. With that in mind, I would not put any essential oil in the hive. Put of few drops on a plastic sheet (food wrap) and watch how fast the stuff eats right through it. And I certainly would not suggest getting it on your hands.  

I played around with various essential oils a few years ago when I was testing such things as lemongrass oil, thymol and menthol. I found it amazing that they would eat the rubber medical grade rings in the syringes I was using.