Plants that may help with mites

[Joe D]

I was looking at a chart the other day, Jeanette had posted, on amount of nectar and pollen from some plants.  In the chart it said that Varroa mites did not like the smell of Lavender or Coriander and could help the bees in ridding themselves of the mites.  Has anyone tried or heard of this working.  Would be great if it did.  Just checking.




Joe

[edward]

In the chart it said that Varroa mites did not like the smell of Lavender or Coriander and could help the bees in ridding themselves of the mites.

How does it help them? How does the smell get rid of the mites?


mvh edward  

[Finski]

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fairytales

[Joe D]

Figured that, just wandering.



Joe

[Sparky]

One plant that might have some desirable traits for the control of mites is when they forage on hops.

[edward]

WHY ?

[bossqwjw]

Mites don't like bitter beer. 

[markwell]

I do not think we should take this so lightly. There are effects of plants on bees.

[Michael Bush]

I do not think it will help with mites at all.  But it won't hurt anything if you want to grow a variety of things the bees might like.

[Joe D]

Thanks for all the replys. 




Joe

[Jeanette]

The impact of lavender and other plants on mites is certainly debatable.

The only scientific study I could find to support the idea was published in 2004. http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0365-28072004000300003&script=sci_abstract&tlng=en They found that although their lavender oil treatment removed the mites, it only killed about 35% of them.

David Cushman wrote about a preliminary study into essential oils over a decade ago http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/naturaloils.html but there was no link to the final results.

Randy Oliver has an article about essential oils at http://scientificbeekeeping.com/ipm-7-the-arsenal-natural-treatments-part-2/ but it seems to focus primarily on the extract from garden thyme which is used in commercial mite control products.

[Joe D]

Jeanette, I would like to thank you for  the info you have provided.  Your post before on the lavender has me thinking about planting some and some coriander to see if it would help.



Joe

[Jeanette]

Just a follow-up ...

I asked a thyme-honey beekeeper about mites vs thyme (because the essential oil of thyme is used in some commercial mite control products). He said that his bees were generally quite healthy after foraging on thyme plants, but that he still had to treat for mites. The reason he gave was because the beneficial essential oil was in the thyme leaves rather than in the nectar.

[Sparky]

Just a follow-up ...

I asked a thyme-honey beekeeper about mites vs thyme (because the essential oil of thyme is used in some commercial mite control products). He said that his bees were generally quite healthy after foraging on thyme plants, but that he still had to treat for mites. The reason he gave was because the beneficial essential oil was in the thyme leaves rather than in the nectar.

This is more than likely the case of the hop plants also but some claims have been made of people that have these type of crops to forage pollen from that the numbers seem to be reduced. I would like to see more proof of this claim.

[bossqwjw]

In one of the fat bee mans videos he said he has heard reports of beeks that planted thyme under and around tbeir hive had less mites and pests. Supposedly because of the vapors from the thyme.

[edward]

In one of the fat bee mans videos he said he has heard reports of beeks that planted thyme under and around tbeir hive had less mites and pests. Supposedly because of the vapors from the thyme.

How do these vapors effect the hive and the amount of varoa mites on the bees?

mvh edward 

[sawdstmakr]

It might be that thyme only affects the forage bees as they are collecting the nectar. They might drop off. This doesn't help remove mites in the hive.
Jim

[edward]

They might drop off

How or why might this happen?


mvh edward 

[sawdstmakr]

Due to the strong smelling oils in. The mites might react to it like the bee react to bee quick.
Jim

[edward]

I'm sceptical 

[AliciaH]

I know there are natural ingredients in the medications, but they are pretty concentrated.  I'm not a chemist but it seems to me that the bees would have to be foraging on A LOT of plants to equal what's on/in some of those medications.  Not saying it won't help, though.

As for hops, my husband was very supportive of planting in our apiary and we now have 6 or so established plants.  The problem is who gets to the buds first -- the bees or the husband who likes to make beer.

[Joe D]

It may or may not help but I have planted some Lavender plants.  Also have planted some popcorn trees and some Loquat trees for the blooms. 




Joe

[Finski]

.
One guy thought that when he put dry rhubard leaves inside the hive, it kills varroa..

.

[Linda32]

That is awesome Joe D. I was looking for this. Can you help me in finding these plants for me. I don't have any idea and i haven't seen them in my life. If i see i don't know them by name... So help me that from where i can buy or find that plants for my garden. Also how does they look like...

[Joe D]

Linda, one of the biggest Lavender farms in the world is in Austrialia, the popcorn tree, not the proper name, over here can't be sold because it is invasive, the Loquat is a kind of Chinese plum tree.  Jeanette a member here from Austrialia is the person that put up a list  of some plants that may help with varro not sure if it will help.  There was a post this week in the Down Under section about some using a chux towel folded up to help catch SHB's.  Good luck




Joe