By Cam Jones
I only have FOUR hives so this information is for people with small apiaries..
I have located the information I used on essential oils and testing done on mites:
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/varroa2.htm
However I altered it to fit the results of the tests above and to fit the ingredients of ApiGuard and APi Life Var (The active ingredients are Thymol, Eucalyptus oil, and L-Menthol)
I add to small jar of vaporub - 20 drops thymol, wintergreen, and lemongrass. It already contains menthol and camphor. I used paper towels because the bees will tear up the towels and ingest the treatment not just walk over it. I believe the person above is using a very large jar of vaporub.
I add to the 2:1 feed 20 drops per gallon each of wintergreen and lemongrass, add it to the sugar first, add warm water not hot.I usually make it the night before and shake it periodically to make sure it is dissolved. I tried adding tea tree oil and thymol but the bees did not take to it well. I am going to experiment some more this fall because adding it to the feed since it is the most effective way. (according to tests above).
