Mite Control in Honey Bee Hives
With Essential Oils & Formic Acid Fumigation

Last update: 25 March 2010

Trade or brand names are mentioned for information purposes only. The use of trade or product names does not imply endorsement by the WVU Extension Service to the exclusion of other products that may be equally suitable.

Described below are uses of natural essential oils to help control mites (the varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman; and the tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi (Rennie)) in honey bee colonies and to improve the health of honey bee colonies. Also described is use of a 50% Formic Acid Fumigator to reduce severe populations of varroa mites.

Information for saving your honey bees:

1. New parasite of Honey Bees in North America: Nosema ceranae (PDF)
2. The "Drench", what it is, how and why it works:
   • Drench (PDF)
   • Drench 2010 (PDF)
   • Article by Ross Conrad, Bee Culture, March 2010 (PDF)
3. Paper pad technique to control Varroa Mites (PDF)
4. "Grease Patties" to eliminate Tracheal Mites and reduce Varroa Mites (PDF)
5. Protein Crisis in honey bees:
   • Protein, Amino Acids and Amino B Booster (PDF)
   • Amino-B Booster (PDF)
6. Colony Collapse Disorder:
   • CCD (PDF)
   • "Threats to bees-threats to all" - Tammy Horn

In doing this work, many different measurements are used. The reader may find this page useful: Useful Equivalents and Measures

Please see our presentations on these and similar topics:

• 50% Formic Acid Fumigator in Florida - April 2006
• Formic Acid Fumigator
• Tracheal Mite Control - Grease Patties
• Screened Bottom Boards
• Tracheal Mites
• Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman 2000 Mesostigmata: Varroidae

Movie Clips

• Reversal of Parasitic Mite Syndrome
• Using the Detector Board
• Mite Drop after 50% Formic Acid
• Results of Feeding Honey-B-Healthy

Recent Articles

• Formic Acid Fumigator for Controlling Varroa Mites in Honey Bee Hives - James Amrine

Related Links

• Preliminary Results Of Our Four-fold Integrated Pest Management: (IPM) WVU Department of Entomology
• Formic Acid Safety Data - David A. Cushman

Previous versions of this page

• 2006 version
• Original site

Bob Noel, 108 Blackiston Ave., Cumberland, MD 21502, telephone 301-724-3529, is the brains behind our protocols. He is the inventor of Honey-B-Healthy® and of the 50% Formic Acid Fumigator.

This site is administered by Professor James Amrine, Entomologist & Acarologist, West Virginia University, Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, P. O. Box 6108, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6108, USA. Telephone: 304-293-6023, Fax: 304-293-2960, cell: 304-319-1310. E-mail: James.Amrine@mail.wvu.edu