Thymol treatment recipe

Ingredients

  • 100 grams Thymol crystals (handle with care – avoid skin contact)
  • 200 grams PURA or other pure vegetable fat (no additives, preservatives or emulsifiers)
  • 700 grams Castor Sugar

(sufficient for about 12 colonies)

Instructions

Melt the PURA in a saucepan and allow it to cool until warm to the touch. Put the castor sugar into a plastic container and thoroughly mix in the Thymol crystals until all lumps are broken down. Add the sugar/Thymol mixture to the melted Pura and mix thoroughly until the mixture is the consistency of a paste. If well sealed the mixture may be stored in the bottom of a refrigerator for up to 12 months.

Usage

On a piece of grease-proof paper about 10cm x 15cm spread the mixture so that it is about 5mm thick and place on top of the brood frames. The Crown board should allow a bee space above the paste. All ventilation should be closed except a 10cm wide entrance. Refresh the mixture very two weeks until the drop falls below 2-3 mites per week.

The ambient temperature needs to be above about 15°C unless the hive is insulated. Expanded polystyrene works well (about 25mm thick) and can be left on all winter.

Note: do not apply the Thymol treatment when supers are still on. It is also advisable to remove excess winter stores in the spring before the bees transfer it into the supers.