I have searched this website as well as another on the DIY Honey Bee Healthy formula. The smallest quantity I have found, is for a 1 gallon batch-which if I read it right, only requires 2 tbsp of the product per gallon of feed. Being that I have only one fridge, I have no where to store a gallon, in particular for the time it would take me to use that amount a few tbsp's at a time. Does anyone here mix their own in a much smaller scale? And if so could ya please post what your formula is or if it's even worth doing?
Can't you just cut the recipe 1/2 or 1/4?
Scott
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,27437.msg215640.html#msg215640 (http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,27437.msg215640.html#msg215640)
I copied this from one of the links above
Tom
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Again, I'll apologize ahead of time for the fact that this may be a stupid set of questions but I think I must be missing something here.
I've been reading about grease patties and Honey B Healthy and menthol and I am more confused then ever.
So here's the thing - the wintergreen grease patties are to help control varroa mites. The Honey B Healthy (spearmint and lemon grass oils) are to help boost the general health of the hive to stave off viruses etc. transmitted by varroa. Menthol is to keep away wax moth and tracheal mites.
Can't I combine these things?
In other words - can I make a grease patty that has wintergreen, spearmint, lemon grass and menthol in it? Would the bees be hurt by ingesting any of these things? Do they actually EAT a grease patty or is is just distributed through the hive as the bees rub against the thing and dismantle it to remove from the hive? If they don't eat the grease patty can I reverse this and make a Honey Bee Healthy that includes wintergreen and menthol that they would ingest?
Here are the two recipes I am going on right now FYI:
" 'Honey Bee Healthy' Recipe
5 cups water
2 1/2 pounds of sugar
15 drops each of spearmint and lemongrass oils
1/8 teaspoon lecithin granules
You have to dissolve the granules in very hot (almost boiling) water and let it cool prior to incorporating the oils into the mixture. The lecithin is an emulsifier and helps disperse the oils in the water mixture.
Wintergreen Grease Patty
4.4 pounds (1814.4 g) of granulated sugar
3 ounces (88.8 ml) of corn oil
1.5 Pounds (680.4 g) of vegetable shortening
1 pound (463.4 g) of honey
1/2 Pound (226.8 g) of mineral salt
2.2 ounces(65 ml) of wintergreen oil.
Thanks.
Quote from: hardwood on November 10, 2010, 11:55:42 AM
Can't you just cut the recipe 1/2 or 1/4?
Scott
If you had seen my math scores in college you wouldnt have asked that :-D
Thanks for the links. I promise Ive searched here to keep from posting-must have not used the right keywords :idunno:
Trouble with the math? Follow my method. Make the big batch, then pour half out. Look at what you got, if it is still too much, pour some more out. What you have left is just the little bit you need. :-D
Well...since you put it that way lol
I won't lie to you, I had to take math 151 twice in college. Then I found a major that needed to other math credits to graduate. BA in Anthropology. :-D