I have done a few searches and no luck finding where to buy the right essential oils. I'm a little confused about which type to buy. Most I find are aroma therapy types and I don't think they are what is needed to use for bees. Do they have to be pharmacy grade, food grade, or what? Also where to buy them. Thanks...
I do purchase from various companies, but I like this company a lot.
You can at least read about the oils and how they make them, and what the differences are oils.
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/aroma/ess.html (http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/aroma/ess.html)
Thanks Annette :)
I purchase mine from swanson vitamins. I am an essential oil freak LOL. http://www.swansonvitamins.com/ (http://www.swansonvitamins.com/) All the oils I have bought from them I have either ingested, used on my pets, or used as poultices/rubs etc. and I am not dead yet :)
Oh yes they are also a very good place and cheap. But do read the Mt Rose Herbs and read about the differences in oils.
vitacost.com is also wonderful for their prices. And shipping is only $5.00 although I believe it is $5.00 for Swanson as well.
Good info Lori.
i get mine from ebay but i don't remember which company. i try to wait for one with free shipping. they run specials from time to time.
Quote from: annette on October 05, 2011, 08:10:19 PM
I do purchase from various companies, but I like this company a lot.
You can at least read about the oils and how they make them, and what the differences are oils.
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/aroma/ess.html (http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/aroma/ess.html)
Vote number 2 for Mountain Rose. We've been getting oils from them since '97. The Wife is a soap maker.
What are you guys doing with the oils? :?
Old Blue
Just plain screwed in
Kali-bone-ya
I like to add a drop of thyme and peppermint oil to each gallon the syrup they're fed. Along with a tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
Thymol is made from thyme. So a drop per feeding should be a nickels worth of prevention. The peppermint seems to make the syrup go down faster.
Thanks for all the input... big help!! I want Lemongrass oil and spearmint for sugar syrup feeding and I am planning to set up a couple of swarm traps next spring and I hear a little lemongrass oil helps to attract them. So, again, thanks for the help!
I don't use mine for the bees, but I find EOs at www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com (http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com). Good luck!
Hemlock
What does the thyme oil in your syrup prevent?
Old Blue
Abusively taxed in
Kali-bone-ya
https://wholesale.lorannoils.com/SignIn.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fDefault.aspx
not hard to set up a wholesale account
all food grade
you can call and ask for the beekeepers special and they claim you get the wholesale price but I went ahead and set up a wholesale account so I could order online on the wholesale side.
Therapeutic grade oils would be from Young Living Essential Oils http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/ (http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/)
These are probably the purest oils you will find on the market today, also priced accordingly.
Quote from: Old Blue on October 07, 2011, 01:57:32 AM
What does the thyme oil in your syrup prevent?
Nothing.
Arachnids aren't too fond of thyme i guess. So i add a little to the syrup to p*ss-off the varroa mites.
Dont forget the lecithin crystals for the emulsifier--or the oil wont stay mixed in the syrup it will float back to the top--RDY-B
.
We talk about essential oils. It means that they are volatile and stinks.
In practice in beekeeping it means thymol and its commercial product variants.
Of course you may imagin what ever but after researches thymol is best because it is easy to get advices how to use it.
My grand mo used to put campher on the sugar bit. It healed everything. Next generations did not used it.
yes but the poster wants to make a feed stimulant-he wont use thymol for that--RDY-B
Quote from: Finski on October 12, 2011, 03:01:57 AM
.
My grand mo used to put campher on the sugar bit. It healed everything. Next generations did not used it.
use windex = Greek Proverb :lau:
Tommyt
btw for my Italian bees I use Olive oil
Vodka for the Russian bees ;)
I've gotten my oils from Young Living also. These oils are the gold standard.
When I collect swarms, I always use a drop or two of lemongrass oil from this supplier on a cotton ball and dab some on the inside of the box I put the swarm into. The bees love it. After collecting a very large swarm , I got a call the next morning from the gal who originally contacted me. She said there were "thousands" of bees on the sidewalk in front of the tree I removed the swarm from. This got me curious. I rode over and sure enough, there weren't thousands but there were a good many bees on the sidewalk. A few hundred stragglers from the night before. They were gathering around the sodden cotton ball I dropped in the dark while it was raining. I scooped them up along with the cotton ball. I guess they'd have done the same with any brand lemon grass oil, but it was an interesting sight to see.
Tommyt... LOL!! my big, fat, greek wedding... I get it...
Haddon... hope you give 'em the cheap stuff... so do they make "spiked" honey????
rdy-b... I won't forget the lecithin... if I try to make the concentrate... when I get more hives it may be worth a try... but now it's less trouble to buy honey-b-healthy or Pro- Health in pints...
thanks for all the info... I'm ordering from Young Living... they are proud of their stuff... pricey but I don't need much. thanks again!
Quote from: rdy-b on October 12, 2011, 01:31:05 AM
Dont forget the lecithin crystals for the emulsifier--or the oil wont stay mixed in the syrup it will float back to the top--RDY-B
I don't use the emulsifier. The oil goes where the syrup goes. Which is in & on the bees. I never see any oil or oily build up in the hive top feeder. The bees seem to get all of it. Plus the bees drink from the top where the oil is.
Quote from: Hemlock link=topic= #msg289783 date=1318451041
Quote from: rdy-b on October 12, 2011, 01:31:05 AM
Dont forget the lecithin crystals for the emulsifier--or the oil wont stay mixed in the syrup it will float back to the top--RDY-B
I don't use the emulsifier. The oil goes where the syrup goes. Which is in & on the bees. I never see any oil or oily build up in the hive top feeder. The bees seem to get all of it. Plus the bees drink from the top where the oil is.
lecithin is cheap-mix into water then add oils -make syrup from that water-try it :) RDY-B
I wouldn't think young oils could be any better than https://www.lorannoils.com/ (https://www.lorannoils.com/) and lorann is not cheap reason I got the wholesale agreement and try and keep it active by buying for friends if they need any.
Lorann oils are made for candy production hence them being food grade.
Food Grade is always better than Therapy grade
And its what the fatbeeman suggest using.
Never use aroma therapy oils in feed they can be extracted chemically instead of the distillation process.
Correct me if I am wrong but when I go to young oils I find tons of message oils and I have know clue if they have to pass FDA inspection on message oils I know they don't on aroma therapy oils.