Making grease patties

[norton4325]

Hi everyone.  I am trying to make Wintergreen/salt grease patties for my bees and the recipe I have calls for wintergreen oil and mineral salt.  I don't know where to find these items and am wondering if I can substitute regular table salt for the mineral salt and just leave out the wintergreen oil?  Any help would be most appreciated!

[Irwin]

Try a health food store they should have what your looking for.

[BjornBee]

What are you using wintergreen/salt grease patties for?

[indypartridge]

What are you using wintergreen/salt grease patties for?

I'm curious as well.

And no, table salt is not a substitute for mineral salts.

[Bee Happy]

"salt" is a really generic chemical term for all kinds of (ionic) compounds that 'condense' when an acid and base neutralize each other.

[buzzbee]

mineral salt can usually be found at a farm supply store or maybe even some of the outdoor sporting good stores that sell salt licks.tractor supply may even have it,although I'm not sure if they have granular.

[beee farmer]

might wanna check this out before handling

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9925439

and or this:

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5880889_wintergreen-toxicity.html

[Finski]

.
Fist, wintergreen is poisonous to human, because the content must be very small, less than 0,04%

Second, bees do not need salt.

Third, you are making something which is not wise.

Detection in body fluids
Most instances of human toxicity due to methyl salicylate are a result of over-application of topical analgesics, especially involving children, some people have intentionally ingested large amounts of oil of wintergreen. Salicylate, the major metabolite of methyl salicylate, may be quantitated in blood, plasma or serum to confirm a diagnosis of poisoning in hospitalized patients or to assist in an autopsy.[12]

If you make the grease 1000 g, wintergreen must be under 0,4 g.
If you make 100 g, WG must be 0,04g

And why you do that.

[BEES4U]

Re:Making grease patties and why.

http://rnoel.50megs.com/GREASE.HTM

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa/GresPates.pdf

Regards,
BEES4U.com

[JackM]

Ok, interesting topic.

The mineral salt spoken of in the second link is a block of salt, 50 pounds, used for livestock.  It has essential mineral salts such as Mg, Fe, Na, Ca, etc.  A full round of what I call micronutrients.....needed by all living things.

The theory behind it makes sense to me and the period of use is during honey consumption versus conservation. 

Thanks for the links.

[Michael Bush]

The small hive beetles will love them.