Kim Rupert wrote about marigold is a spider-mite magnet and as if these flowers spontanenously generate spider mites! My Eglantyne was right next to a marigold! I could not get rid of spider mite until I moved the rose to a different location and alcohol its infected part. According to Field Roebuck, garlic chives deter both spider-mites and aphids. Garlic chives is very invasive and time-consuming to kill. Cutting the flowers off is a must, before they seed everywhwere! If not, you'll spend eternity digging zillions of tiny bulbs. Hi JeriJen: it's amazing that miticide can melt a plastic spoon. I was spraying a hornet nest, and the chemical got on my t-shirt, went through the fabric and burnt my skin. The hornet and wasp spray is cheap, like $2, but extremely poisonous. One guy didn't wash his hands after spraying, ate a sandwich, had a seizure and went into a coma. He had a near-death-experience, and was hospitalized for 6 months. He had to learn how to walk all over again. They should ban insecticides altogether. I told my hubby how the wasp spray burnt my skin, he went out there and dismantled the nest with a stick. It did the job, no need for spray.

I treated with Bayvarol last october and november. It was the official treatment. I had been treating with thymol since the year 2000. Thymol works, but it is complicated. You can see that I have regular, no spotted, brood. Here is a link that might be useful: rosemary honey in february

As a hobby bee keeper try to do without any. Most, if not all larger scale bee keepers here treat them with allot of chemicals! Why?? I only guess because they can simply not monitor all 1000 plus hives as close as I can do with less then 10 hives. It's their livelihood and don't want to risk high loss. That's why I believe my honey is much better then any in the store. It's worth every penny,..even if double in price. Also because my honey/source comes from mostly wild flowers, bees are far away from huge, one sided nectar source like canola etc. For about 20 years or so, I plant lots of trees & shrubs to provide even more flavor to the honey. Don't let the combs get too old, 3 or 4 years max. give them some new one's in the middle for brood every year. I know of a smaller commercial bee keeper who doesn't use antibiotic, he's the only one around here who can sell he's honey to Germany. I'm trying to follow he's advise,...so far I cut down in treatment for mites,..didn't treat all of last year, fall check was low in mite no treatment and all are thriving, I'll have to check now and decide. You can put some shallow combs in your deep,..they build/extend the frame with drone comb preferred by mites, cut them away. I don't do any antibiotic in spring, a little in fall with Fumagilin because bees are locked up most of the time due to cold temp. from Oct. to April. With new packages you should get away with no treatement for mites for at least one or two season,..again you need to check.

Are you using synthetic fertilizare?try changing to a granular and liquid organic fertilizer of some type even the miricle grow brand will do and a little superthrive.this will make the plant healthy and able to fend the mites off themselfs somewhat.as for the current infestation I would treat with liquid seaweed,neem oil,essential salts of fatty acids,spray use one each per week I would go ahead and strip any leaves that are damaged lets say about 50% or more as I feel the plants need as many leaves as possible to grow.Hope I dont sound like a tree hugging know it all but I made eliminating mites an obscession for a few years and this is what has worked for me and I am just trying to help mites and things are just an occaisional nuiscence for me now I used to raise them in great numbers. Good luck they can be maddening I lost many brugs to mites,aphids etc myself. Oh and spraying with seaweed about every 2 or three weeks will act as a preventative once the infestation is wittled down.