GREASE PATTIES FOR MITES

...Crisco
...add sugar until the mixture is stiff "dough"
...8 drops Tea tree oil per pattie
...8 drops thymeoil per pattie
...8 drops wintergreen oil per pattie
...1/2 teaspoon either mineral or table salt per pattie

Use enough Crisco and sugar to make a pattie for each hive.The wintergreen oil and thyme oil work on the mites.The tea tree oil is good for combating fungus and bacteria.I suspect that it also helps to keep the nosema levels down.The salt is for salt.Bees need that too and will search for it in strange places if it isn't readily available.
I place 1 patty,about the size of a large hamburger patty,on top of frames in the brood chamber.Place the patties on a small piece of waxed paper.The bees will throw out the paper after they have consumed the patty.
These can be places on at any time of year when the temperatures are not high enough to melt the grease.
mineral salt is available from your farm supply store.
Tea tree oil is available from Walmart.
Wintergreen oil can be found at health food stores or ordered online. NOTE...keep some dish detergent and water available.You will have to mix the Crisco and sugar by hand and that gets messy.

2013 NOTE-The waxed paper isn't waxed paper anymore but some kind of plastic crap that the bees can't chew up and carry outside.I will use paper towels for the next batch.

May 2013.Trying something a little different.Given the garbage "waxed paper" available I decided to switch to paper towels soaked in vegetable oil,and with the essential oils listed above,mixed in well.Put these towels on eight hives today.I am assuming the bees will tear up the towels and throw them out the front door.In the process they should be well exposed to the vegetable oil. Will report back in a couple of days.I will also do a before and after mite count on the next group of colonies.