What's going on here?

[The Drone Ranger]

I was tested for Lymes disease a couple of years ago as I do pick up the odd tick now and again. Got attacked by deer flies a few days ago while fishing. Horrible things. Today, I tried the tarantella treatment to see if that helped the arm swelling to go down. Seems to have helped!

Dancing round like a dervish to Led Zep with the divining rod between your teeth was my next suggestion.
I think there is a bit of toast in my mead but it could be a deer fly
A touch of thymol in your tea should keep the ticks at bay

[gavin]

If you decide to follow DL's advice I demand that Mr Trog record the event on video (even as a photo at a pinch). I'll gladly host the files on SBAi.

I've been throwing thymol in spirit into large vats of warm syrup in the last few days and the fleas are jumping off me.

Hope that you are feeling better Trog, DL's posts surely help with that!

[Trog]

In my case the tarantella treatment involved some vigorous exercise in the form of digging spuds! Seemed to help at the time.

[The Drone Ranger]

In my case the tarantella treatment involved some vigorous exercise in the form of digging spuds! Seemed to help at the time.

Jon recons boiled then fried is the healthy option

Treat yourself to a low calorie mars bar (that's one without the batter)

[Trog]

Droney, I may be Glaswegian but I've never been able to face a whole Mars Bar, battered or not. I can just about manage one over a week, kept in the fridge and cut into 1cm slices, but it's not my chocolate of choice. Very very dark chocolate is more my style, and that only at the rate of one square every other day.

[Jon]

Dancing round like a dervish to Led Zep with the divining rod between your teeth was my next suggestion.

My vote goes to Black Dog.

[Trog]

I've had the results from SASA - acarine. Suggestions for treatment, please?

[Jon]

Acarine is the Black Dog diagnosis as it is difficult to treat.

Not many options.
There is some literature about grease patties being effective but I would be inclined to let them go if you have other healthy colonies which are not displaying the symptoms.

[gavin]

Dave Cushman has details of grease patties if you wish to give that a go and can get the ingredients.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/acarinetreatment.html

However colonies' powers of recovery are low at this time of year. But if they do survive earmark them for re-queening and keep their drone production low.

[Neils]

Thymol should be effective against acarine too.

Perhaps not a great suggestion at this time of year given the temperatures and I've no idea if you can use a lower concentration than you would for varroa.