Menthol placement on colony

The menthol packet should be placed as closely as possible to the top of the broodnest. Ideally, it should be underneath the winter stores and above the brood cluster. If the weather is expected to be cool to moderate, place the packet on the center of the top bars. If hot weather above 80 degrees F is expected for several days, place the packet on the back corner of the top bars and remove any entrance reducers. Adults clustering outside of the entrance ("hanging out") is normal during warm afternoons, especially during menthol treatment. However, if more than half of the colony is hanging outside the entrance, relocate the menthol packet to a back corner of the bottom board. Return the packet to the top of the broodnest if the weather moderates.

Menthol should remain in the colony for 4 to 6 weeks after application. At the end of this time, and prior to wintering, the packets should be removed from colonies. Any remaining menthol can be combined with that left from other colonies and stored in a plastic container in the freezer for reuse next year. If more than 1/2 of the original amount of menthol remains in the packets, it is unlikely that the colony received an effective menthol treatment.

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