Tribute to my late sister
Marlene
B. Noel
"If I did one thing in my life, I hope I did something
for our earth" 
This Web Page and all of my future work will be dedicated
to my late sister Marlene B. Noel who passed away on January 31, 1998. She
gave me the idea of using essential oils in June of 1995. If it were not for
her none of my research and findings would have taken place.
In late June of 1995 while visiting my sister, I was
telling her about the Varroa mites and how they were decimating my hives and asked
her what I could use other than chemicals to control these mites. I told
her I tried cinnamon powder to some degree of success but not enough to make a
difference. She then reached in a cupboard and pulled out a small bottle
of wintergreen oil (the only bottle of essential oil in the cupboard) and told
me "this will work, but you will have to figure out how to use it."
A week or so afterwards I mixed up some 1:1 sugar water and poured about half
of the bottle (2cc's) of wintergreen into the sugar water and soaked a hive in
Parasitic Mite Syndrome covered with mites. The next day I found thousands of
dead mites on the bottom board of the hive with no mites visible on the bees.
I then pulled out a frame of brood and observed deformed bees hatching covered
with Varroa mites. As I watched I then had a thought "if that strong dose
killed the mites on the bees then a reduced dose fed to the bees may help the
health of the brood. " I then began to feed a 1.2cc per gallon dose of wintergreen
to three hives and a 1.2cc dose of spearmint to one hive on July 15, 1995. The
female mite enters the cell just before the bees cap the cell, so I figured in
about fifteen to sixteen days I would see healthy bees hatching from the cells.
To my amazement on August 2, 1995 I began to see healthy bees hatch even with
the presence of mites. Over the next few days I observed hundreds of bees hatch
in the four original treatment hives. I was ecstatic about my discoveries and
went to tell my sister about my findings. After I told her about my observations,
in her infinite wisdom she said "you know that your findings will not be accepted
in the academic community, and if you want to be successful you need to get the
word out to fellow beekeepers to help them save their bees and the earth. If you
go after money you will be a failure, if you are to get anything it will come
later. " She was right! I then told her I was going to contact some
universities and research centers. She told me to contact West Virginia
University, they will jump on your findings. She was right again. Two
days after I wrote a letter I got a call from Dr. Amrine and the next day he came
and we have been working together ever since. Of the other fourteen letters I
sent, two showed a little interest with no follow up.
My sister was beautiful inside and out and was graced
with many God given gifts and dedicated her life to
the noble cause of helping others. No one should be allowed to take credit
away from her for any reason for the good she did during
her life upon this earth.
I am going to miss her beautiful smile, caring nature,
her wisdom, guidance and especially her love. My goal
now is to grant her this wish, the only wish I can, that being she did something
to help our "earth" and to prove more than ever that our organic treatments
will work using the proper protocol to control parasitic mites and disease in
honeybees. I was denied fulfilling all other wishes and promises to her by the
sinful covetous nature of those masquerading
as angels of light, who came in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they were ferocious
wolves.
I dedicate this to her memory and the spirit of good
she kept alive, no matter what evil tried to sway her
even in her final hour.
Bob Noel