On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 16:20:22 -0500, Mark Hubbard <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Mark wrote:

I'm not suggesting anyone move to night handling but I
>was surprised that not one bee seemed phased by me popping off the inner
>cover. What's the deal with bees at night?
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Dear Mark,

Here in South Africa most, if not all bee handling is done at night. This
is done because our bees are extremely defensive of their hive, queen,
honey and brood. I personally don't like working at night because of the
bees crawling all over. They usually cluster on your back because of your
body heat.

I must agree that the bees are more “docile” when working them at night.
Here, it is not a good idea to start working any hive at midday. My
activities usually start at dusk and end before it gets too late because of
safety reasons.

Sincerely,

Glen

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