So, last  night I'm  assembling what seemed like a bazillion                   
 frames, by hand, using a small tack hammer.   After  bending                   
 more  frame  nails than I can count I got to thinking that I                   
 would bend a lot fewer nails if they were lubricated.  So  i                   
 went  to  the  pantry  for some spray vegetable oil (product                   
 name PAM) and sprayed my nails, after which they  just  slid                   
 into the wood like a hot knife through butter.                                 
                                                                                
 The  drudgery of assembling frames let my mind wander, and I                   
 got to wondering how the first person who put Crisco  (solid                   
 vegetable shortening) in a hive came up with the idea.  What                   
 was  (s)he thinking?  Did (s)he just get back from warehouse                   
 shopping with a ton of Crisco in a shopping bag, and lacking                   
 a better place,  decide to store it in  a  beehive  only  to                   
 serendipitously  discover  a  beneficial  effect  in the war                   
 against tracheal mites?  Who thought this one up and how did                   
 they get the idea?                                                             
                                                                                
 And blissfully hammering away  at  my  now  PAMmed  nails  I                   
 couldn't help but wonder if PAM might be an effective treat-                   
 ment for tracheal mites!  It certainly helped my nailing, it                   
 makes  my  eggs  slide off the griddle, and it's not too far                   
 removed from the Crisco patties or vegetable oil soaked  pa-                   
 per  towels  that  have been discussed on this list.  And it                   
 would be far more convenient!  I imagined showing up with  a                   
 can  of  PAM and quickly spraying my bees and never worrying                   
 about tracheal mites again!!!  Please note, no mead was  in-                   
 volved in this thought process ;)                                              
                                                                                
 So anyway, any PAM guinea pigs out there?  The main ingredi-                   
 ent  is  cannola oil with other natural ingredients (natural                   
 butter flavoring?).  Anyone care to  speculate?    Wandering                   
 minds want to know....                                                         
                                                                                
 Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!