"Lipscomb, Al" wrote:

> After reading all the postings I decided to see what effect the water would
> have on the hive.   >>>

> I filled a spray bottle
> with cold water and ice chips so the water would also serve to cool the
> beekeeper in the heat.
> I worked two hives with this. >>> After I was done the hive seemed calm.

Hi, all :
(Catching up after several weeks investigating the wonders of the sciatic
nerve.)
We have had several encounters with water sprayers here in Tucson - -

  - Liz Coe brought back the technique from Germany after her year there - works
really slick on queen nucs.

  - The late great Jim Smith of Yuma, Arizona used a small spray bottle on
Africanized bees the first time he saw them in central America, and basically
said " what's all the fuss about these bees ?"  I believe his idea might have
been to wash some of the pheromone out of the air and off of the bees.

  - Since then, the technique has only been used sporadically, once by a
visiting Liz Coe during a "demo" of AHB for a large group of beekeepers. She
added a small amount of a flower scent (I believe she said it was a homeopathic
"remedy"), and the bees really behaved themselves !! (which, of course, "ruined"
the AHB demo).

It's my understanding that sprayers especially made for this purpose are
available in Europe, but the 99 cent variety works fine here. I like the idea of
the ice. How about a low volume mist system such as some outdoor restaurants and
patios use here, to keep a entire small apiary at bay while it is being worked
.... anybody in Texas want to try this ??

--  John
-----------------------------------------------------------
John F. Edwards
Biological Lab. Technician
Carl Hayden Bee Research Center
Tucson, Arizona 85719
http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/home/edwards/index.html