On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 10:00:57 EDT, Michael Housel <[log in to unmask]> wrote: It is 25 feet up on >the outside of a limb. No treatment with chemicals just and open air hive. > Michael Housel Orlandobee Sounds like a case where the bark is worse than the mite. Or better. Honey crop here is poor (central British Columbia 52N). Combination of drought, cold weather in July and mites. On the good years I have to keep cutting the grass under my bear fences. Only had to do it once this year, then all the grass died. Size of the honey crop also seems to increase with the number of nights it is so hot and humid that you have trouble sleeping. I have had trouble sleeping but only because the price of honey is so high and the amount I have to sell is so low. Had some hot weather in the last half of July that produced a record crop of grasshoppers and several local ranchers have been spraying for them. The bees would be pulling honey down out of the honey supers if there was any there to pull. I wish I was in Missouri. My worst honey spill occured when I was working for a beekeeper in Australia. To fill the barrels/drums I had to lay the barrel on it's side and fill it through a 2 inch bung hole. I was keeping an eye on it as I continued to extract but eventually started daydreaming about the theory of relativity, how the universe was formed and how to meet the girl next door etc. when suddenly the boss burst through the door and walked into a 2 inch deep lake of honey. Could have been worse. Could have been Canadian honey. ( just kidding, Australian honey is good, just like vegemite) Ted