At 10:23 PM 7/16/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Does anyone know of special smoker fuel to sedate AHB?
>
>I heard that South African beekeepers use wood chips from a certain tree
to help calm the tenacity of AHB.
 
Blue Gum bark works well in the areas it grows in California.
 
>And I understand they also work them at night.
 
I am sure that beekeepers in South Africa are no different then those in
any other area and for each beekeeper you will find a different method of
working bees. At one time at least one beekeeper in SA worked his bees at
night as reported in the Bee Journal, but that only speaks for that one. I
have visited with one or two that worked at night but it is unclear if they
all do or still do it in the dark today.
 
I do know for a fact that some beekeepers in South Africa are very cautious
when working around bees. A friend passed on this info about a guest he had
in his apiary in Australia visiting from South Africa.
 
"I was showing this beekeeper my queen rearing system and he and I entered
our breeder and nuc yard which was back of the honey barn. I walked over
and opened the lid of one of my best breeder queens using only the smoke
from my ever present cancer stick and proceeded to pull out the center
frames to show my guest the brood pattern and queen. When I looked up from
my work I could find only the foot prints of my guest from Africa."
 
"I guess I should have warned him that the uniform for working bees in this
area of Australia is cut off's, short sleeve shirts, no bee veil, and as
little smoke as may be necessary. The only thing different from what I
learned in California is I have a Bush hat that replaced the ever present
baseball had seen at home"
 
>Looking forward to the day AHB arrives in Santa Barbara.
 
Well Paul,
 
If you really are interested in AHB I will send you the address of one
beekeeper who has them in Arizona and you could visit with him and I am
sure he would bee happy to give you a breeder queen so you can get a head
start on nature.
 
ttul, the OLd Drone