In a message dated 2/26/99 7:55:44 AM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: > The best tip I know of regarding vandalism is to place your hives where > vandals won't find them. Right on, Aaron. Along the same line; a favorite mistake of many beekeepers is to paint their hive white. Paint them a more neutral color, so they don't stand out so much. Again, a hive that's not noticed, is much less likely to be vandalized A local painter drains all his used paint cans into a five gallon pail. He gets some interesting colors, browns, grays, greens.....I love it. He supplies me with all the paint I need for a few honey jars. Also, most vandalism occurs the first year the bees are situated in a spot. Generally people who know about them have accepted them and don't bother after that. I have very little vandalism in bee yards, but do have some each year in the fields. When you do pollination, you should figure some vandalism as part of the cost. [log in to unmask] Dave Green Hemingway, SC USA The Pollination Scene: http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html The Pollination Home Page: http://www.pollinator.com Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles) http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm