Aaron says that New York beekeepers would surely lose a Christmas gift goose
feather by New Years.  That "cold weather" that Aaron talks about sure does a
lot of things that Maryland weather does not seem to do, or is it that the
New York beekeepers are different from Maryland beekeepers?

Many years ago, I noticed the success that Ann Harman (then living in
Maryland) had
moving bees with a goose feather, and the bees didn't seem to mind it a bit.
Seeing
a good thing, I have always kept some goose feathers around my tool box for
moving bees.

At the risk of prolonging this multitude of comments about brushing bees, let
me say, BRUSHING BEES MAKES BEES MAD AND THEY STING.  I move bees quite
easily by just touching them with my bare fingers, and they gently scurry
away, but NEVER WITH GLOVES!  Bare fingers are not normal in a bee hive, so
bees move away from bare fingers.

Before someone says "Is George crazy?", why don't you try it and find out for
yourself.

George Imirie