> Traditionally, keeping your bees healthy mean suiting up, donning your gloves, getting your smoker fired up, smoking the bees to calm them down, cracking the lid of the box, using your bee tool to loosen the frames, lifting the frames out, and then examining your bees carefully.

I am sorry, but this is the same rationale used in promoting the flow hive: that beekeeping is onerous and should be avoided. Welcome to a new generation of "bee havers" who never learn the necessary skills and knowledge required to do beekeeping!

"Suiting up, donning your gloves" -- look at photos of actual beekeepers. Most don't wear gloves, nor don suits, because they know how to handle hives properly. "Examining your bees carefully." Does that sound like a huge chore to you? 

We hear the same thing about medical care: soon a computer will be able to diagnose your problems, just give one drop of blood and we can tell you all about your health. Honestly, I don't buy any of the so-called shortcuts. 

Peter L Borst

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