On Mon, 3 Feb 1997, Barry Birkey wrote:
 
> Vince Coppola wrote:
>
> > Just look at
> > the way we "judge" honey". A bunch of hicks stand around in coveralls
> > and stare at jars of honey. If it is clear and the jar has no flaw, you
> > win. Compare this to the way wine is judged. Its just another ag
> > product, but by the time it gets to the consumer- magic.
>
> That's right Vince, I think they ought to grab a handful of John/Jane Doe bystanders
> and let them decide which honey they would judge as "best."
 
> I think the saying, "the customer is always right" holds alot of truth too when it comes
> to judging honey.
 
 Hi Vince and Barry + All, I do think the customer is the real judge.The
problem is each one is a little different. I had some dark honey that I
thought I would wholesale out. I took some to the Farmers market and sold
2 cases in 2 hours. Whitin 2 weeks it was all sold and had people begging
for more. So I have to go along with ( the customer is always right ).
 
 
> The condition of bees here are very similar to Jerry's report. Looked in the top on all
> hives and saw healthy bee activity and little moisture. I did nothing different to the
> hives to "winterize" them.
 
 We had sun in western Washington State yesterday and my bees were flying.
They were bringing in some pollen. I uncovered a few annd they look
great.I will be doing splits and feeding.
 I did cover all of my hives with 1 or 2 inches of insulation plus a board
with some baffles on it to help get the moisture out.It did get the
moisture out of the bees but not out of the board. I have to go back to
the drawing board with that one.
 The Bees do look great and now we will see if the build up is any
different with the hives treated with pepermint oil and apistan. My one
untreated hive is full of bees , but they are a little too aggressive for
me. I will breed from the hive.
 Best Regards
  Roy