Hi All
 
In a recent post Sid Pullinger mentioned that he once bought an old
button to replace a lost buttong on his apiary jacket. (Wow a button
up jacket - here we have to use velcro and even then more than a
hundred crawlers have managed to get me at times)
 
Well a few days I was playing chace the dog bone with my young and
exuberant ridgeback. I jockingly put the bone on the entrance of one
of my hives because I know he is terrified of bees and would not go
near. The bees went balistic and covered the bone, stinging it (bones
can be stung!!) and then covering the whole front of the hive in a
mass of bees. I thought that was interesting.
 
But now that makes me think - Sid mentioned that certain individuals
get stung more often than others and that it may be body chemistry
reflected in breath. Previously I have mentioned that there is in
africa also a question of race with how bees react.
 
My deep down feeling is it has something to do with fat metabolism.
Note the bone was covered in dog spit. The dog had been running
around - some fat break down products will be acetates that will come
out on the breath and may tirgger the bees. Just my theory.
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
PS - For what its worth discovered that it is possible to be stung
over 150 times in half an hour and still have a full days beekeeping
ended with an hour of e-mail!
---
Garth Cambray       Kamdini Apiaries
15 Park Road        Apis melifera capensis
Grahamstown         800mm annual precipitation
6139
Eastern Cape
South Africa               Phone 27-0461-311663
 
3rd year Biochemistry/Microbiology    Rhodes University
 
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post in no way
reflect those of Rhodes University.