Dear Tom & all:

As you know, Tom, I do not normally wear gloves.  Most of my hives can be
worked on without indicating their annoyance in any way.  I do, however,
have mean hives who attack in numbers on the slightest provocation.  Stings
hurt!!  I accept the odd sting as payment for a mistake made.  I would not
allow myself to receive 30-40 stings in a day.  I have listed several
techniques I use to limit the number of stings I                receive:
- Work on your bees on warm still days
        - Have your smoker going, but only use it if the bees show signs of
        resenting your intrusion, or you are going to do something that will
        disturb them (scraping burr comb off the top bars)
        - Do not look for the queen, but just signs of her activity ( eggs,
small
        larvae, nice brood pattern) unless you are planning to split the
hive or
        move frames of brood to another hive etc.
        - Be a wimp, work the mean hives last.
        - Use tobacco smoke on hives that don't like you.
        - Split only docile hives. (don't expand your problems)
        - Requeen mean hives with queens of known charisteristics.
        - If you come across the queen in your mean hive by luck or accident,
        treat her to a lesson in French history " Off With Her Head"

I hope you will cut my methods to pieces, endorse them or add to the list.

Bob Darrell
RR#2 Caledon
Ontario Canada
L0N1C0
44N 80W