Hello everyone,
When talking to a non beekeeper, who lived in Africa for some years, I learned
about a practice of subduing the bees with ammonium nitrate crystals.  Some
crystals are added to the smoker and laughing gas is produced which calms the
colony also bees that have been so treated loose their memory and can be
relocated short distances without loss of flying bees.
 In Curiosities of Beekeeping by L.R.Croft he mentions various anaesthetics
including  ammonium nitrate but this is the only reference that I can find. Has
anyone had experience or knowledge of the use of this chemical and the effects
on the bees?
 As I live in Bathgate, Scotland ( Birth place of James Simpson, Father of
Anaesthetics) I would be interested  to hear of anyone's experiences with
subduing bees and their memory loss.
 
 
 
    Best wishes,
 
   Allister C. Guy.