In a message dated 9/5/01 10:45:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> From what I was able to guess, based on the
>  weather we had in New England at the time, he was working his bees in
>  cool, overcast weather, which means they were all there and not
>  foraging, not a good time to work them.
>
    That Sunday there was some decent flow from Knotweed and a little from
Solidago. It was partly cloudy not terribly humid and a good bee day not 25
miles from Franklin And I worked a dozen hives in t shirt and painters bibs.
  I think he had a snotty supercedure which is something we all encounter
given time. That's one reason that marked queens are recommended. Rumor says
the hive was inhabited by a swarm. Swarms supersede the old queen once they
set up housekeeping.
   Most likely the combination of his physical condition and the fact that
it's hot heavy work is the real story and the fact that nobody got eaten by a
shark that day.