> I get the feeling that some of those who have been commenting on Bee
Blowers
> have never used one!  There certainly is a lot of 'bad' information going
> around.

I get the same impression.  When people pan a product or device that
everyone else uses happily and routinely, they probably just haven't
figured how to use it properly yet, and I think that this must be the case
here. Using a blower (with or without chute) correctly and effectively
seems pretty obvious to me, and I learned very quickly, by myself, by
experimentation, but I have been amazed recently to discover that some
pretty smart people can use a blower every day for weeks without figuring
out how to get the best results and minimize bad effects. It's true.  I've
seen it first-hand and close-up.

Bee blowers are a useful tool, but, as with any tool, there are situations
where that tool may be indispensable, and other situations where it may not
work at all, or where another tool works much better. There is no perfect,
universal method of removing bees, or we would all be using it, in every
situation, every time.  Let it suffice to say that a blower is a very handy
item to have, and a beekeeper with only one bee removal method is like a
carpenter with a hammer, but no saw or screwdriver.

Professional quality blowers normally need not be operated at -- or even
near -- maximum air velocity, any more than a car should be driven at top
speed at all times.  The speed should be adjusted to the minimum that does
the job well.  Ample *volume* of air, proper set-up, timing and technique
are usually far more important than the maximum velocity the blower can
produce.

Due to the weather lately, and the experience levels of our field crew, we
have been using blowers to remove honey.  We normally prefer abandonment
(see archives).   At any rate, a little while back, I put a few pictures on
the web at
http://www.internode.net/honeybee/diary/2002/Diary082002.htm and
http://www.internode.net/honeybee/diary/2002/Diary081002.htm#blow
showing a bee blower in action.  The pages don't address all the basic
details, but do show one in use.

I might mention that I have also recently been using some Honey Robber
since the weather has improved, but not enough to use abandonment safely.
I'd try Jim's new product  ( http://www.bee-quick.com/ ) since I understand
that it smells a touch nicer than butyric, but unfortunately our co-op
promises to reject honey taken with any but a few approved products due to
regulations in some importing countries, so I am stuck with butyric until
we get approval to try Bee-Quick. FWIW, there has been a some fairly recent
discussion about the product on sci.agriculture.beekeeping for those who go
there from time to time.

allen
http://www.internode.net/honeybee/diary/