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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 21 Jun 2006 07:28:08 -0400
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>That said, there is no known disease called "beekeeper's lung",
>so while we certainly may inhale more smoke in a season than
>the average Boy Scout does on camping trips, it does not seem
>to be the source of any health problems, so we can all relax.

I was going to mention that, too. It seems to me that bee smokers fall
somewhere in between campfires and barbecues. But all life is about risk,
isn't it? I am certainly not going to give up barbecuing, not now that I
have gotten so good at it. The bee smoker is worth its weight in gold, IMO. 

Not using smoke on bees is like having your teeth worked on without
novocaine. Of course, it IS possible, and there are many people that prefer
it. To each his own. But I think smoke is a humane way to protect the colony
against much of the pain caused by our poking around in there.

A few whiffs of bee smoke during the day is probably less harmful than the
doses of bee venom one would get they didn't use smoke. Bear in mind, not
everyone has the luxury of having one or two gentle hives to open on a sunny
day. (Yesterday I was opening up dozens while the sky made up its mind
whether to rain again or not)

pb

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