Hi All
 
There have been a number of interesting posts on this. I have heard
some things here in South Africa that may also be of interest. (My
bees are of a similar temperament to EHB's under most situations)
 
A horse is a big animal that can sweat. Bees dont like that smell. If
a bee stings a horse, alarm pheremone and others get trapped in the
hair, rather than blowing away as they would on a smooth skinned
animal. So the horse retains it's 'marker' for longer. Horses are
usually dark, and noisy and produce a lot of respiratory gases. They
are also herbivores and produce a lot of waste gasses.
 
Many many horses die in South Africa every year because people tether
then near hives. If somebody disturbs a hive, the horses will suffer.
 
Worse though are cows. I had a rather embarrasing incident at a farm
recently when I set up ten hives near a dairy. I moved the hives in
at night and came back the next day after bee oreintation time
(11.00) to take braces of the frames. After I had done this I sat
down to eat lunch under the flowering gum tree grove which made me
bring the bees in the first place. Three cows came up to the biggest
hive and the firts one sniffed the top super. The next cow walked
directly into the first cow, so that it nosed the super of the hive.
The first cow got stung, nocked over the hive next to it and all hell
broke loose. All three cows got stung. These are prize dairy cows
producing 30  Litres of milk a day.
 
That night I moved the bees away again.
 
Keep well
 
Garth
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
Eastern Cape Prov.
South Africa
 
Time = Honey
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