Hi Bob,

> Its no wonder my friend Keith says he does not need smoke. Leave alone hives
> normally has around 30,000 bee populations. Try working a two queen hive
> with an honest 100,000 population without a smoker? My production hives run
> 60,000 plus in two deep and without supers will not fit in both boxes when
> supers are pulled. I have learned a method to maintain the 60,000 population
> even when a flow is not on which is what I do if I need  super strong hives
> later on. Also got methods to lose old bees and reduce the hive polulation
> fast if needed.
> 

Very impressive!!!

Good to know I am a friend. Your not the only one with large populations of bees in the colonies you keep. You could have said basically what you said above without taking an unjustified stab at me and my name, or were you referring to another Keith that does not use (need) smoke any longer? 

So you really think I leave alone the colonies I keep? The one statement about two queen hives with large populations is in my apiaries and even though they do have large populations as you state there are quite a few stings that are generated but still with no smoke I notice better results working them. Right now as winter is fast approaching the colonies I keep are still populous. Many more than just you have tricks to boost or reduce populations as needed in a colony. 

If we are friends you should know more about me or at least ask me things before using me for a poor example in a public forum when in reality the statement you made above is total conjecture and not very realistic to the real picture of my beekeeping. You could call me and apologize and learn more about me besides what you read in these emails, which are in my opinion very impersonal. Although these emails are impersonal they do get a little personal when you make such big assumptions as you did with the statements above.

I never said I did not need smoke I said I no longer use smoke, in simple terms there are better ways to manage bees than with smoke.

Please call first and get your facts straight;
907-242-0588
907-688-0588

Queens for local conditions in my opinion are just what should be used and this in fact is just what I am focusing on in my breeding of bees and my work on improving my beekeeping in Alaska and for others in the future.

 . ..   Keith Malone, Chugiak, Alaska USA, http://www.cer.org/,
c(((([ , Apiarian, http://takeoff.to/alaskahoney/,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akbeekeepers/ ,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Norlandbeekeepers/ ,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ApiarianBreedersGuild/

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