Peter wrote "Just a thought that I had today whilst searching for the queen in a mildly defensive colony in a rather cool breeze - if you open and move an AHB colony, would they not 'fly freely' whatever the weather?" Once a government inspector came out to see if our bees just south of the Namibian border were still pure scuts, as everyone was and is worried about capensis takeovers. It was in the winter and we opened all the hives to take samples of each. It was freezing cold, and the bees couldn't move. It was about the most pleasurable beekeeping experience that I had in 9 years in Africa. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::