>> Yesterday, despite being stung dozens of times during the day's inspections > >Perhaps you need to start selecting for better tempered bees? Maybe. Unfortunately, I work with other people's bees, not mine, as an apiary inspector. The beauty of owning your own bees is in having everything the way you want it. I run into such things as telescoping outer covers used without inner covers -- removing these is a nightmare. Hives with seven supers full of honey and the brood is in the first box under the queen excluder. Plastic frames that get stuck to the frames above and make separating the boxes nearly impossible. Hives that are opened only once a year, -- by me. All these things rile 'em up. But the day I was referring to was spent battling in dark forested woodland apiaries on an overcast day at the end of a spell of bad weather. I always worked bare-handed in ordinary clothes (well, light blue denim). Some days I don't get stung, others hundreds of times. No swelling or ill effects. not bragging, just telling it like it is pb **************************************************** * General Information About BEE-L is available at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm * ****************************************************