Al's post taday reminded me about this: (that's why I relay *some* carefully selected chatter on Best of Bee. It makes one think sometimes). While I was at the AFB Convention, I ran into a large commercial beekeeper from California and we caught up on things, since I hadn't been to see him for ten years (exactly). Of course he had a lot of interesting things to say, but here's one for the list... He says that when he is working bees that sometimes they get very hostile, and attack some particular member of his crew. What does he do? Well, he keeps a can of 'Deep Woods Off' in each truck and just sprays the worker and the air around him with the stuff and the bees leave him alone for a half hour or so. Now I had often wondered about using bug repellants, but felt it would be inhumane to spray bees with stuff that makes them want to get away from themselves, but sometimes we get desperate. So there you go... Regards Allen W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask] Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>