I also have used ammonium nitrate to calm an especially aggressive hive so I
can work on it -- I read this in one of the bee magizines 5-10 years ago--
use only a small amount, 1 teaspoon per smoker , placed on top of the fuel
as to much can be harmful to the bees. I don't do this often but it does
seem to work when I want to work with the girls and they really don't wish
to be bothered.
  Dan Veilleux  Columbus , Ohio
 
At 09:11 PM 10/31/96 -1000, you wrote:
>I remember reading (about 30 years ago) that if one was to put a bit of
ammonium
>nitrate (now, it has been a .ong tiome and the chemists out there will be able
>to tell us if I came up with the correct compound) in your smoker it would
>produce laughing gas and put the bees to sleep. When they woke up their
memoties
>would be blank (well somewhat blank) and one could move the hive a few feet or
>yards and they would orient themselves to the new location and never remember
>where the hive had been before.
>
>This could also be used to sedate(hypnotize) an intansigent hive.
>
>On a similiar topicI remember reading in popular science about the same time
>that if one attached a transducer the vibrated at a certain frequency it would
>stop the bees from moving. I remember discussing this with Adrian Wenner about
>this time but we never came up with a test. No, I don't remember the frequency
>or decibles needed. My memory is pretty good but not perfect.
>
>