Chris joked:"  I bought a new boiler suit after the stinging episode and
have been back to
> that hive and the one next door since and the bees hardly looked at me.
Perhaps
> I should chuck the suit in the washing machine more often!"

Many a true word is spoken in jest.  Avoiding stings is important for all
beekeepers, as Hugo has explained.  So perhaps we should think more aout
what stimulates the stinging reflex.  Are we all agreed it is a defensive
behaviour, not natural aggression?  If so, what makes a colony feel it is
under attack ?  Usually, it is rough handling if I may judge from watching
at apiary meetings - and bees are very sensitive to vibration.  But bees
also have very acute sence of smell.  In UK, it is common practice to warn
people not to wear perfume or even sun blocker when going to bees - perhaps
that is continuance of old myths but I would not want to stop giving out
that advice.    But how often do we think of Chris' point - that when u
handle one colony you must to an extent pick up its unique scent,
particularly on your hands, to an extent on your jacket . Then we open the
next and thrust that scent into the heart of the new colony.  Bees are also
affected by weather - sometimes all is sweetness and sometimes they are
edgy.   I
 can often handle my colonies without a veil, but on bad days I wash off my
stingproof rubber gloves before opening the next hive.  Has anyone any
comment on the relative importance of the different  stimuli bees receive
that trigger off stinging?

To put the same question another way - what is a good list of do's and
don'ts to avoid stinging, for passing on to beginners.

Robin Dartington

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