At 03:18 PM 9/21/05 -0400, you wrote:
>Just a curious thought as I read all the discussion about breathing on
>bees:
>What if the beekeeper is a 'human smoker'?
>Or are beekeepers by nature non-smokers?

I don't think so.

>Surely somebody has done it, and can add a little diversity to this
>discussion.
>

I am regrettably, a smoker. I have not noticed any bee-havior any different
from what other people have already mentioned on this list. My breath is
apparently no more nor no less offensive to bees than that of a non-smoker.
I too blow gently on bees to get them to move. They generally just move,
they don't flip out, keel over, or otherwise act any differently than they
do when they encounter non-smoker's breath.

Obviously, I don't smoke with my veil on and I've never blown tobacco smoke
on my bees. It's bad for people, it can't be good for bees :)

>I am not about to take it up just to experiment.

I wouldn't bother. If you're inclined to experiment however, I have heard
that bees react adversely to alcohol on one's breath- that might be more to
your liking- in the name of science of course :)

George-

---------------------------------------
George & Nancy Fergusson
Sweet Time Apiary
326 Jefferson Road
Whitefield Maine 04353
207-549-5991
http://www.sweettimeapiary.com/

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