In a message dated 97-08-28 06:29:57 EDT, you write:
 
<<
 I have had real good luck by removing the supers during the evening
 hours and collecting them early the following morning before the hives
 become too active.  The supers without brood are usually bee free and
 what few frames that have bees covering brood (usually drone brood) are
 quickly taken care of with either smoke, the bee brush or are left out
 to be clean up by robbers.  No mess, no stink and best of all, no mad
 bees.
  >>
  This year I have bee brushed 25 hives- a little time consuming but it works
just fine.  When I encounter brood in the honey supers it all  gets combined
in one super and put on the weakest hive. The remaining hives get apistan for
fall and the hive with the brood gets a queen excluder. When the brood is
hatched out the super goes above the inner cover to be moved down by the bees
and the brood chamber gets its apistan as well.  Usually a week or so after
the other hives.
 Most of my hives are in friends yards in groups of four or so so this
probably wouldnt work for the big guys.
Tom