>I know several folks that preferred to do nothing during a "FULL MOON" in
>Southeast Asia and I suspect that would include honey gathering.  Some
>superstitions result from facts associated with different purposes and like a
>government policy (error repeated over time),  they stick with us.  In any
>event, do bees react differently during phases of the moon?
 
2 years ago we bought 50 hives from an extremely laid-back Australian
beekeeper.  He recommended leaving hives alone during the full moon on the
theory that there was an increase in honey flow during this time and robbing
the hives then disturbed the pattern.  He only opened the hives once every 4
weeks, just after the full moon. My feeling is that the timing suited his
personal lifestyle.  He sold the hives because of back problems rather than
lack of honey production.
 
Local beekeepers have told me that when the Sugar Gum really yields
(Eucalyptus Cladocalyx) the bees will work the blossoms by moonlight.  Sugar
Gum yields every year but approximately 1 in 3 is supposed to be a bumper
year.  Hasn't happened yet over the last 5 years but there's always hope.
 
Betty McAdam
HOG BAY APIARY
Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island
j.h. & e. mcadam<[log in to unmask]
http://kigateway.eastend.com.au/hogbay/hogbay1.htm