Regarding Adrian's anecdote:
 
  I often look at one beekeeper's bees until done.  This is
usually wonderful work and takes me through beautiful countryside. Each bee
yard has a different flavor and feel and the bees seem to behave well on
good sunny days with ample pollen and nectar flowing in.
The beekeepers I work with average 600 colonies and pollinate early before
moving the bees to summer yards.
 
  After pollination I look at 600 - 800 colonies before the main honey flow
starts (Tulip Poplar) and am usually rushed to finish. Understandably the
beekeepers would rather me not going through their bees during a honeyflow.
So, knocking out 4 or 5 yards a day is what I try to aim for: 80 to 100
colonies a day absolutely optimum, 50 average.
 
  I do not wear gloves and if warm enough, short sleeves. I always wear a
veil, and recommend you do too, or have one handy as someone recently
suggested. I try to have extra equipment in my truck for observers or just
in case.
  Well, I was trying to finish up one beekeepers and start another, the
weather had been lousy and here finally was a good few days, great, I'd get
this guy done. I was in a beautiful yard with an expansive view of the blue
ridge mountains, the air was shimmering, the pasture so green it hurt to
look at it for too long, and I was looking at bees, something I seem to
like to do. Then, I ran into one of those mean hives.
  Some yards have mean hives some do not.Some are filled with them. The
bees are mean. They sting you. They sting you often. Not much to do, get
stung and be as careful and quick as possible. So I ran into the meanest
hive of the year in this beautiful yard. 4, 5, 6 stings with the cover and
inner cover off, smoke? Yup. Well I had better get my gloves.
Go to truck, get out gloves right? No, you got it. No gloves. No extra
gloves. I remembered my daughter playing with them. I had forgotten to put
them back in the truck. Oh well, then I remembered my surgical gloves I
used to apply Apistan strips with when surveying for Varroa. This will work
fine I hoped. It didn't. I felt like a jumping bean, finishing up that
hive. The owner always likes to have notes left on the top if I find any
problems, in crayon. You can imagine what I left for him...
And the gloves? They looked like porcupine skin. Why? Who knows,
The bees do.
 I always remember to keep those gloves around. I think that beekeeper
re-queened his hive too after my note :)
Adam
 
 
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Adam Finkelstein  VDACS Apiary Inspector 116 Reservoir St Harrisonburg VA 22801
703-433-1006 (V)   703-434-5607 (Fax)   703-564-4394 (Pager)
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