In a message dated 1/18/01 11:58:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Weighing out a pound of bees, and then counting them is
 made very difficult by the bees' annoying habit of constantly
 buzzing their wings.  This constant buzzing offsets the
 apparent weight by a considerable amount, and may create
 a situation where the entire mass of bees takes flight solely
 due to the efforts of the outermost bees. >>

   A thinking friend of mine found a practical use for this phenomenon.
Knowing that his truckload of bees was overweight, and not wanting to pay a
fine, he stopped just short of the weigh station. He took the club that
truckers normally use to check their tires and walked all around his load,
rapping the hives. The bees got excited and many became airborne inside the
hives. Then he confidently passed the scales, knowing that his load was
lighter. The weighmaster gave him the "Go" signal and he went on his way.

Dave Green
The Pollination Home Page: http://pollinator.com