> >Sadly bees don't *like* dogs. > This is unfortunate. My neighbor's yard abuts on my yard about 12 feet > from my hive. They have 2 Labrador Retrievers and a small mixed breed... > I wasn't even aware that bees don't like humans' breath until I read the > article in ABJ. I am starting to notice a lot of generalizations creeping into discussions. About bees. About dogs. About everything. Generally speaking, generalizations are of limited usefulness at best, and can create fear and misunderstanding at worst. There are a lot of different bees in different places and a lot of different dogs and a lot of different owners of each, and a lot of different regions and climates where all the possible permutations and combinations of the above can come together -- and a lot of possible interpretations of what happens when they do... Some bees are vicious. Some owners are not careful how they handle them. Some bees that are quite nice to manage and be around in one region become hot when moved to another. Most, if not all, bees are meaner in one season of the year than another. Some dogs are big and black and stink. Some dogs are small and white and tiny and smell better than their owners. Some bees react adversely to human breath and others retreat when gently blown upon. I have had dogs around bees with few problems. Of course there is always a training period during which an inquisitive dog learns about bees and to keep an appropriate distance, but usually in my experience dogs are quick learners and can figure out the deal if they are not tethered or confined near the hive with no escape. Confined or restrained and unsupervised animals (or people such as children or invalids) being tethered or fenced or parked in the vicinity of active bee hives is not IMO, a good idea. Unanticipated things can happen to provoke bees and they are not always discriminating or predictable in the chosen targets of their defensive behaviour -- or the extent of their reaction. It is very hard to generalize with any certainty, but potential incidents are foreseeable to some extent, as are the consequences. Where the consequences are more likely and more severe, more caution is prudent. As for breath and bees, I often blow gently on bees to get them moving them on a brood comb being inspected, and sometimes I am not wearing a veil when I do so. allen http://www.internode.net/HoneyBee/