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