# List of Beekeeping Rules



## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

#5 under watch your behavior. I blow on bees gently to get them to move over. Seems to work pretty well. 

to the general premise of not getting stung..Forget it. I use goatskin gloves because they offer a lot of protection, but if I catch a bee between the glove and something hard they will sting and it frequently goes through the glove.


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## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

Take a look at Michael Bush's website. Michael has some great info their.


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## cryptobrian (Jan 22, 2012)

> 8.	Young bees are guard bees and attack more often (less fury bees are younger and may not know you yet - inspect more often)


Less fury?
or Less furry?

But the less furry bees aren't the younger bees.

And I don't think the recommendation to inspect more often necessarily holds. Well, I'm not convinced that they "know you" at all. But if I were, I don't think training them via inspection would be the ticket. Inspection couldn't possibly be perceived by the bees as anything other than negative. So, what they would "know" or "learn" is that you are the one that disrupts their hive every time and so eventually just learn to sting you before you had the chance. If I thought I could train to recognize me as the compassionate care giver, maybe I'd just sit in front of the hive and feed them honey while I gently rub their belly.



Brian


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

#4 under behavior I disagree with. If you are going to try to push them gently you will roll them. A brush should be used as a violent "flick"


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

The brush to me is an emergency tool. There are may ways to make them move. I think the brush hurts.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

dsegrest said:


> The brush to me is an emergency tool. There are may ways to make them move. I think the brush hurts.


Ha ha right. I don't even remember where mine is anymore.


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

dsegrest said:


> #5 under watch your behavior. I blow on bees gently to get them to move over. Seems to work pretty well..


I too found that blowing on them gets them to move. Maybe they are running away from precieved Jaws of death?


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

cryptobrian said:


> Less fury?
> or Less furry?
> 
> But the less furry bees aren't the younger bees.
> ...


interesting... older bees are less furry?
I love being new at this thing.

I Just scrapped that whole rule.... Thanks!

What rules would you guys add to the list, that I missed?


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

heres a new one:

1. Bees dont like light inside their hive. The longer it is open the more agitated they get (try to have something covering the top of the open hive that you are not working on)

Bees also hate those stupid "BEESMART" white plastic lids.
I trashed mine, which came with my used hive, after my bees "blacked it out with wax" and practically welded it on when they did. (yes, it also came with no inner cover) another thing I fixed on the first dat it came home.


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## angel (Jul 23, 2013)

Don't eat bananas.
Alternative to use sugar water instead of smoker. 

Here are some more:
http://www.kybeeco.com/tips-beginners-beekeeping-safety-tales-apiary/


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## Agis Apiaries (Jul 22, 2014)

Steadfast,

I see you just joined the BeeSource forum today. Welcome!

How many hives do you manage? How long have you been a beek?


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

Less than a year.
But I also have a NC Certified Beekeeper, who lives 2 doors down from me, mentoring me as I go...
and the list above is some of the rules we have talked about... but never written down til now.

BTW
This is Photo of my VAST Beekeeping Empire!









At last full inspection he stated that my hive is increadibly healthy and strong 
He said "Ive never seen a healthier hive at this point in its development. I must admit I am jealous."
My response, "Well I have no idea how I did it, if I did anything at all."

Here are a few mor photos of my hives development.
I plan to split it into a second hive in March 2015


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## CessnaGirl (Jan 7, 2014)

Love your photos. So pretty and new. I like the extended boards to hold frames. Me, I'd be knocking holes in my knees and shins.


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## cryptobrian (Jan 22, 2012)

> interesting... older bees are less furry?


Yes. On your next inspection, look closely for bees uncapping their cells and emerging for the first time. As they come out, note how furry they are.

Below is a sequence of photos I shot while a bee was emerging ... the last one is the best at giving you an idea of how furry they are. 























Compare to the older forages returning from flights ... some of the oldest will look a little ragged, wings starting to shred and less hair on their backs.


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

Pretty Cool Brian! :applause:


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

This weekend,
I eliminated the two Medium Supers surrounding my internal sugar feeder (the Bee Disco & Grill) and replaced it with a new Deep hive SuperBody same as the bottom two.

I also panted the edge of my inner cover for vanitys sake.

*Before:*










*After:*









I also was stung once on the arm this weekend while switching out the supers and refilling the sugar feeder.
You see, I made a series of stupid mistakes because I wanted to “save time” as a storm was coming in.


I broke the rules 6 different ways to get there too.


I have learned that you can get away with breaking 2-3 rules without getting stung,
but if you want to break more of them in a series like I did, it is on YOU not the Bees.

My List of my mistakes:

1. I changed the supers out on an overcast day while a storm was coming in.

2. I used no smoke from my smoker… did not even fire it up…

3. I had on only jeans, a t-shirt, and a veil... Bare arms, no gloves.

4. Instead of setting down the medium Supers, I banged them on the ground to shake off the bees.

5. When the guard bees started to thump me in the veil I merely backed off 15 feet and went back to complete the next step, 3 times, instead of taking the warning and simply putting on my bee jacket.

6. I also accidently squashed some bees while replacing the Sugar feeder and again when adding in some pollen cookies.


A whole lot of “DUH” going on there… :no:


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

double post


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

As you guys can see, Im editing my first post to reflect your advice and suggestions as we go...

Keep them coming! :applause:


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

more or less guidelines or advice....by no means rules. i work most of my hives without gloves in shorts and dark colors. I blow on the bees, I never use a bee brush...etc


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

burns375 said:


> more or less guidelines or advice....by no means rules. i work most of my hives without gloves in shorts and dark colors. I blow on the bees, I never use a bee brush...etc


You, mr Burns, are a bee keepin wildman!


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

I added 4 new rules:

Don't wash your bee suit until it is absolutely nasty. The smoke and other collected smells help. 
(hand wash if you must. washing machines can easily damage your suit and veil) 

Avoid keeping your Hive tool in you bee-suit pocket (Even a small suit tear is a big open door for angry bees.)

Wear your hair up and tucked away, (Big hair is a bee Snagging Magnet. Tangled bees will sting you.)

Pets and bee Hives do not mix! (Ei: Dogs are fast, loud and look a LOT like bears! A bad combo.)


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## Santa Caras (Aug 14, 2013)

<6. Don't run away - no matter how strong the urge (they fly faster than you and they will chase you>

With every rule there is an exception. While working the hives I'm suited up and really have no worries about being stung......BUT if in regular clothes and am being swarmed by some mad bees....(hasnt happened yet...my bees love me) I'm not hanging around to dance with em!! Zippity-doo-da I'm outa there!!!


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

Steadfast said:


> I too found that blowing on them gets them to move. Maybe they are running away from precieved Jaws of death?


Maybe you and I should both eat less garlic.


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## cryptobrian (Jan 22, 2012)

Steadfast said:


> Don't wash your bee suit until it is absolutely nasty. The smoke and other collected smells help.


I've not paid enough attention to notice one way or the other, but I have encountered advice to the contrary. When working a hot hive, there may be plenty of stings to the suit. The bees are marking with alarm pheromone each time they do this. So, the idea is that you wash it after to remove the alarm pheromone. I'm not sure that the volatility of the pheromone is so low that it would linger for days. Maybe. I just kinda wash mine when I think of it and again, I haven't noticed enough of a difference to conclude anything one way or the other.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Steadfast said:


> You, mr Burns, are a bee keepin wildman!


I know im a rebel.....there are times when I do suit up...but during the flow you rarely need to.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

for me tolerance to the venom has built up and fortunately i'm not showing any signs of hypersensitivity.

i use a full suit and veil when i'm pulling frames but usually don't put any gloves on until i take one or two stings to the hands. at that point i'll put on some thin nitriles mostly to mask the smell of the stings and to keep them away from my hands.

i'm the oddball that likes using a frame grip. i find it keeps my hands just far enough away when removing and replacing frames.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

I beg to differ about not washing your suit. I wash my jacket about weekly (in my washing machine with very hot water at least 155 F, and by itself or with my husband's jacket so as to not transfer bee-allergens to regular clothing). I wash the jacket's zippered-on veil/hat by hand because I have not taken the time, yet, to make the wire frame-work around the brim removable. Once I do that, the veil will get tossed in the machine, too. I will stick the veil into one of those mesh lingerie washing bags to protect the netting from the teeth of the zippers.

Even if it made the bees more-stingy (which it doesn't) I would wash the jacket just the same. Frankly, it gets so filthy and sweaty and I can hardly bear to put it on - which I do multiple times a day when visting my little apiary.

Enj.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

One I have learned but don't practice as well as the person I learned it from is: "Do things when you can, not when you want to. If you wait for that perfect day to do what needs doing it will never get done."


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

I wash my jacket about twice a year...anymore is overkill imo...everytime u wash something you remove fiber and.shorten its life. the best thing you can do for clothes life is to wash as little as 
possible


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## cryptobrian (Jan 22, 2012)

burns375 said:


> the best thing you can do for clothes life is to wash as little as possible


Perhaps even better would be to wear them as little as possible. I've encountered folks hiking in the buff, but so far not beekeeping.

:banana:


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## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

squarepeg said:


> for me tolerance to the venom has built up and fortunately i'm not showing any signs of hypersensitivity.
> 
> i use a full suit and veil when i'm pulling frames but usually don't put any gloves on until i take one or two stings to the hands. at that point i'll put on some thin nitriles mostly to mask the smell of the stings and to keep them away from my hands.
> 
> *i'm the oddball that likes using a frame grip. * i find it keeps my hands just far enough away when removing and replacing frames.


I like to use them now & then on really sticky frames also.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

You all are far more knowledgeable about bees than I am, but not so much on the subject of laundry and fabric wear.



> I wash my jacket about twice a year...anymore is overkill imo...everytime u wash something you remove fiber and.shorten its life. the best thing you can do for clothes life is to wash as little as
> possible


Assuming we're not talking about one of the encapsulated rubber mesh, ventilated type suits, (which I have no experience with, having only read descriptions of them) then washing all types of cotton and cotton/blend bee clothing whenever it becomes soiled is the way to preserve it longer. Because it is the body acids, fats, and ground-in particulates - what we would call the "dirt" on dirty clothing - which degrade the fibers more than any damage from a properly done washing process itself.

Note: properly done means in a machine that is not overloaded with either other washing items or with too-much washing products such as detergent, particularly bleaching agents, soil lifters, fat solvents, etc. We've been encouraged to wash things in cold water with an increased use of products as an energy saving measure. Actually hotter water and less product generally results in more effective soil removal, which in turn prolongs the useful, and aesthetic life, of clothing.

If you're really concerned about washing-caused fabric wear, then skip the dryer and hang the items on a line. Something that also saves more than two-thirds of the total energy cost per load. 

Now some may feel a grungy hive suit implies a certain beek-cachet, and I guess there is no arguing against that. But a regularly-cleaned suit will still acquire enough unremovable stains and signs of use to advertise your expertise, but meanwhile it will feel nicer to wear and last longer, too.

Enjambres (who appears elsewhere on-line as a laundry expert, when not pre-occupied with her bees)


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## SpringGreen (Jun 26, 2014)

squarepeg said:


> i'm the oddball that likes using a frame grip. i find it keeps my hands just far enough away when removing and replacing frames.


I like my frame grips too. Don't like working without them.

Every rule has an exception. I think the best we can hope for are some guidelines.

Washing a suit removes the stingers, which attract more stings.


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## AugustC (Aug 7, 2013)

wow .. I am breaking those babies left, right, and centre. I can see what you are getting at though. 
The only things I really don't agree with is:
The bees brush should be avoided unless abosolutely necessary. It really upsets them. A handful of fresh grass is always much better if you have got to brush them.
The bee suit not being washed until "necessary" may get some interest from the bee unit at DEFRA. There is nothing wrong with washing your bee suit, it is good hygeine. Not washing your bee suit may also result in a build of dried bee venom which can be inhaled and have a sensitising effect causing bee venom allergy. Getting stung occasionally is good for you. You can just give you suit a smoking after it is washed if you're concerned about the smells.

p.s. My black labrador always comes with me.


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

*List of Beekeeping Rules!*
(revised)

*Three basic facts about getting stung?*
1. If you keep bees, you WILL get stung...
2. Bees suffer and die if they sting you. (Remember: stinging you is far down a bee's priority list.)
3. If you get stung, you are the one making the mistakes! (Usually, a lot of them!)

_NEXT: You can break only a few of the following 26 rules and not get stung, but each additional broken rule will exponentially increase your chances of being stung._

*Work with the bees when they are content, when the weather is fine*
1. Work your hives only on “Blue Bird Sky” Days. 
2. Do not work your hives in wet conditions or when storms are coming in. 
3. The best times to work your hives is in mid-mornings and early afternoons. 
4. Do not work too long in your hive. 

*Wear proper protective gear and equipment *
5. Wear only light colors when working your hive. 
6. Wear slippery materials and loose fitting suits for more aggressive bees.
7. Wear thick, tight fitting, leather gloves. 
8. Wear a good quality veil and never open it for any reason.
9. Any flesh not covered is “free game” for a sting. 
10. Use a smoker. 
11. Use a bee brush with a light touch to move any bees out of the way 
12. Use a hive tool to remove dead Bees. 
13. Use a hive tool to pry just enough to separate the supers at the corner. 
14. Avoid keeping your Hive tool in you bee-suit pocket. 
15. Do NOT wash your bee suit too often. 

*Watch your behavior and theirs*
16. A trapped bee WILL always sting.
17. Do not smoke bees too closely. 
18. Make all your moves slow and deliberate.
19. Don't run away - no matter how strong the urge! 
20. Guard Bees will “bump” into your veil as a warning, before they sting you. 
21. Untrained pets and bee hives do not mix! 
22. Pay attention to the volume level of the hive’s hum.
23. Do not approach, or stand in front of, the main door of the bee hive. 
24. Try not to squash any bees.
25. Don't eat bananas before and Inspection. 
26. Inspect more aggressive hives first and leave inspecting the calmer hives for last. 


_After you get stung: Take time to review these rules and count up how many you broke before you finally got stung! _


- Read all about the explanations behind each rule in the following pages.

---------------- pg.2 ----------------

*The Explanation of the Rules!*


*Work with the bees when they are content, when the weather is fine*

*1. Work your hives only on “Blue Bird Sky” Days. *
Honey Bees are Happiest when they are able to bring in food for their colony. Any environmental conditions that prevents them from foraging will have a negative effect on their attitudes. Bees don't like strong winds because it makes it harder for them to fly. Cloudy and overcast skies blot out the position of the sun, preventing them from effectively navigating and locating sources of food. 

*2. Do not work your hives in wet conditions or when storms are coming in.*
A Wet Hive is an Angry Hive! Honey Bees cannot fly when they are cold or wet. A cold and wet bee will become paralyzed and stranded by rain when away from the hive; making them vulnerable to predators and drowning. So, Bees have the ability to sense incoming storms while in, or away from, the hive. The fear of storms deeply agitates bees. Never work a hive just before or during a storm. Thunderstorms are an even worse idea.

*3. The best times to work your hives is in mid-mornings and early afternoons.* 
Excessively hot afternoon temperatures make bees more aggressive. It takes enormous amount energy, and a huge portion of the population away from foraging, to cool a hive on a hot day. The honey bees have to spend their time gathering and spreading water drops throughout the hive and then the effort to fan them with their wings to cool the colony. Robbing tendencies between hives increases during hot weather when food sources become scarcer. Therefore, more aggressive Guard bees are required to protect the front door of the hive. Also, by mid-morning all the foraging bees will have left the hive; lowing the sheer number of bees who may wish to potentially sting you.

*4. Do not work too long in your hive. *
Inspections should take no longer than 10 minutes! If the Hive is kept open any longer than that, the bees will become more aggressive due to fears of having to “protect a wide open, exposed hive from predators.” Also bees prefer darkness in their hive. The longer you have the hive open the more agitated they will become, and the louder their “hum” will sound.

*Wear proper protective gear and equipment *

*5. Wear only light colors when working your hive. *
Bees don’t like black. Bees will attack dark things that move because they think that they are bears or skunks or raccoons. Bees will attack dark areas of the body such as the eyes. Bottom line: Dark cloth makes you look like a honey eating, big, bad bear. Not good. 

*6. Wear slippery materials and loose fitting suits for more aggressive bees. *
Wearing suits made of slippery material makes it harder for angry bees to get a grip on you, which they need to get enough leverage to inject the sting. An off balanced bee is a sting not delivered. Also, wearing loose fitting clothes makes it harder for bees to reach your skin with their stinger. 
“You can’t touch this!” –M.C. Hammer

*7. Wear thick, tight fitting, leather gloves. *
Thick gloves are good for keeping your hands protected from stings. The longer they are to the elbow the better. You will want to own tight, well-fitting gloves. All gloves make it harder to grab frames and you may end up killing more bees because you may not be able to accurately feel where you are grabbing items. Gloves that are too big or that don’t fit your hands accurately make this problem much worse.

*8. Wear a good quality veil and never open it for any reason. *
Every good beekeeper needs a veil because stings anywhere on your face are very painful. The face is also the favorite target for any angry bee. If you have an abundance of hair you really need a veil because Big Hair is a bee snagging magnet. It also pays to keep your hair secured inside your veil so that it doesn’t fall in your eye while working in the hive. For that same reason, if you have glasses, get a strap so your glasses won’t fall off your face inside your veil and keep it where you store all your bee tools. 

*9. Any flesh not covered is “free game” for a sting. *
Bees and bear skin do not mix! But if you simply MUST only wear that tank top smoking your exposed skin with your smoker will help hide the scent of your bare skin. Some old timers work their bees with bare-hands because they have learned that bee stings actually treat arthritis symptoms. Assuming, of course, that they are not allergic to bees to begin with.

*10. Use a smoker.* 
Smoke repels, calms, and distracts bees by causing them to fill their bellies with so much honey they become passive. Smokers are used to get bees inside the hive and cover up the scent of the beekeeper. Do not over smoke the bees, or they will panic and fly away thinking their hive is on fire. Learn how to light your smoker and decide what kind of fuel you prefer in your smoker.

*11. Use a bee brush with a light touch to move any bees out of the way.*There are many times during an inspection when you will need to move an out of place bee off of an object or out of the way of a tool or a super so the don get smashed. The bee brush is a soft brush that will push them out of the way. Some folks also use a handful of long grass. In Europe, they use a big feather. I find that simply lightly blowing on them through my veil gets them to move as well. 
“Eeeek, run, he’s got bad breath!”

*12. Use a hive tool or bee brush to remove dead Bees. *
When you open your hive you will find the occasional bee fatality that was not yet removed by the colony. These bees need to be removed for the health of the hive. While lending your worker bees a hand with “The Dead”, remember not to brush away the dead with your hands or try to pick them up between your fingers. Even long dead bees can and will sting you. You can tell how healthy and strong a colony is by how many dead bees there are. If there are a lot of dead bees then this colony is too weak for all the workers to remove them all. It may have some other underlying conditions that you might want to inspect more closely. Also, the hive tool is really good for smashing hive beetles too. 

--------- pg.3--------------


*13. Use a hive tool to pry just enough to separate the supers at the corner. *
Bees like to secure their hive into a single unit by using propolis they collect to glue the hive supers together. One cannot separate the glued parts by hand without suddenly and violently ripping the hive apart. When using your hive tool to pry apart the “Glued” supers, just pry at the corners enough to break that Propolis seal, which will make a “crack” sound. Then remove the supers by hand.

*14. Avoid keeping your Hive tool in you bee-suit pocket. * 
Hive tools can rip and cut holes in pants so make it a habit to keep your hive tool handy in your beekeeping toolbox, not in your Bee suit pockets. Even a small suit tear is a big open door for angry bees.

*15. Do NOT wash your bee suit too often. *
Try not to wash you bee suit often. The residual smoke scent is still useful for masking your scent from the bees. If you “simply MUST” wash your suit; Hand wash it. Washing machines can easily damage your suit and veil.


*Watch your behavior and theirs*

*16. A trapped bee WILL always sting.*
Try to avoid bees becoming trapped inside your bee suit or inside you clothing. Never cup a bee between your bare hands. This one mistake alone will get you stung, every time.

*17. Do not smoke bees too closely. *
Extreme sudden heat makes bees really angry. Smoke exiting the tip of your smoker is extremely hot. It is a good thing to billow smoke under the inner cover when removing it. It is tempting to use the tip of your smoker close to the hive, to more accuracy aim the smoke into the hive. Resist this urge to put the tip of the smoker close to the hive. The fresh smoke from the tip of your smoker, at close range, is fire hot; enough to instantly burn your bees. Not only is this a mean thing to do, but Bees will attack people that burn their friends.

*18. Make all your moves slow and deliberate.*
Sudden movements make bees instantly defensive and violent. Do not jar or knock the hive or frames. bees don't like vibrations or fast movements. Move your have and frames slowly and deliberately. Never work your hive under a time limit. Be patient. Do not drop anything. Do not try to shake bees off of hive components. Simply, put them down on the ground and let the bees leave them or brush them off with your Bee brush. 

*19. Don't run away - no matter how strong the urge! * 
Bees fly faster than you, and they will chase you if you run!
If you become surrounded with angry attacking bees. Even if they are stinging you.
Do not panic! Simply walk away from the hive calmly brushing them off of you. They will leave you and return to their colony after you retreat 10-20 feet. So, freaking out, screaming and running in circles next to your open hive will bring you even more disastrous results.

---------- pg.4 ---------

*20. Guard Bees will “bump” into your veil as a warning, before they sting you. *
If this is happening, STOP, walk away - time to reevaluate your list of mistakes…
Often this will happen normally early in an inspection as you begin smoking your hive.

*21. Untrained pets and bee hives do not mix! *
Dogs can be trained to work with honey bees. But it is best to leave them at home or tethered away from the colony you intend to work in. Dogs are fast, loud, and look a LOT like bears! 
Note: Strangely, chickens and bees never bother each other, and can live near each other.

*22. Pay attention to the volume level of the hive’s hum.*
Is the hum of the hive getting louder? Warning: A loud hive is an angry hive!
As a hive gets more agitated the noise from the hive will get louder. As the sound increases try smoking the hive to calm it back down. If that does not work then finish quickly what you are doing and close the hive back up. There is always another day. The loud hum of a stressed colony attracts predators to attack and rob the hive.

*23. Do not approach, or stand in front of, the main door of the bee hive.* 
Do not approach the hive from the front. You will get stung by incoming and outgoing bees who are foraging for food. “Guard bees” aggressively protect the door at the front of the hive with their lives and are called that for a reason. Always approach the hive from the side or the back so the bees can continue to do their work unimpeded.

*24. Try not to squash any bees.*
Bees put out an “attack” scent as they die which instantly causes the bees around them to attack. 

*25. Don't eat bananas before and Inspection. *
Banana breath smells just like the "Attack" scent put out by dying bees. Yikes!

*26. Inspect more aggressive hives first and leave inspecting the calmer hives for last. *
Are you working multiple hives? Inspections stress out bee colonies. Inspected, stressed hives will warn other hives around them that you are coming. So, it is smarter to get your most temperamental hives knocked out first, before all the calmer hives around it can be put on alarm with reports of your imminent arrival. Also, the longer you work your hives the more fatigued you become and the greater chance you will start making more mistakes. If you are going to start making mistakes, it is better to make those mistakes on your most “laid back” hives.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

When several bees are inside your veil and several hundred want to be, Rule 19 may be temporarily suspended. Rule 26 -- I work the non-aggresive hives first because, once in awhile, when a mean one gets going they don't settle down till my truck is going faster than they are. I suppose I'll have to requeen when they figure out how to unzip my veil.


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

Ha ha ha ha


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

New rules added... do to experience...

*27:* Always have fresh Benadryl at/or near your bee keeping site... If your fresh bee sting suddenly makes you itch all over; you are in danger and you have 10 minutes to take one! 

*28:* Visit your doc and get an EpiPen to keep nearby "just in case" you should be stung multiple times and/or have a systemic reaction.

Revision to #15 explanation
*15. Do NOT wash your bee suit too often. *
Try not to wash you bee suit often. The build up of smoke scent is still useful for masking your scent from the bees. 
If you have to do a more aggressive procedure (eliminating egg laying nurse bees) resulting in your suit becoming heavily coated with "attack pheromone", ALWAYS WASH your suit and re-smoke saturate it once cleaned... 
If you “simply MUST” wash your suit; Hand wash it. Washing machines can easily damage your suit and veil.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Steadfast said:


> 12. Don't eat Bananas before and Inspection (Banana breath smells just like the "Attack" scent put out by bees)


Gong! False, urban legend.


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## Steadfast (Sep 11, 2014)

*List of Beekeeping Rules!*
(revised again)

*Three basic facts about getting stung?*
1. If you keep bees, you WILL get stung...
2. Bees suffer and die if they sting you. (Remember: stinging you is far down a bee's priority list.)
3. If you get stung, you are the one making the mistakes! (Usually, a lot of them!)

_NEXT: You can break only a few of the following 28 rules and not get stung, but each additional broken rule will exponentially increase your chances of being stung._

*Work with the bees when they are content, when the weather is fine*
1. Work your hives only on “Blue Bird Sky” Days. 
2. Do not work your hives in wet conditions or when storms are coming in. 
3. The best times to work your hives is in mid-mornings and early afternoons. 
4. Do not work too long in your hive. 

*Wear proper protective gear and equipment *
5. Wear only light colors when working your hive. 
6. Wear slippery materials and loose fitting suits for more aggressive bees.
7. Wear thick, tight fitting, leather gloves. 
8. Wear a good quality veil and never open it for any reason.
9. Any flesh not covered is “free game” for a sting. 
10. Use a smoker. 
11. Use a bee brush with a light touch to move any bees out of the way 
12. Use a hive tool to remove dead Bees. 
13. Use a hive tool to pry just enough to separate the supers at the corner. 
14. Avoid keeping your Hive tool in you bee-suit pocket. 
15. Do NOT wash your bee suit too often... Unless... 

*Watch your behavior and theirs*
16. A trapped bee WILL always sting.
17. Do not smoke bees too closely. 
18. Make all your moves slow and deliberate.
19. Don't run away - no matter how strong the urge! 
20. Guard Bees will “bump” into your veil as a warning, before they sting you. 
21. Untrained pets and bee hives do not mix! 
22. Pay attention to the volume level of the hive’s hum.
23. Do not approach, or stand in front of, the main door of the bee hive. 
24. Try not to squash any bees.
25. Don't eat bananas before and Inspection. 
26. Inspect more aggressive hives first and leave inspecting the calmer hives for last. 

*Have Medical Supplies Near*
27. Always have fresh Benadryl at/or near your bee keeping site... 
28: Visit your doc and get an EpiPen to keep nearby "just in case"...


_After you get stung: Take time to review these rules and count up how many you broke before you finally got stung! _


- Read all about the explanations behind each rule in the following pages.

---------------- pg.2 ----------------

*The Explanation of the Rules!*


*Work with the bees when they are content, when the weather is fine*

*1. Work your hives only on “Blue Bird Sky” Days. *
Honey Bees are Happiest when they are able to bring in food for their colony. Any environmental conditions that prevents them from foraging will have a negative effect on their attitudes. Bees don't like strong winds because it makes it harder for them to fly. Cloudy and overcast skies blot out the position of the sun, preventing them from effectively navigating and locating sources of food. 

*2. Do not work your hives in wet conditions or when storms are coming in.*
A Wet Hive is an Angry Hive! Honey Bees cannot fly when they are cold or wet. A cold and wet bee will become paralyzed and stranded by rain when away from the hive; making them vulnerable to predators and drowning. So, Bees have the ability to sense incoming storms while in, or away from, the hive. The fear of storms deeply agitates bees. Never work a hive just before or during a storm. Thunderstorms are an even worse idea.

*3. The best times to work your hives is in mid-mornings and early afternoons.* 
Excessively hot afternoon temperatures make bees more aggressive. It takes enormous amount energy, and a huge portion of the population away from foraging, to cool a hive on a hot day. The honey bees have to spend their time gathering and spreading water drops throughout the hive and then the effort to fan them with their wings to cool the colony. Robbing tendencies between hives increases during hot weather when food sources become scarcer. Therefore, more aggressive Guard bees are required to protect the front door of the hive. Also, by mid-morning all the foraging bees will have left the hive; lowing the sheer number of bees who may wish to potentially sting you.

*4. Do not work too long in your hive. *
Inspections should take no longer than 10 minutes! If the Hive is kept open any longer than that, the bees will become more aggressive due to fears of having to “protect a wide open, exposed hive from predators.” Also bees prefer darkness in their hive. The longer you have the hive open the more agitated they will become, and the louder their “hum” will sound.

*Wear proper protective gear and equipment *

*5. Wear only light colors when working your hive. *
Bees don’t like black. Bees will attack dark things that move because they think that they are bears or skunks or raccoons. Bees will attack dark areas of the body such as the eyes. Bottom line: Dark cloth makes you look like a honey eating, big, bad bear. Not good. 

*6. Wear slippery materials and loose fitting suits for more aggressive bees. *
Wearing suits made of slippery material makes it harder for angry bees to get a grip on you, which they need to get enough leverage to inject the sting. An off balanced bee is a sting not delivered. Also, wearing loose fitting clothes makes it harder for bees to reach your skin with their stinger. 
“You can’t touch this!” –M.C. Hammer

*7. Wear thick, tight fitting, leather gloves. *
Thick gloves are good for keeping your hands protected from stings. The longer they are to the elbow the better. You will want to own tight, well-fitting gloves. All gloves make it harder to grab frames and you may end up killing more bees because you may not be able to accurately feel where you are grabbing items. Gloves that are too big or that don’t fit your hands accurately make this problem much worse.

*8. Wear a good quality veil and never open it for any reason. *
Every good beekeeper needs a veil because stings anywhere on your face are very painful. The face is also the favorite target for any angry bee. If you have an abundance of hair you really need a veil because Big Hair is a bee snagging magnet. It also pays to keep your hair secured inside your veil so that it doesn’t fall in your eye while working in the hive. For that same reason, if you have glasses, get a strap so your glasses won’t fall off your face inside your veil and keep it where you store all your bee tools. Make sure you don't have any angry bee still stuck to your bee vale before you remove it. As soon as you take it off...IT'S ON...

*9. Any flesh not covered is “free game” for a sting. *
Bees and bear skin do not mix! But if you simply MUST only wear that tank top smoking your exposed skin with your smoker will help hide the scent of your bare skin. Some old timers work their bees with bare-hands because they have learned that bee stings actually treat arthritis symptoms. Assuming, of course, that they are not allergic to bees to begin with.

*10. Use a smoker.* 
Smoke repels, calms, and distracts bees by causing them to fill their bellies with so much honey they become passive. Smokers are used to get bees inside the hive and cover up the scent of the beekeeper. Do not over smoke the bees, or they will panic and fly away thinking their hive is on fire. Learn how to light your smoker and decide what kind of fuel you prefer in your smoker.

*11. Use a bee brush with a light touch to move any bees out of the way.*There are many times during an inspection when you will need to move an out of place bee off of an object or out of the way of a tool or a super so the don get smashed. The bee brush is a soft brush that will push them out of the way. Some folks also use a handful of long grass. In Europe, they use a big feather. I find that simply lightly blowing on them through my veil gets them to move as well. 
“Eeeek, run, he’s got bad breath!”

*12. Use a hive tool or bee brush to remove dead Bees. *
When you open your hive you will find the occasional bee fatality that was not yet removed by the colony. These bees need to be removed for the health of the hive. While lending your worker bees a hand with “The Dead”, remember not to brush away the dead with your hands or try to pick them up between your fingers. Even long dead bees can and will sting you. You can tell how healthy and strong a colony is by how many dead bees there are. If there are a lot of dead bees then this colony is too weak for all the workers to remove them all. It may have some other underlying conditions that you might want to inspect more closely. Also, the hive tool is really good for smashing hive beetles too. 

--------- pg.3--------------


*13. Use a hive tool to pry just enough to separate the supers at the corner. *
Bees like to secure their hive into a single unit by using propolis they collect to glue the hive supers together. One cannot separate the glued parts by hand without suddenly and violently ripping the hive apart. When using your hive tool to pry apart the “Glued” supers, just pry at the corners enough to break that Propolis seal, which will make a “crack” sound. Then remove the supers by hand.

*14. Avoid keeping your Hive tool in you bee-suit pocket. * 
Hive tools can rip and cut holes in pants so make it a habit to keep your hive tool handy in your beekeeping toolbox, not in your Bee suit pockets. Even a small suit tear is a big open door for angry bees.

*15. Do NOT wash your bee suit too often... Unless *
Try not to wash you bee suit often. The build up of smoke scent is still useful for masking your scent from the bees. 
If you have to do a more aggressive procedure (eliminating egg laying nurse bees) resulting in your suit becoming heavily coated with "attack pheromone", ALWAYS WASH your suit and re-smoke saturate it once cleaned... 
If you “simply MUST” wash your suit; Hand wash it. Washing machines can easily damage your suit and veil. 

*Watch your behavior and theirs*

*16. A trapped bee WILL always sting.*
Try to avoid bees becoming trapped inside your bee suit or inside you clothing. Never cup a bee between your bare hands. This one mistake alone will get you stung, every time.

*17. Do not smoke bees too closely. *
Extreme sudden heat makes bees really angry. Smoke exiting the tip of your smoker is extremely hot. It is a good thing to billow smoke under the inner cover when removing it. It is tempting to use the tip of your smoker close to the hive, to more accuracy aim the smoke into the hive. Resist this urge to put the tip of the smoker close to the hive. The fresh smoke from the tip of your smoker, at close range, is fire hot; enough to instantly burn your bees. Not only is this a mean thing to do, but Bees will attack people that burn their friends.

*18. Make all your moves slow and deliberate.*
Sudden movements make bees instantly defensive and violent. Do not jar or knock the hive or frames. bees don't like vibrations or fast movements. Move your have and frames slowly and deliberately. Never work your hive under a time limit. Be patient. Do not drop anything. Do not try to shake bees off of hive components. Simply, put them down on the ground and let the bees leave them or brush them off with your Bee brush. 

*19. Don't run away - no matter how strong the urge! * 
Bees fly faster than you, and they will chase you if you run!
If you become surrounded with angry attacking bees. Even if they are stinging you.
Do not panic! Simply walk away from the hive calmly brushing them off of you. They will leave you and return to their colony after you retreat 10-20 feet. So, freaking out, screaming and running in circles next to your open hive will bring you even more disastrous results.

---------- pg.4 ---------

*20. Guard Bees will “bump” into your veil as a warning, before they sting you. *
If this is happening, STOP, walk away - time to reevaluate your list of mistakes…
Often this will happen normally early in an inspection as you begin smoking your hive.

*21. Untrained pets and bee hives do not mix! *
Dogs can be trained to work with honey bees. But it is best to leave them at home or tethered away from the colony you intend to work in. Dogs are fast, loud, and look a LOT like bears! 
Note: Strangely, chickens and bees never bother each other, and can live near each other.

*22. Pay attention to the volume level of the hive’s hum.*
Is the hum of the hive getting louder? Warning: A loud hive is an angry hive!
As a hive gets more agitated the noise from the hive will get louder. As the sound increases try smoking the hive to calm it back down. If that does not work then finish quickly what you are doing and close the hive back up. There is always another day. The loud hum of a stressed colony attracts predators to attack and rob the hive.

*23. Do not approach, or stand in front of, the main door of the bee hive.* 
Do not approach the hive from the front. You will get stung by incoming and outgoing bees who are foraging for food. “Guard bees” aggressively protect the door at the front of the hive with their lives and are called that for a reason. Always approach the hive from the side or the back so the bees can continue to do their work unimpeded.

*24. Try not to squash any bees.*
Bees put out an “attack” scent as they die which instantly causes the bees around them to attack. 

*25. Don't eat bananas before and Inspection. *
Banana breath smells just like the "Attack" scent put out by dying bees. Yikes!

*26. Inspect more aggressive hives first and leave inspecting the calmer hives for last. *
Are you working multiple hives? Inspections stress out bee colonies. Inspected, stressed hives will warn other hives around them that you are coming. So, it is smarter to get your most temperamental hives knocked out first, before all the calmer hives around it can be put on alarm with reports of your imminent arrival. Also, the longer you work your hives the more fatigued you become and the greater chance you will start making more mistakes. If you are going to start making mistakes, it is better to make those mistakes on your most “laid back” hives.

*Have Medical Supplies Near*

*27: Always have fresh Benadryl at/or near your bee keeping site... *
A bee sting should hurt... Its a bee sting for God's sake...
If it is just a run of the mill sting, you can treat it by rubbing in honey.. This really works well. If you get stung several times and start to swell up more than a quarter size, taking a Benadryl is always a good idea.
HOWEVER, If your fresh bee sting with in minutes makes you itch all over; you are in real trouble. You may not be allergic, but if that stinger taps directly into a blood vessel, (say, from sting on the scalp) you will suffer Anaphylaxis to some extent across your whole body and you will only have 10 minutes to take a Antihistamine to make it stop before things get dangerous.. Discovering "*There is no Benadryl*" at this crucial moment sucks.. really... really... badly... 

*28: Visit your doc and get an EpiPen to keep nearby "just in case"* you, or a friend, or a neighbor, should be stung multiple times and/or have a systemic allergic reaction. If the Benadryl does not work, you will need to use your EpiPen before you begin to go into Anaphylaxic shock! Anaphylaxis can easily kill you! If an EpiPen is used call an ambulance or get to a hospital.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I was never much for rules...

>1. Work your hives only on “Blue Bird Sky” Days. 

Unless you have to.

>2. Do not work your hives in wet conditions or when storms are coming in.

Unless you have to.

>3. The best times to work your hives is in mid-mornings and early afternoons. 

Unless you don't have that time free...

>4. Do not work too long in your hive. 

Unless you have to.

>5. Wear only light colors when working your hive. 

I almost always an wearing blue jeans... but yes, white is a good color for wearing to a bee hive...

>6. Wear slippery materials and loose fitting suits for more aggressive bees. 

Mine is not at all slippery, but this does keep them from clinging. The nylon suits don't breath so well though.

>7. Wear thick, tight fitting, leather gloves. 

I do like them fairly tight. I don't like them thick. Too hard to get anything done. And if there is a bee under my finger I want to feel it before it stings me.

>8. Wear a good quality veil and never open it for any reason. 

Sooner or later you'll have a reason. But if you have a "bee in your bonnet" don't open it in the presence of a lot of angry bees... the one inside is enough problem, you don't need more. 

>9. Any flesh not covered is “free game” for a sting. 

Well, it is possible they could sting you anywhere if you get a major defensive reaction going. However, they usually go for your face, not your legs...

>10. Use a smoker. 

Definitely.

>11. Use a bee brush with a light touch to move any bees out of the way.

No. Use a bee brush with a sudden flick. A light touch will roll them and make them angry. A quick flick will surprise them.

>12. Use a hive tool or bee brush to remove dead Bees. 

Well, if I get down to the bottom, which I seldom do, I would dump it off and probably scrape it down while I'm there unless it's fairly dry and clean already. But I'm not really worried about dead bees. There are house bees whose job that is...

>13. Use a hive tool to pry just enough to separate the supers at the corner. 

Sometimes you have to pry a lot of things a lot of directions to get them apart. If you get a "pop" that is loud and changes the hum in the hive you should probably wait a minute for them to calm back down.

>14. Avoid keeping your Hive tool in you bee-suit pocket. 

If I didn't have it in my pocket then it would get laid on a hive and forgotten...

>Hive tools can rip and cut holes in pants...

especially when you sit down with it in your pocket... but still...

>15. Do NOT wash your bee suit too often. 

I wash mine once every year or two whether they need it or not...

>16. A trapped bee WILL always sting.

Not really, but a pinched one will.

>17. Do not smoke bees too closely. 

If the smoke is cool enough, you probably can, but that is a good technique to help avoid too hot of smoke.

>18. Make all your moves slow and deliberate.

Except when you are trying to get bees off of something...

>Do not try to shake bees off of hive components. Simply, put them down on the ground and let the bees leave them or brush them off with your Bee brush. 

Or shake them off... but I agree if there is no reason to shake them off, then leave them alone. Sometimes there is a reason. Then you can hold it in your hand and hit your hand with your other hand, or just shake it or slam it on the box to knock them off.

>19. Don't run away - no matter how strong the urge! 

If you are getting badly stung in an all out defensive attack, run away. Keep running away until there are no more bees following you. There is nothing wrong with running away. If I was giving a "don't" rule it would be don't swat the bees. Unless you are going to clap and actually kill some rouge, I would never swat at bees. It will only make them angry. Runing away from them will not make them angry. It will make them go back home.

>Bees fly faster than you, and they will chase you if you run!

No. They are following you. You will lose far more of them running than you will walking.

>If you become surrounded with angry attacking bees. Even if they are stinging you.
Do not panic! 

Yes. Do a full bore linear panic in a straight line away from the hive. Run as far as you need to. Through brush if you can.

>Simply walk away from the hive calmly brushing them off of you. They will leave you and return to their colony after you retreat 10-20 feet. 

Well, some colonies will... some will follow you for a half a mile...

>So, freaking out, screaming and running in circles next to your open hive will bring you even more disastrous results.

In circles? Yes. In a straight line? It is the best plan.

>20. Guard Bees will “bump” into your veil as a warning, before they sting you. 

Some will... some won't...

>21. Untrained pets and bee hives do not mix! 

Mine always figured things out pretty quickly...

>22. Pay attention to the volume level of the hive’s hum.
Is the hum of the hive getting louder? Warning: A loud hive is an angry hive!

Well it's an alert hive anyway. If you don't do anything for a minute they will go back off of alert. if you open them suddenly right after you kicked it up to that hum by poping some propolis loose on the inner cover, they might get angry.

>As a hive gets more agitated the noise from the hive will get louder. 

Sometimes.

>The loud hum of a stressed colony attracts predators to attack and rob the hive.

Do you think so? Like what kind of predators? The alarm pheromone will attract SHB, but that's not the hum...

>23. Do not approach, or stand in front of, the main door of the bee hive. 

It's the only place I can work mine. They are 14 to a stand and there are only four of those where I can stand on the side and none where I can stand at the back. Certainly if you have a choice, work it from the back.

>Do not approach the hive from the front. You will get stung by incoming and outgoing bees who are foraging for food.

But I always approach it from the front since I have no choice and I don't think I've ever been stung by a forager who was coming and going. I have been run into on occasion...

> “Guard bees” aggressively protect the door at the front of the hive with their lives and are called that for a reason. 

True. Smoke is helpful for that.

>Always approach the hive from the side or the back so the bees can continue to do their work unimpeded.

If you can...

>24. Try not to squash any bees.
Bees put out an “attack” scent as they die which instantly causes the bees around them to attack. 

At least some of them do. I think squished bees give off other smells that cause alarm as well.

>25. Don't eat bananas before and Inspection. 
Banana breath smells just like the "Attack" scent put out by dying bees. Yikes!

Kind of like "attack" would be more accurate. Alarm pheromone smells more like artificual banana than real banana.

>26. Inspect more aggressive hives first and leave inspecting the calmer hives for last. 

I wouldn't. I would inspect the calm hives and come back tomorrow for the agressive ones or skip them altogether or if they are still in a good mood go ahead with the aggressive ones. The aggressive ones will get the entire bee yard alarmed.

>27: Always have fresh Benadryl at/or near your bee keeping site... 

I don't think I own any... I've only taken some once in my life and was not impressed... maybe there is some somewhere in my house...

>If your fresh bee sting suddenly makes you itch all over; you are in danger and you have 10 minutes to take one! 

All over? Probably should head to the hospital... you can always come home if it gets better on the way.

>28: Visit your doc and get an EpiPen to keep nearby "just in case" you should be stung multiple times and/or have a systemic reaction.

I've never seen one...

>If you have to do a more aggressive procedure (eliminating egg laying nurse bees) resulting in your suit becoming heavily coated with "attack pheromone", ALWAYS WASH your suit and re-smoke saturate it once cleaned... 

I've shaken out seven or eight boxes of bees at a time, sometimes several times in a week and not even thought about it. It depends on the bees I guess... if you were smelling a lot of banana maybe. Bees in the air are not necessarily angry.

>If you “simply MUST” wash your suit; Hand wash it. Washing machines can easily damage your suit and veil.

True. Especially the veil.


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## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

burns375 said:


> i work most of my hives without gloves in shorts and dark colors. I blow on the bees, I never use a bee brush...etc


You and me both. It's just easier. And if the bees don't want me there at the moment, i go back later. Course, easy for me because i work from home and my yard is third of a football field away from my office.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Usually when you're beekeeping your primary goal is something other than total prevention of stings. Often it is trying not to die of heat stroke. Or just getting the work done. Once of those questions non beekeepers often ask is "have you ever been stung". I adopted Bullseye Bill's response, "you mean today?"


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I Posted this on my Facebook Page, not too long ago, stimulated by some analogy a Minister was trying to make that I felt didn't hit the mark.

"One thing that being a beekeeper has taught me is that, if you want to be a beekeeper, when you get stung you don't put down your hive tool and smoker and walk away from the task at hand. You don't jump up and down flapping your arms like wings, screaming and cursing and crying about how much being stung hurts. You scrape off the stinger, puff some smoke on the sting site to mask any odor the bee left behind on your skin. You smoke the hive you are working on to calm the bees and you keep on working. Yes, you feel the pain, with out anger or frustration, because that won't do anyone any good. The bees are just doing what bees do and you, the beekeeper, are doing what a beekeeper does. And sometimes someone gets hurt. Life.
But if you are going to walk away every time you experience pain or discomfort, what are you doing here in the first place? You are here to do a job. Face it with the knowledge that you might get stung, hurt, or you might sting, hurt, someone else. But keep in mind that there is a golden reward in the end. Honey!!"


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## Dave A. (Mar 13, 2015)

No matter what - do not use any Crock Pot, electric frying pan, or stockpot that belongs to your significant-other to melt wax in. If you do, you will not only get to replace the item, but you will get stung a second time for doing it in the first place.


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## lemmje (Feb 23, 2015)

Dave A. said:


> No matter what - do not use any Crock Pot, electric frying pan, or stockpot that belongs to your significant-other to melt wax in.


Had this very discussion not more than 30 minutes ago. I have a bucket of old comb i told her i am going to render this weekend and she asked me how I was going to do it. First thing i said was "First, go to the thrift store and buy an old cooking pot."


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