Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 14:35:54 -0800
From: Andy Nachbar <andy.nachbaur@calwest.net>
Subject: 1st Swarm's

Hello Xxx & Xxxxx,

I enjoyed your post on your first swarms.

I will never forget my own mum's reaction the first time I came home after a bad hair experience in the bees and having been stung on the side of the head a few times both eyes were swelling shut and my head and face looked just like the cartoon knot head's like in "Kaptan n' the Kid's" after one or the other got stung up throwing rock's at a bee's hive. I would swell up so bad that it usually was good for a day home from school and a 2nd chance to go watch my bees work. I soon got used to the pain of the bee's sting which is really necessary when working in the bee's so as not to be dropping full hives or full supers of honey when doing normal bee work. But it was several years before I did not swell up.

I had a black long hair dog called Snooper, he was one of those dogs that had so much hair that you wondered how he could see and like any good dog he was under foot at all times.

I use to lock him up when ever I was checking the bees at home, but he would get let out and many times he caused me more hot times in the bees then anything else. The bees loved to get after him and no matter what I did he would not run away but instead would look for protection between my legs after trying to plow a furrow with his noise as that was about the only thing that was not covered by bees by the time he finished trying to rub the bees off his long black coat against the bee hives which just make things hotter for him and me. He never did swell up like I did and I am sure he enjoyed seeing the knot's all over my head after one of his unplanned visits.

You all ask why did you not dress up, well I can only say that except for
the high top shoes that replaced my sneakers to keep bees off my ankles all those extra clothe's just interfered with my personal enjoyment of the bees from day one. I had the coveralls, hat & veil, and gloves at the ready but I seldom put them on until I had to and by then the bees had already worked their will on me. A smoker and hive tool fast became extensions of my arms and the rest of the bee garb just was in the way. It is interesting to note that I have noticed that for what ever reason the people who have worked for me that do dress up always seem to be the subject of bee attack way before I do. Maybe that could be the ten ton's of chewing tobacco I have ingested over the years or the ton's of garlic I have consumed in my food.

ttul, the OLd Drone