John Burgess wrote: "try using manipulation cloths"

I use a pair routinely for frame by frame inspections, both with sticks at
opposite edges to scroll to each frame in turn. The bees still well up from
the gap after a while, even with the occasional puff of smoke. Admittedly I
sometimes have to inspect at unfavourable times like late afternoons on
overcast days. I put it down to those mongrel bees that Dave Cushman
recently referred to. I bought the stocks as nucs in 2003 and requeened
from them. By wing vein morphometry this winter they occupied a diffuse
zone between A.m.m & A.m.l on the graphs. Many show Italian colooration,
many black.

David Heaf
Wales, UK