Smoke

Posted by Jon on May 22, 2010 in Equipment, Swarms & Nests | 0 comments

Smoke is a vital part of a beekeeper’s toolbox as it helps us to calm the bees in potentially threatening situations. As smoke enters the hive, the bees gorge themselves anticipating the possibility of hive abandonment due to fire. Once full of honey, it is thought their sting action is inhibited because their abdomens are so exended that they are unable to flex to sting. Finally, the smoke  also masks the pheromones released by guard bees as their space is invaded (for instance on hive inspections).  But beware of over using smoke as it is known that to over-smoke makes some colonies aggressive.