Beekeepers use smoke to calm the bees while carrying out hive inspections or harvesting honey. Smoke helps to mask the bee pheromones from the guard bees preventing the defensive reactions of bees. When the bees see smoke, they think that a fire has erupted. The immediate reaction is turning to eat honey in preparation for swarming. When they act like this, a beekeeper performs their operations with minimal interruption. 

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How long does it take to smoke out bees?

Smoking bees should take a few seconds. It is applied in puffs and not continuously. You just use a few puffs at the entrance and wait for about 5-10 minutes before you open the hive. The short duration is enough for the smoke to have an effect on bees.  Depending on the bees’ reaction, you can use additional puffs on the inner cover, supers, and deep box. You should not use too much smoke either. Novice beekeepers tend to overuse smoke due to nervousness. Too much smoke can affect the honey and wax quality. However, you may use more if dealing with an aggressive colony. 

Does smoke harm the bees?

It depends on the quality of the smoke produced by your smoker. Using smoke with open flames will harm the bees, especially their delicate wings. It is advisable to use cool smoke for the safety of your bees. The best option is to use smoke from a smouldering fire which is usually white or light gray and thick. The smoke should be cool enough in such a way that you can direct it onto your bare wrist with no discomfort. Just warm and not burning hot. You should also ensure the fuel you use on the smoker is not toxic to bees. 

How does smoke help to calm bees?

Guard bees stay alert at the entrance of the hive, and once they detect an intruder or impeding danger, they quickly alert the rest of the colony. When alarmed, they emit pheromones that stimulate alarm responses to other bees.  The smoke helps to mask the pheromones making it impossible for them to pass any information to the hive mates. Again, once bees detect smoke, they result into eating honey in preparation to escape. When their stomachs are full, they are less defensive and not likely to sting. 

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What is the best fuel to use on a bee smoker? 

For a smoker to generate smoke, you must have some burning materials. This should be something that produces smoke, lights easily, and burns slowly. Smoker fuel can be bought from beekeeping supply companies and mainly comes in the form of burlap, cotton fibre, and wood pellets. While these products work well, you can make smoker fuel for free by using natural materials like pine needles, dried herbs, or dried citrus peels. You can mix the fuel with a material that lights fast, such as brown paper, cotton, small twigs, or dry deciduous leaves. Fuel items should be collected and prepared ahead of your beekeeping operations. You should avoid fuels that contain bleach, glue, dyes, plastics, pesticides, and dryer lint. 

Tips on How to Smoke a Hive

• Puff a bit of smoke around the entrance before opening the hive
• Ensure you have enough fuel not to run short in the middle of an inspection
• Avoid using too much smoke not unless you are working with an aggressive bee stock. 
• If you get stung, smoke the area to mask the alarm pheromones.