Use of a smoker

homer · July 01, 2008, 05:59:50 PM

Is it necessary to use a smoker every time that you open up your hive or is it okay to do it without using the smoke. Advantages/ disadvantages, other than the obvious one of calming the bees.

Jim134 · July 01, 2008, 06:56:05 PM

Quote from: homer on July 01, 2008, 05:59:50 PM
Is it necessary to use a smoker every time that you open up your hive or is it okay to do it without using the smoke. Advantages/ disadvantages, other than the obvious one of calming the bees.

Not if you like runing (bees can fiy up to 15 MPH)

BEE HAPPY Jim134 :evil:

Keith13 · July 01, 2008, 06:58:59 PM

I rarely light my smoker only if I will be in them awhile do I liight it. last weekend I replaced all my bottom boards which involved taking full boxes and supers off I didn't use smoke and was okay no stings but did really make the last hive mad though

Keith

johnnybigfish · July 01, 2008, 07:11:08 PM

I have learned that using the smoker helps alot to keep the bees from stinging me. But, most the time, if I'm just peeking in I dont use it. If I'm gonna move a box to the side to look in or clean a feeder I'll use it. Its a pain sometimes because for me it always seems to work best when I'm done. Last season i hardly ever used it.Now I know the difference in using it or not.
Try working your bees both ways! Then give us a full report on your findings! :-D
Oh yeh,....we like to view sting pictures! :evil:

heh heh heh......

your friend,
john

Jerrymac · July 01, 2008, 07:35:58 PM

At the beginning of the season the bees are workable without smoke. As the hives get bigger and they have more product to protect, they get testier. Late in the season my bees don't pay attention to what the smoke is suppose to be for, that's why I always wear protection.

octagon · July 01, 2008, 08:30:18 PM

Quote from: homer on July 01, 2008, 05:59:50 PM
Is it necessary to use a smoker every time that you open up your hive or is it okay to do it without using the smoke. Advantages/ disadvantages, other than the obvious one of calming the bees.

i use the smoker a little, i especially like to give my self a puff on the sting when i get stung, i think it kills the smell of the sting so other bees don't get to excited.

rast · July 01, 2008, 09:39:54 PM

See Jerrymac's answer above. Exception for me is a small nuc.

beekybuzzard · July 01, 2008, 10:47:07 PM

The only times I use a smoker is when I am making splits, just because I stay in a little longer and tend to upset them a little more. Other than that I don't bother lighting it up.
With one exception, 2 weeks ago my father called me to help him out. He has gotten 2 hives from a beekeeper in the local association, and one hive was bearding very badly, it had a solid bottom board while the other had a screened bottom board. He already has 2 supers of honey and wanted to add another super and change out the bottom board for a screened one. We tried to get the bottom board off but could not get it to budge and really all we were able to do is rile up the girls real good. I got out the smoker and tried to calm them down some while we tried to get the bottom board off but we could not get it to budge. Finally my dad went and got a sheetrock hammer ( kind of like a small hatchet ) and with it and 2 Italian hive tools we were able to separate the hive body from the bottom board. It had 3 screws holding it together. I had not seen this on any other hives and was not expecting it at all. Anyway we got it put back together with minimal damage to the hive body and no stings, but a whole lot of angry girls.

JP · July 01, 2008, 11:56:08 PM

A little dab will do you good, no dab and you may be done in, I smoke.

...JP

annette · July 02, 2008, 12:05:59 AM

I always give them a tiny little puff at the entrance, and then usually do not need to use it again. If I want to move the bees down or out of the way, then I will puff them again. But, I always have it handy just in case. (except 2 weeks ago when I opened the hive without any protection or smoke, they showed me, ouch!!)

Annette

derrick1p1 · July 02, 2008, 12:26:22 PM

I almost always smoke them. But with the problems I've encountered lately, I've had to go in deep alot. If I'm just looking to move frames in the supers, check for capped honey (in and out quickly), may not be necessary.

I have a gentle hive that I can go in deep and don't need to smoke.

JP · July 02, 2008, 12:31:40 PM

Quote from: derrick1p1 on July 02, 2008, 12:26:22 PM
I almost always smoke them. But with the problems I've encountered lately, I've had to go in deep alot. If I'm just looking to move frames in the supers, check for capped honey (in and out quickly), may not be necessary.

I have a gentle hive that I can go in deep and don't need to smoke.

Famous last words, just kidding.

...JP

Blackbird · July 02, 2008, 02:05:08 PM

I use the smoke most of the time unless I am just having a quick peek. The reason I like to use the smoke is to move the bees out of the way so I don't crush as many. Other than that I really don't see the smoke working the way it is supposed to. If the hive is calm it's calm with or with out smoke and a testy hive isn't affected by smoke except to get the bees to move.

Shawn · July 02, 2008, 05:50:52 PM

I smoke everytime. I give them a couple of buffs at the entrance, wait a couple, give a couple more, then set the smoker down beside the hive next to me. The smoke coming out usually goes up the hive and into the air around me keeping the bees off me. I usually have one bee that stings the glove everytime.

Sean Kelly · July 02, 2008, 06:48:45 PM

Depends on which hive I'm working on or the temperament of the bees at that time. I have one hive that I swear is out to get me.... I smoke that one. Another hive that I caught as a swarm is so calm that the queen will lay eggs while I'm holding the frame.. No smoke there.

Sean Kelly

DBoire · July 02, 2008, 08:15:25 PM

An individual in my club used liquid smoke in a spray bottle. the bees respond to it, but I have questions about how long the sent lingers.

homer · July 02, 2008, 08:55:24 PM

Okay, thanks for all the good input. My hive is VERY agressive but I can get all my gear on and open up the hive and have angry off bees all around me and still not get stung. Is it of any benefit to the bees to smoke them to keep them from getting so worked up, or is smoking only for the beeks benefit?

JP · July 02, 2008, 08:58:29 PM

Quote from: homer on July 02, 2008, 08:55:24 PM
Okay, thanks for all the good input. My hive is VERY agressive but I can get all my gear on and open up the hive and have pee'd off bees all around me and still not get stung. Is it of any benefit to the bees to smoke them to keep them from getting so worked up, or is smoking only for the beeks benefit?

When the girls get worked up and sting even your garments and lose their stingers they die.

...JP

homer · July 02, 2008, 09:10:14 PM

Quote from: JP on July 02, 2008, 08:58:29 PM
Quote from: homer on July 02, 2008, 08:55:24 PM
Okay, thanks for all the good input. My hive is VERY agressive but I can get all my gear on and open up the hive and have pee'd off bees all around me and still not get stung. Is it of any benefit to the bees to smoke them to keep them from getting so worked up, or is smoking only for the beeks benefit?

When the girls get worked up and sting even your garments and lose their stingers they die.

...JP

Okay, but what about all the ones that don't sting you, si it bad for them to get all worked up? I, personally, prefer to smoke the bees. My friend doesn't and he is having lots of different problems with his hives...losses of queens being a main problem. Could not smoking the hives cause detrimental problems within the hive?

JP · July 02, 2008, 09:20:58 PM

Quote from: homer on July 02, 2008, 09:10:14 PM
Quote from: JP on July 02, 2008, 08:58:29 PM
Quote from: homer on July 02, 2008, 08:55:24 PM
Okay, thanks for all the good input. My hive is VERY agressive but I can get all my gear on and open up the hive and have pee'd off bees all around me and still not get stung. Is it of any benefit to the bees to smoke them to keep them from getting so worked up, or is smoking only for the beeks benefit?

When the girls get worked up and sting even your garments and lose their stingers they die.

...JP

Okay, but what about all the ones that don't sting you, si it bad for them to get all worked up? I, personally, prefer to smoke the bees. My friend doesn't and he is having lots of different problems with his hives...losses of queens being a main problem. Could not smoking the hives cause detrimental problems within the hive?

I can only guess that if the bees are continually stressed this can lower their immune system just like when we are stressed, but I don't know of any data to support what you are insinuating with your buddy's hives.

...JP