Possible flaw in smoking method

[cao]

I typically smoke several hives wait a while then smoke again before opening them up.  Continuing down the line, smoking ahead as I go.  Usually works just fine.  This time I noticed a few hives weren't as calm as normal.  I realized they had no uncapped honey to gorge themselves on.  I am a couple weeks late on harvesting this year and most of my hives are needing more room.  So they have every space taken with comb including under the inner cover and between boxes, all of it capped.  I noticed that these hives didn't really calm down until I started pulling frames and breaking the burr comb allowing them to line up and start gorging themselves.  The early part of the year when there is a flow there is uncapped honey typically all over the place for them to fill up on.  That could also explain a little that later in the summer or the fall that the bees seem to be a little bit meaner.  They may not have any area with open nectar/honey to access when you smoke them.  Just a thought.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts cao. Makes sense to me...

[The15thMember]

That's a interesting observation, cao.  I agree, it makes a lot of sense. 

I have noticed with mean hives that sometimes less is more with smoke.  I also used to smoke a mean hive if I was working the hive next to them, but I've stopped doing that now, because I think all it does is alerts the mean bees to my presence.  I've had better luck just leaving them entirely alone if I'm in the apiary working other hives. 

[NigelP]

It?s a very interesting thought, though I?ll add in another factor. You don?t need any smoke to make bees gorge on honey, just the disturbance of going in to a hive causes bees to behave the same way. Most of my bees don?t require any smoke to handle (with exceptions).  But the idea of their being  available honey to gorge on when bees are disturbed by smoke (or just inspections) having a calming effect is intriguing.

[Michael Bush]

I open a lot of hives and mating nucs with and without smoke depending on how calm they are and if I'm hoping to find a queen.  I see no difference in gorging between smoked and unsmoked.  I think it's a myth that they only gorge if you smoke them.  I think the smoke just interferes with their sense of smell.  They are always more defensive if the flow is over...