I typically only use smoke on my crankiest hives. If they are prone to stinging, then I'll smoke. Most often, I won't bother lighting it. It takes me longer to get the dang thing going than it does to crack open the hive and do an inspection. I watch the weather, too. IF it looks nasty out, I will take the time to light the smoker, if I absolutely have to get in the hives. The last time I decided to leave the smoker home, when a storm was approaching, I got nailed well over 30 times. Most on the inner thighs, then arms and hands.
if your girls hate smoke, maybe it's too hot. I puff some smoke on my hand to feel the temp. If it's hot, or even warm, I'll put some green grass on top to produce cool smoke. Sometimes, over smoking can tick them off, too.