Smoking bees

[Levitt53]

My smoker went out half way through inspecting my bees yesterday. It often happens and sometime it smokes for ages. If it goes out I just carry on. I've only been at this for a year - often the bees are happy, sometimes they are grumpy but it seem to me that this has little to do with whether I smoke them or not. It seems a bit of a faf and in this weather something that I could do without. I know some people never smoke their bees and it helps get swarms in boxes etc but can anyone really point me to an advantage to doing it especially when inspecting in fine weather.

 

[Millet]

I only use a small amount of smoke on the top bars if need be to shift the bees when putting everything back together, the main reason i do take the smoker with me is to smoke myself to try and hide any attack pheromone i have on me when the bees hammer me.

 

[enrico]

I use a quick puff on arrival through the entrance to warn them I am there and then no more. I always keep a tin of fabispray in my bee box. The bees don't like it and on the odd occasion I need to get them to move down rapidly so that I can close an angry hive it has been a lifesaver. It is available through bee shops and is a sort of liquid smoke. But don't use it all the time cos t makes them cross.
E

 

[madasafish]

I always (ALWAYS) have a lit smoker at inspections. Puff at entrance, leave 1-2 minutes and then inspect.

If weather is good and bees are nice, fine.
Bad weather Not too great.
Good weather and bad tempered bees? Lots of smoke.

BAD weather and bad bees - wellies, rubber bands round ankles and fine spray dilute syrup solution and marigolds and all zips inspected and every trick needed.. Smoking makes no difference .. preventing fliers due to spraying does. (pressurised sprayer and fine wide mist ).. Then requeen the bar stewards,

Nasty bees tend to hate smoke and react accordingly...so I find..

(But do wonders for my sting counts - as I'm sad and count stings)