Whether it’s time for another routine hive inspection or the time has come to collect frames of honey to harvest, beekeepers should try to minimize their impact on bees during their interactions. Sometimes, depending on numerous factors such as the bee breed or weather conditions, some bees may get stressed and even aggressive when a beekeeper is present.
When bees feel threatened, they will communicate via pheromone to alert the rest of the hive that something is wrong. That’s why beekeepers will always have a bee smoker on hand. A few puffs of smoke will calm an entire colony before they have a chance to plan their attack against their intruder.
But new beekeepers often wonder: is smoking bad for bees?
Does Smoke Harm Bees?
The use of smoke has been a cornerstone of beekeeping for decades, helping beekeepers safely manage their hives while minimizing stress to the colony. But for new beekeepers, it’s natural to wonder: does smoke harm bees? The short answer is no—when used properly, smoke is a helpful tool that does not cause long-term harm to bees or their hive. However, improper use of a smoker can lead to issues, so it’s essential to understand the best practices for smoking bees.
Smoke works by masking the bees’ alarm pheromones, which are released when they feel threatened. This disruption helps calm the hive, allowing beekeepers to inspect the colony with minimal disruption. Within about 20 minutes of the smoke dispersing, bees regain their ability to sense pheromones, ensuring that their communication within the hive returns to normal.
Smoke is only harmful to bees if it is used improperly. Mistakes in technique or smoker operation can cause unnecessary stress or even physical harm to the bees. Here are some common missteps to avoid:
Dispersing hot smoke: The fuel used in modern smokers should produce cool smoke. Natural materials like pine cones, wood chips, or untreated natural fabrics are ideal. Hot smoke can melt bees’ delicate wings and harm the colony. Always ensure that your smoker produces a gentle, cool smoke before directing it toward the hive.
Using too much smoke: Over-smoking a hive can send bees into a panic. Instead of calming them, excessive smoke disrupts their behavior and creates unnecessary stress. A single puff at the hive entrance and a few sparing puffs during the inspection are typically sufficient.
Opening the hive too quickly: Some new beekeepers make the mistake of opening the hive immediately after puffing smoke at the entrance. Bees need a moment to respond to the smoke, so it’s best to wait a minute and observe their reaction. This pause allows you to assess their behavior and ensures they’re calm before you proceed.
What Does Smoke Do To Bees?
A bee smoker is a tool designed to create smoke from various types of natural fuels aimed to keep bees calm. Smokers calm down bees in two ways: it limits their sense of smell (also known as pheromones) and it initiates their survival response.
Pheromones
Bees communicate through smell. They will release pheromones to communicate a message to one another. When an intruder is near the hive, bees will release an alarm pheromone that will cause the rest of the bees to react defensively. This alarm will make the other bees ready to stage an attack against the threat that is approaching them.
A bee smoker masks the pheromone, leaving bees unaware of an alarm. Without their sense of smell, other bees won’t know of any danger and therefore, they stay calm.
Survival Response
A bee smoker simulates a forest fire for honeybees. As soon as bees come into contact with smoke, they go into survival mode. Because they think that their surroundings are on fire, the honeybees will begin preparations to leave their hive. They eat as much honey as they can so it can be saved from the flames and moved to their new home. This not only distracts bees from beekeepers, but full stomachs also make bees happy. When a bee has a belly full of honey, their abdomens expand so much that they can’t bend over to sting a predator.
How Do I Use A Bee Smoker?
Cylindrical burners are a popular form of bee smokers. It’s a small tool that allows for the emission of cool, light smoke. Beekeepers can hold and squeeze bellows that pushes out air. This causes oxygen to go in the burner and results in a puff of smoke.
It’s common for beekeepers to puff smoke around the hive before opening it. After several seconds, the bees should begin to slow down in their activities. Many different types of fuel can be used to keep the smoker continually lit. The basic steps for lighting a bee smoker are:
- Burn some old newspaper and place it on the bottom of the smoker.
- Squeeze the bellows to ensure the newspaper maintains a flame.
- Add some kindling, such as dry twigs or pine cones, until the burner is around ¾ full.
- Once the kindling is glowing, add any fuel of your choice.
- Use the bellows until you have a cool, white smoke.
Using these steps, your smoker should remain lit for the duration of the hive inspection.
A smoker can be used initially and sometimes during an inspection. Overusing a smoker will not make bees calmer. Unless a hive is naturally aggressive, most docile bees only need a few puffs of smoke at the entrance before beginning an inspection. A few quick puffs are all that a hive needs to see the effects of a smoker. It’s encouraged to only smoke the entrance and not all sides of the hive so bees can move away from an area.
Is There An Alternative To Smoking Bees?
Beekeepers have many opinions on when to use a smoker. Ultimately, each beekeeper must understand their bees’ behavior to know if they need to use a smoker at every inspection. If your bees are generally docile and you find that they are not highly stressed during inspections, it’s worth experimenting with not using a smoker.
Some beekeepers advocate for “natural beekeeping” methods that avoid using smoke altogether. While this approach has its merits, it’s important to remember that a smoker protects both the beekeeper and the bees. Proper use of smoke allows you to perform inspections safely and minimizes the risk of aggressive behavior. Without smoke, bees may react defensively to hive disturbances, leading to unnecessary stings and stress for both the beekeeper and the colony.
That said, excessive stress over time can negatively impact the health of a hive. Bees subjected to high stress during every inspection may become more aggressive, associating human presence with a threat. As a beekeeper, it’s your responsibility to balance necessary interventions with minimizing stress for the bees. Using smoke appropriately is one way to achieve this balance.
For more information on working on a beehive without a smoker, see our article about calming bees without a smoker.
Final Thoughts
Beekeepers have been using smoke to calm bees for generations. There have been no long-term side effects on the bees’ health and smoke protects a colony from experiencing high levels of stress and aggression.
Smokers are only harmful when beekeepers use them inappropriately. Before using a smoker, be sure to understand how to use it properly so you don’t accidentally melt bees or shock them.
As a beekeeper, it’s your responsibility to know your hive’s behavior and temperament. You need to decide if a smoker is necessary for every interaction. If your hive is generally docile, you may not need to use a smoker for every inspection. If your hive displays aggression easily, it may be safer to always have a smoker on hand.
Bee smokers are a necessary tool for all levels of beekeepers. It’s important to do all you can to protect, not only yourself but your hive as well.
When you’re ready to take a step forward in beekeeping, check out our list of the best smokers for beekeepers on the market today.
