What is Beekeeper’s Smoker And How To Use It Properly? Every good beekeeper understands the importance of keeping every essential handy in a separate beekeeper’s tool kit. You’ll never know when you might need a bee smoker while opening a hive. Even when dealing with gentle bees, it’s a good idea to keep a smoker lit before getting close to their hive. You don’t want to stop in the middle to lit one when surrounded by grumpy bees. And, if you have already deal with a smoker before, we don’t have to tell you how tricky it can be to light a beekeeper’s smoker. When you’re new to beekeeping business, knowing how much smoke is adequate can be stressful. Here, we will tell you everything that you need to know about a bee smoker.
What does a beekeeper’s smoker do?
When you smoke your bees, you get two advantages. Firstly, the smoke covers bees’ pheromones which are mainly used for communication. Particularly, the Alarm Pheromone that allows bees to alert each other about the nearby danger. For instance, an injured honey bee emits the alarm pheromone to inform other bees. When you create smoke, you set off their alarm pheromone. So when a bee or two get squished, by mistake, other bees will never know. This way, you stay safe from the colony of aggressive bees coming after you. Secondly, the smoke imitates a forest fire. In such situations, honeybees get back to their hives and start eating up honey. After filling up their bellies, they flee from their burning home and build a new comb elsewhere. This works in beekeeper’s favor as bees are less aggressive after a big meal.
How to use a bee smoker?
The golden rule of thumb to remember while using a beekeeper’s smoker is to keep the smoke low. Though a cloud of smoke keeps you from getting stung, it disturbs your bees and contaminates honey stores and wax. Try using only two or three puffs of the bellows near the entrance of the hive, a couple of minutes before opening it for your inspection. Have patience as sometimes it may take up to ten minutes for bees to clear the way. Another thing to remember is holding the spout at least six inches away from the bees because the smoke is hot and capable of killing bees. Allow the cloud of smoke to disperse on its own into the hive. Most smokers invest in wire protective cages to cover the main can because a smoker can get extremely hot. It’s recommended to hold the smoker by the bellows and use the hook given in the front. Also, be aware where you’re placing your smoker, as the bottom can get hot. It could melt or scorch other things. For beekeeping supplies including bee smoker, browse through Meyer Bees’ products to find the best quality.