In our previous blog post we discussed some common “bad bee removal” advice. This blog is similar in nature. This post is all about the common misconceptions of moving bees by using a smoker.
One of the most common misconceptions about bee removal is that the best way to move bees is by using a smoker. The truth of the matter is that it is only the best option under some circumstances…not all. If you are a beekeeper and managing controlled colonies in bee hive boxes, it’s a great way to go. What most people don’t understand, however, is that a smoker is rarely an effective way to remove bees from a structure.
What is the purpose of a smoker, and why it it used for beekeeping? The whole purpose of a smoker is to trick the bee colony into believing there is a fire. When the bees sense smoke, their first instinct is to save the honey in the hive. In order to save the honey, the bees start ingesting as much of the honey as they can. By doing this they can save their honey if the hive succumbs to the fire.
Using a smoker to subdue the bees
Why is this important for a beekeeper? Beekeepers use the smoker because the bees are greatly subdued after gorging on honey. They become very full, move slower, and the stinger isn’t able to protrude under their engorged bellies. Basically its like they went to town at a Hometown Buffet and overdid it. They become docile, slow moving, and unable to sting. It makes it very easy for a beekeeper to move them from point A to point B.
So why won’t this work on a structure? Unless you have large opening on the structure, a smoker is ineffective at getting the bees out. It may trick the bees into gorging on the honey, but it does little to induce them to leave the structure. In fact it often times has the opposite effect. Usually it has the effect of pushing the bees deeper into the walls or attic of a home.
So if bees have entered your home through a vent hole (or a gap or crack in the stucco), a smoker will not lure them out unless you make a substantial opening in the wall or roof. Even then, it takes an incredible amount of knowledge and skill to successfully remove a colony alive. It can be done, but it should only be attempted by someone with a good amount of experience in handling bees.
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Appreciate the recommendation. Let me try it out.
How about if the beehive is in a chimney? Will lighting the fireplace make the bees move & leave? I have bees in the fireplace & have lit the fireplace.
Hi Peter. We actually wrote another blog which answers your question. Its all about what to do if bees get inside your chimney.