Effect Of Tobacco Smoke
Categories:
IRRITABILITY OF BEES.
Bee Keeping:
Mysteries Of Bee-keeping Explained
We can now subdue these combative propensities, or render them
harmless; turn their anger to submission, and make them yield their
treasures to the hands of the spoiler without an effort of resistance!
When once overpowered, they seem to lose all knowledge of their
strength, and no slave can be more submissive! After the effects of the
smoke have passed off, their former animosity will return. Should any
resentment be
hown on raising a hive, blow in the smoke; they
immediately retreat, "begging pardon." After a few times, they learn
"it's no use," and allow an inspection. If you wish to take off a box,
raise it just enough to blow under the smoke; there is no trouble; you
can replace it with another; the bees are kept out of the way with a
little more smoke, _and no anger created about it to be remembered_.
Those in the box are all submission; they can be carried away and
handled as you please, without a possibility of getting them irritated,
until they once more get home, and then are much more "amiable" than if
the box had been taken without the smoke. They seem to forget, or do
not realize anything of the transaction. When bees are to be
transferred to a new hive, it is unnecessary to be so very particular
about the escape of a single bee; no fears need be entertained of such
as get out. In driving, the loud humming indicates their submission;
the upper hive can then be safely raised at any time. After being thus
driven out, they may be pushed about with impunity, and still be quiet!
In short, by using smoke on all occasions where they would be likely to
be disturbed without it by our meddling with them, it has a tendency to
keep dormant their combative propensities. When these have never been
aroused, there is much less danger from their attacks while walking or
looking among them. Any one wishing further proof, I would recommend
the experiment of managing one year with smoke, and the next without.