Smoke vs Water (or other alternatives)

[HensandBees]

I was advised not to use sugar in a water spray as the bees licking it off could pull the hairs out leaving bald bees as in CBPV .. not sure if the advice was saying you cannot tell then if you have the virus or whether the holes left behind could give an access point for the virus to get in and a hold

[chris]

If it's natural beekeeping, then I'd have thought the water would contain a variety of natural oils.The first time I heard of this method was when it was advocated by a certain James Fischer who claimed to know almost everything. He certainly had an extensive scientific knowledge, but didn't quote any paper to back up his choice of water spraying. I've never tried it as I don't like the idea of adding moisture to the inside of the hive.I'm sure though that it must be useful outside the hive in temporarily keeping a swarm from flying off.

[Trog]

I've heard of spraying a swarm to keep them from flying off but can usually get to the swarm box faster than a water spray!

I personally wouldn't be keen on spraying water from a container that had been kicking around in my bee kit for perhaps a week (or even for an hour in the heat of a car) onto the tops of honey supers which might contain open cells. Who knows what bacteria one might be introducing?

We give one gentle puff of smoke at the entrance to let the bees know we're there, wait a wee while, then take of the roof and crown board gently. Further puff across frames if they seem to need it but usually the smoker goes out through lack of use! Seems to work with our bees. Sometimes we have to smoke them down off the frame tops when putting qx back on to avoid squashing/rolling bees if there's a lot of traffic on a sunny day but still don't use a lot of smoke.

Of course, some beekeepers believe you shouldn't use smoke or take the cover off a hive at all so as not to disrupt the colony pheremones and they are entitled to their opinions, especially if it means more swarms available for those looking for them!

[madasafish]

I use smoke on TBHs for colonies that are agitated/easily annoyed. But for colonies in a good mood/warm days or when feeding I use a water spray.

Water only. I tried sugar but water is more effective: if you spray sugar solution the bees want to stop to collect it: if you spray water, the bees run away. Ideal when closing bars on a TBH where the risk is of crushing bees.

A spray is more convenient as well (although I light smokers using a two flame mini blowlamp which takes 30secs with dead wood.)

[HensandBees]

I listened to a (dire) reading of Langsroth on the Hive of the Honey Bee last year, and he advocated spraying the bees with sugar solution, apparently it made the bees keen to see him and very gentle but maybe he did nt see CBPV.....

[Cherie84]

I agree with madasafish, smoke's being hyped these days a lot, but in fact using it for colonies is not the best idea. I prefer to use water, too. Just my two cents though...
__________________________
Not really appropriate for a beekeeping forum - Nellie.

[Jon]

Based on observation rather than 'natural' beekeeping dogma, both smoke and water can be effective and sometimes neither is needed.
I cannot see on what basis water is more natural than smoke.
If you consider a natural situation, it never rains inside a hollow tree but it is quite possible that smoke could drift into the nest during a forest fire.
Reacting quickly to the presence of smoke is likely to be an evolutionary strategy to enable a colony to tank up and abscond when their nest is under threat from fire.
Using smoke is taking advantage of a behaviour which has evolved in the honeybee over millions of years.

[chris]

If you consider a natural situation, it never rains inside a hollow tree .

No, but when a dinosaur used to cock its back leg...........................

[madasafish]

I base my choice not on "natural beekeeping" methods - a contradiction in terms in my view - but based on convenience and effectiveness coupled with need.

Bees tend to dislike cold rain... dinosaur pee was probably lukewarm :-)

[lindsay s]

If you consider a natural situation, it never rains inside a hollow tree but it is quite possible that smoke could drift into the nest during a forest fire.
Reacting quickly to the presence of smoke is likely to be an evolutionary strategy to enable a colony to tank up and abscond when their nest is under threat from fire.
Using smoke is taking advantage of a behaviour which has evolved in the honeybee over millions of years.

It’s a good job that evolution goes back millions of years because my bees have never seen a forest let alone one on fire; maybe a heath fire might jog their memories.
Seriously though I have often wondered about the effect of smoke on unsealed honey and the risk of it being tainted. I use cardboard and clean hessian in my smoker but maybe there’s someone out there burning pretty toxic stuff.