Greetings
Having worked with bees for almost 30 years, I have reached the following
conslusion:

Smoke intoxicates the honey bee. The symptoms appear very similar to alcohol
intoxication in humans. Sure, it affects communication, but I think this is a
secondary effect due to their fuzzied responses.

I think the primary effect is that it dulls their awareness, which accounts
for the lack of defensive response -- and lowers their inhibitions, which
causes them to gorge on honey.

Normally the bees protect the hive and its honey stores with great vigilance,
except when it's very warm and they are on a serious honey flow. Then, they
seem to be too concerned about their work too worry about anything else.

But what about drumming? I wonder how THAT works? (for anyone who does not
know it, if you drum rhythmically on a hive they will eventually pour out of
it)

pb