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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 18:40:22 -0400
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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
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Re: Smoking honey bees
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Doug wrote:

"Smoking honey bees with smoke has always been one of those myths with me...
no one really know why or how it works, ......"



It's what's known as 'the placebo effect'.  The action of performing the ritual calms the beekeeper so (s)he is likely to emit less adrenalin-generated pheromones that are likely to alert and antagonise the bees.  Whether it masks the pheromones that are emitted or not is a matter of conjecture.  A hundred years ago, in the trenches, there was plenty of smoke around but it was noted that nothing spread faster than adrenalin-generated panic!


Chris


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