> Gorging of honey is not key, because 
> other stinging insects exhibit response 
> to smoke without eating honey.

The story about "gorging on honey" is part of the myth that bees react to
smoke by concluding that there is a fire, and preparing to flee the hive.
Even for famous forest fire scene in "Bambi", responsible for the early
start of the entire environmental movement and the birth of Smokey The Bear,
did not go so far as to depict bees leaving a fire.

Anyone who has had a beeyard overrun by a brush fire can attest that bees do
NOT flee fire.  They stay and protect their brood as best they can, to the
death.  The ability of over-used smoke to act as an irritant is well-known,
and bees will, of course, move away from an irritant if they can.  Perhaps
persistent smoke from nearby fires can be enough of an irritant to prompt a
hive to abscond, I dunno.  But myths about beekeeping persist, as people
want to believe entertaining things, and facts are less often repeated than
myths.

		

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