If anyone has any doubt about bees gorging themselves on honey after bring
smoked, try one of these experiments:

1.  Open a hive without smoke.  Smoke the bees gently.  Watch them run down
between the frames.  Take out a frame containing nectar.  You will see lots
of bees with their heads stuck in the cells.  Observe closely, you will see
them pumping nectar.

2.  Gently smoke the front entrance of a nuc or small hive.  Not hot smoke,
but try to pump the bellows for 30 seconds or so.  Open the hive.  Take out
a nectar frame and you will see the bees loading up.

My understanding is that some 50% of the bees will so load up.  The others
are ready and willing to attack if they get excited enough.  In terms of
smoke, I don't know what it would take to make them abscond, and I don't
want to try with my bees.


Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner of Ross Rounds, manufacturer of comb honey equipment
for beekeepers and Sundance pollen traps.
http://www.rossrounds.com
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