Hi,

I suggested as the most plausible explanation for the "suicide bee" report, that the bee did not actively fly into the smoker's spout, but was sucked in by the in-rushing wind caused by a fire, and the possible additional suction created by air rushing in to inflate the bellow deflated by the beekeeper.

Todd who reported the original observation, and mentioned then that the bee might have been attracted by the smell of some honey left on the smoker from previous activity, has now provided additional details: The smoker was stationary. The bee hovered for a while some 8 inches above the smoker, before it presumably dove in. He claims that this proves that the bee was in full control of its motion; that it actively flew into the opening of the smoker, possibly perceiving the smoke and heat as a threat to be attacked, and that no fire-physics could explain what he observed. I accept that the bee could have been attracted odors of the honey (more strongly diffusing from the surface of the hot smoker). Also, the additional details preclude the possibility of suction due to air rushing in to inflate a deflated bellow. However: 1. I seriously question the idea that a guard-bee would attack hot smoke. On the contrary, I strongly suspect that a bee in full control of its flight would be
 stopped by the heat, instead of try to attack the source of the smoke. More about the "eye" of the smoker, later. 2.  A fire, no matter whether large or small always results in an in-rushing wind. I had completely forgotten about that, because I initially  accepted at face-value the original report that the "suicide bee" flew into the smoker. I could not however get that report out of my mind without being able to come up with a plausible explanation. Very sadly, I recalled the information regarding the in-rushing winds caused  by fires, after reading the NYPD recently released tapes of Sept. 11, which included the mention of a very strong sudden wind...I then checked the Internet for additional information about fire-physics, and  realized that the effect of an in-rushing wind should be considered even in the case of a small fire inside a smoker, because such a wind occurs even in the case of a burning small candle. You do not need a wind-storm to suck in an airborne object that is
 as small and light as a bee that gets close enough to the "eye" of a lit smoker. I then realized that I did not earlier consider the possible effect of the in-rushing wind because I assumed that the "suicide bee" actually flew into the smoker, as reported. 3. I then further realized that a casual observation can in no way enable an observer to distinguish between a bee that actively flies into a smoker, and a bee that is being passively sucked in once it gets close enough; which means that Todd's claim that the "suicide bee" was fully in control of its flight is not substantiated by any evidence.

Aaron has now reported that he often saw a bees flying into a smoker. I do not know whether the smoker was contaminated with honey in all such cases,  but perhaps one should assume that a used smoker usually is so contaminated. Aaron suggests that the "suicide bee" actively flew into the smoker, because bees are attracted to dark spots, "like your eyes". However: 1. The belief that bees attack people who wear black clothes (apparently passed from one generation to another among some beekeepers in Ireland) turned out to be a myth. And I strongly suspect that so also is the belief that bees are attracted to black spots (except in the case of nest-scouts that are probably attracted to black spots only if the spots also carry odors the bees had learned to associate with their home-nest). 2. If bees performing field-chores other than nest-scouting were to be attracted by just any black spot, they would be wasting a lot of time and energy on utterly useless activities, while being
 distracted from doing that which they need to do. Evolution could hardly result in such behavior.3. Guard-bees are of course attracted to moving objects. However if a bee that seems ready to attack flies in front of your eyes, this may simply be due to the fact that even if you follow the right advice (freeze, instead of try to run away, or drive the bee away) you still almost inevitably keep moving your eyes (irrespective of their color) to follow the bee that is buzzing in front of you.

In short, so far I have seen no evidence to justify the claim that "suicide bees" actively fly into the "eye" of a smoker. Nor have I seen any evidence that suffices to preclude the possibility that the bees were simply passively sucked in once they got close enough.






Sincerely,

Ruth Rosin ("prickly pear")

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