> If Dave has ever seen angry bees flying to just any > other dark spot, or any other dark spot the size of a human eye, I > would like to hear about it. Well, there's the answer. Bees just naturally fly or walk confidently into holes. Holes have familarity and deep meaning to bees, as do cracks, since they can often represent the entrance to a colony. That predilection for entering small round holes is a demonstrable fact. Observant beekeepers know this, and many drill 3/4 or 1" auger holes in all brood boxes, or even supers to augment the lower slit-shaped entrance. I can attest that my bees do much better on account of that little trick. (See archives). For one thing, bees orient better to holes than most cracks -- which is what bottom entrances are -- and thus auger holes can drastically reduce drifting, especially in early spring, or if the boxes vary in colour. (FWIW, It is interesting to see what happens when a box is accidentally turned around, front to back, and the hole is hidden. Bees then examine all dark spots, or pile up where the hole was, expecting to find an entrance). Anyhow, the smoker entrance is just another hole -- but perhaps one with detectable inner warmth and familiar smell, accompanied by the attractive shape. Bees enter such holes with confidence. I don't know how bees perceive the smoker hole -- their senses differ from ours -- but I suspect that shape, smell, and warmth convince the bee to 'come on in' with full confidence. Ooops! allen http://www.honeybeeworld.com :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::