The Keeper
Bee smokers are particularly useful when it comes time to removing the honey frames that bees have worked hard to fill.
© Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
Bee Smoker
The beekeeper uses a bee smoker to calm the bees while he or she inspects them or works around the hive. It's believed the smoke sends a signal to the bees to consume as much honey as possible in case the fire forces them to abandon the hive. While they are busy eating, the beekeeper can work around them.
The smoker has a fire chamber that the beekeeper fills with flammable material (such as wood shavings or dried grass) and lights so that it smoulders. Squeezing the smoker's bellows sends a puff of smoke into the hive.
Nowadays the traditional smoker is sometimes replaced with a chemical smoker.
