# Fog/Smoke machine to calm bees?



## Billboard (Dec 28, 2014)

They do have electric smokers.


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## TFH (Sep 7, 2015)

Billboard said:


> They do have electric smokers.


The Bee-Z smoker is literally just blowing out not-hot smoke. What is the difference between that and a fog/smoke machine? I know that the smoke is used to block alarm pheromones on the bees, so wouldn't a fog/smoke machine achieve the same results? Or is it just for the form factor/portability?


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Some beekeepers put wet grass on top of their smoker fuel to cool it down.

There are times and places where a smoker is a bad idea, such as SoCal in an epic drought. In those cases, a spray mist bottle with either liquid smoke or a solution of essential oils (mint oil, lemongrass, etc) can have a similar effect without risking a fire.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

How come you are not curious about the honeybees?
Or even the bumble bees.
If you are just curious about the beehives then make
some yourself then decorate them with colorful paintings.
A home-made painted bee hive is very expensive you know.
There are many ways to calm down the bees. A spray bottle with
some sugar syrup will do. Wet them all down so that they cannot fly anymore.
They're too busy to clean themselves and others around.
A bee full of syrup cannot even move fast enough let alone to fly.
Imagine using a big hand pump sprayer full of syrup on them. Squirt, squirt!


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## TFH (Sep 7, 2015)

beepro said:


> How come you are not curious about the honeybees?
> Or even the bumble bees.
> If you are just curious about the beehives then make
> some yourself then decorate them with colorful paintings.
> ...


? 

I read about the syrup, but it seems that it is less effective than a smoker.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The simplest, cheapest, most effective solution is a smoker. Smoke has been the prevailing choice of bee robbers, honey hunters, beekeepers and bee havers for at least 10,000 years. It's not that difficult.

I can't say without trying, but I would not expect a fogger to work at all. There's probably a few reasons smoke works and I don't think a fogger has any of those mechanisms. First the bees is electrically charged so the smoke is attracted to them. Second the smell covers up the alarm pheromone. The fogger has no smell. Third, I think the smoke clings a bit, interfering with their sense of smell for longer than just the smell in the air.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beessmoke.htm


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I have been using syrup for the last 3 years to calm my bees down during
the hive inspection. I do have a smoker but never use it after the first year. And it
is almost brand new. But again I got the gentle type bees to work with.


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