Using a bee smoker can help calm honey bees and keep beekeepers safer during the honey collection process. Mann Lake offers a range of bee smokers, fuels, and other accessories that make using a smoker easier. Beekeepers use smokers to create smoke at the entrance of hives for the best results.
Why Do Beekeepers Use Bee Smokers?
A bee smoker is a portable vessel with an angled, funnel-shaped top that holds wood pellets or other dried materials, such as burlap or pine needles, that produces smoke. It cages the burning material, and the smoke is emitted through the funnel. The beekeeper directs smoke into the bee box or hive. The fire within the smoker burns the fuel, creating air filled with calming smoke.
What Does Smoke Do to Honey Bees?
Bees like calm and quiet. Harvesting honey agitates the bees, so beekeepers suffer from stings. Hot smoke helps calm bees by masking the smell of pheromones. This allows the beekeeper to safely harvest honey. A bellows is used to safely waft the smoke over a larger area or more than one hive. While the smoke is generally not harmful to the colony, beekeepers should be careful not to overuse it.
Getting the Most Out of Your Bee Smoker
Bee smokers with bellows attached are the easiest to operate since the keeper only needs to hold one device. Our beekeeping smokers collection features various types, such as pro-bellow smokers, wood bellow smokers, dome-top smokers, and more.
We also offer bee smokers without bellows and standalone bellows, wood pellet smoker fuel, replacement wood bellows, Kwikstart pellets, and many other options to make the process simple.