If you own honeybees, why?
This may sound like a strange question, but there is a point behind it. Some of us keep bees for the simple pleasure of seeing them prosper at our hands, or perhaps just to learn more about nature, while others keep them as a business. I'm sure there are as many reasons as there are beekeepers, but when you go out to the bees, whose interest do you put first - yours or the bees?
If you put the bees first, you will avoid smoking a colony unless absolutely necessary, whereas if you smoke each hive as a matter of course, you are probably putting your own convenience first. Everyone has "that one hive" that is grumpier than the others, but rather than smoking them so much, perhaps ask yourself if they are fighting off robber bees, ants, wax moths, skunks, etc. ... or perhaps they are in too much sun. It's always possible that their queen is at fault, but remember that sometimes it is just that they have the most honey - they are defensive for a reason! Try being more observant next spring, and be kind to your bees!
I have a theory that bees can remain stressed for a while even after the root cause of their stess has been eliminated. In other words, there is a stress recovery period. I think any time their home is greatly disturbed, there must be a period of calm to allow them to settle down, or their performance will suffer. Hopefully, I will be able to study this more next year.
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