It's a thing among beekeepers to talk about how everybody does things differently. Every experienced beekeeper will tell you that if you ask five beekeepers a question, you'll get six answers. Here is a typical exchange:
"Mr. Beekeeper, when should I smoke my bees?"
"Well, Joe thinks you oughtn't smoke them at all. Jane thinks you only ought to smoke them when you're taking off honey. I smoke 'em every time. It's up to you." And this conversation repeats itself, whether it's about pest management, equipment, feeding, winterizing, or anything else.
Research would be good. There is almost certainly a right answer to most of these questions, or at least a technique that would predict a better outcome for the hive. The problem is, there are so many variables in nature that nobody can actually figure out cause and effect. Instead of controlled experimentation, we have passions born of anecdotal evidence (aka "years of experience"). We need a few scientists and a funding source.
We had a guest beekeeper at class who said that recent research indicated that bees recover 25% more quickly when they've been smoked than when they haven't. I didn't even ask him where he read it, or who funded this research, or how robust was the finding. I just knelt at his feet and lit up.
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