As any beekeeper, whether a hobbyist or professional, can tell you--bees are fascinating creatures. Beekeeping is both a science and an art, and you need just a few key pieces of equipment to enjoy this unique pastime. Once you have an apiary to house your bees as well as protective clothing to shield you from stings, the next thing you need is a bee smoker to keep the bees calm.A bee smoker works in two ways to help you harvest honey without getting stung by the bees. While your protective gear can guard you from stings, your job is a lot easier when you can soothe the bees to keep them from even wanting to sting you. A bee smoker holds burning embers, and gives off smoke that will help calm the bees in two different ways.First off, bees communicate via pheromones in the air. Smoke is dark because it puts fine particles into the air, and these particles interfere with the bees' ability to spread their pheromones. When the bees are unable to share the signals to defend the hive, they seem docile and go about their business.To boot, smoke makes bees try to store honey to take away from the nest. While this does reduce the amount of honey in the hive slightly, it also causes the bees' stomachs to swell--making them less able to sting you. A bee smoker works in two ways, then, to make it easy for you to enjoy your honey-collecting endeavors!