Mobile and Height-adjustable Smoker for Giant Honeybees (Apis dorsata): Confirming Human Safety while Preserving the Ecological Balance

Abstract

smoker, rice straw, smoke flow rate, smoking The giant honeybees (Apis dorsata) live in large colonies with a vertical comb. However, they frequently attack tourists, pilgrims, tea pluckers, and school children. While they are naturally aggressive, they are also crucial for pollination. The current method of dealing with these colonies involves harmful techniques to destroy them. It would be more prudent to use mild smoke to disperse the bees and relocate the comb to a safer location. Unfortunately, there is currently no safe and reliable smoking device available to reach inaccessible combs. This study aims to introduce a new height-adjustable smoker as a solution for this problem. The smoker includes a combustion chamber and a pumping and delivery unit. The performance of the smoker was evaluated in Anuradhapura area using existing combs near human settlements. Different compaction levels of smoking fuel (a mixture of rice straw and guinea grass in a 1:1 ratio) were tested, and measurements were taken for firing time, smoke flow rate, total time, and smoke temperature. The data was then analyzed using ANOVA with a Complete randomized design at a significance level of p<0.05. The optimal compaction level for smoke generation was determined to be 67.5 g/ L. At this level, the firing time, smoke flow rate, and temperature were 21 minutes, 18.5 L/minute, and 37°C, respectively. It took only 8 mins to completely disperse giant honeybees from the colony. Therefore, the smoker can be recommended as an effective and safe method for dealing with giant honeybees.