Using smoke in beekeeping is a way to disrupt communication between bees and, at the same time, to disorient them and lose their sense of direction. By disrupting their communication, the smoke makes it harder for them to know what’s going on. Smoke can be used to confuse the bees and make them more docile, giving beekeepers a better chance at collecting honey. 

Beekeepers are also known as Apiarians. Apiculture is the branch of the natural sciences that relates to bees and beekeeping, and more specifically, the maintenance of bee colonies for honey production, pollen collection, royal jelly extraction, and beeswax comb production. 

Beekeepers typically have bee suits that have full body coverage: to give them total protection from the bees without impeding their movements. Of course, each beekeeper will have different preferences when it comes to gear. Some also use a smoker to calm the bees.