Taylor’s Aerosol Hive Bomb

How about this for a wacky beekeeping product idea: Taylor’s Aerosol Hive Bomb “The Push-Button Bee Smoker”?  An aerosol can with fake smoke to calm your hives down before inspecting.

Well, it is real.  It was manufactured for Dadant & Sons (a formidable beekeeping supply company) I am guessing in the 1970’s (anybody have an old catalogue they could verify it in?) judging from the label and where I found it in my fathers beekeeping supplies.

Taylor's Aerosol Hive Bomb
Taylor's Aerosol Hive Bomb - Manufactured for Dadant

One look at the caution label on the back gives me even further pause as to why it would have been produced and vexes me as to why my father would have purchased it.    But the can feels pretty full, so I am guessing it was just a failed experiment – and old-time version of this goofy thing.  Learn how to light a smoker folks, it really isn’t that hard.

Taylor's Aerosol Hive Bomb Warning Label
Taylor's Aerosol Hive Bomb Warning Label