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.
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.
My own father, Lee Davidson was a beekeeper his whole 95 years on this planet. I inherited among many bee things his old bee journals. One is dated Nov 1966 in the American bee journal. It has advertised Taylor’s hive bomb for only $1.29 plus shipping. How interesting that it never made a real come back and your father never used it much. My dad never used it in all his beekeeping and I say that he was more than an advanced beekeeper; he was an expert beekeeper!
My dad, Lee Davidson was an expert beekeeper, keeping bees his whole 95 years on this planet. I inherited a lot of his “bee” equipment and American bee journals. In the Nov 1966 edition this Taylor’s aerosol hive bomb is advertised for a whopping $1.29 plus shipping. Interesting how your dad’s can was not used much. My dad used a smoker for his bees and not very often at that, only need bee(pun intended)!
What a coincidence, l have just found today (4th July 2020) a spray can of Bee Bomb the same as the one pictured. I got a heap of bee gear of an old Apiarist about 20 years ago and today after going through some of it discovered the Taylors Bee Bomb and checked it out on the nett.
I want to buy some if is still available. Is it?
Bill. South Australia..
@Bill Hawkes stuff is probably poison!