How does a fume board function in honey harvesting?

A fume board functions specifically to push bees down and away from honey supers during the honey harvesting process. When beekeepers are preparing to extract honey, they need to remove the honey supers from the hive, which can be challenging if bees are present in those supers. The fume board, when placed on top of the supers, typically emits a substance that irritates the bees, causing them to leave the area and move down into the lower parts of the hive where they feel more secure.

This method allows beekeepers to effectively harvest honey with minimal disturbance to the hive, ensuring that the bees are not unnecessarily agitated and can return to their colony once the extraction is complete. The use of a fume board makes the honey extraction process more efficient and safer for both the bees and the beekeeper.

The other options, while potentially relevant to beekeeping, do not accurately describe the specific function of a fume board in the context of honey harvesting.