One theory is that when smoke is around bees, it triggers an instinctive response to the workers to think there hive is in danger from a fire, which makes sense. The next sequence is a bit of a leap of faith but makes a little sense. A bee, alerted to a fire, eats as much honey as it can in order to carry it away before being burned up, and thus gets what some say is sort of a sugar high, and become very docile.
Could be, I guess. but when I've seen hives smoked, ALL the bees get docile, not just the ones who've had a chance to go into the hive, open a cell, and gorge on honey. It is almost instantaneous. So maybe there are triggers to the smoke that make them think it is time to quiet down, but would seem much more likely to stir them up.
I'm off to do more research, but remember a WASP or HORNET is NOT a bee. Different characteristics, entirely. Usually nastier, especially if a yellow jacket rather than a paper wasp, but both are a pain and can sting repeatedly, while a honey bee can sting only once, and dies having it's stinger and poison sac pulled out of it when it pulls away.
Water may be the best to dislodge. I'd think that the petrochemicals in hornet and wasp spray cans would be very harmful to the humidity sensors.