A substantial body of scientific and popular literature exists devoted to commercial and hobbyist beekeeping. Periodically, anecdotal claims are publicized regarding particular plant materials for use in the bee smoker that are said to cause large reductions in populations of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, the greatest pest problem for beekeepers worldwide. These claims, for the most part, have not been tested by replicated experimental methods. This study seeks to investigate some of the plant materials mentioned in the literature, and to evaluate their efficacy in lab and field trials.