...Any tips...
why are your bees seemingly so defensive?
do they typically boil up at you when you work them?
if you had no veil, why did you work them anyway?
how often do you disturb them? and why?
no after the fact remedy sorry, is what it is.
i do have a few suggestions, fwiw.
-requeen if you can never work them without protective gear
-use bare hands for a better grip to reduce agitation.
-throw out the smoker and carry honey.
-pop the lid gently, open it so the lid hides you from the bees, allow the cover to block site of you for about 10 seconds, put cover down, slowly pour a thin line of honey on top of all the top frames, wait 2 minutes.
- once they form two lines on all the honey, work them at your leisure.
i'll put my honey up against anyones smokers, any bees, any weather, any time...dropped the smoker and the suit of armor a decade ago. still use both on cut-outs (38 this year), but not the smoke so much anymore.
good luck!