Being that you're entering winter/fall time down under I'd wager that's a big reason they're defensive. From my time keeping honey bees I found the more you mess with them, the more ornery they get... However, dearth and colder weather coming makes them far more defensive - the hive  colony is bigger and protecting what they have before winter comes. The realize there won't be much more nectar to harvest if any, and fight to the death to protect their stores. I could be wrong, and it could mostly be the recent messing about that's causing them to be more aggressive.

Rather than smoke them out, I found spraying them with lemongrass laced sugar water is not only nicer but also more effective. I'm not sure about aussie native bees - but the European honey bees have a 'calm and peaceful' pheromone that is mimic'ed by lemongrass oil. Also being covered in sugar they become too distracted/happy cleaning themselves off to care about someone poking around near the hive.

[edit] I see you posted in november 22'. Is that your spring time dinkum?

I'm looking to get some input on a Piper. I recently purchased it as "Kava", but I'm thinking that it doesn't look quite like Kava. I am noticing that the leaf veins don't stem from a seemingly single point and that the leaves aren't very distinctly heart shaped. The symmetrical veins make me think it could be P. sarmentosum, but maybe y'all know some others that it might be, or can confirm my thoughts?

Hard to tell from the pictures provided but I would agree it looks like Piper sarmentosum or possibly something like Piper betle. Definitely not kava IMO.

Though police in the US use it on people, it is illegal for soldiers to use it in war because it is considered barbaric and such use violates international treaties about warfare.

This is somewhat disputed and is a result of the wording of the geneva convention, that bans asphyxiating, poisonous and other gases from being used for purposes of waging war on other people.

'Law enforcement' is not subject to the geneva convention and supporters of law and war will always maintain that there are several differences bteween the two categories and their purpose, which then is why the discrepancy in the rules regarding the methods made sense. It appears tho that it is a common misconception, that 'war' by nature ought to be more brutal than 'law enforcement'.

People whose ancestors ate the peppers for thousands of years may also have a greater natural tolerance to the alkaloid and some people may be particularly sensitive.

Oddly there are reports that people of different ethnicity may experience the burn of some specimens of Capsicum pubescens differently.

I highly doubt this. It may be common knowledge that a certain share of the general population does not feel the effects of caspaicine exposure, at all. This incoudes being maced. Some estimates claim 1/100. There is reports of pepper spray completely failing on sober people. AFAIK this has not been shown to be an inherited trait.
Logic behind me doubting this: For a population to evolve this way there must be a selective advantage. I can not see any. Unlike for example birds who are said to be immune to caspaicine (which is actually claimed to be the advantage the pepper has from producing it in the first place) or other birds who can tolerate inhuman blood alcohol levels, because being able to consume fallen, fermented fruit is a significant advantage to them.
Anecdotal evidence: I remember this idea being put to the test with a small sample size of individuals and ethnicities purely for its entertainment value. The result was that those who, on an individual level, are most used to consume super hots, *shocker* have the easiest time consuming super hots. And if I look at myself for example, I know I eath rather hot by the fact that I dont know anyone, even when visiting sichuan and yunan, who likes to eat as hot as I do and commercially available but niche super hot sauces are probably a good benchmark too, regarding what is considered at least above average taste for heat. I am very sure that none of my ancestors ate hot foods, perhaps not even any. No one in my family enjoys hot food either. Some are badly affected by it.

I'll attach a picture of the stem of my container growing ~ 10 yo C Pubescens as this thread is devoid of pictures. If I only was into the bonsai thing. Just got done watering her.  ... YIKES! Anyone else getting 'attachement failed security checks'?

I've had very limited success using cement on the flower to induce self-pollination and the same technique can be used for wider crosses. Any alkaline powder should work and not much is needed.

I'm looking to get some input on a Piper. I recently purchased it as "Kava", but I'm thinking that it doesn't look quite like Kava. I am noticing that the leaf veins don't stem from a seemingly single point and that the leaves aren't very distinctly heart shaped. The symmetrical veins make me think it could be P. sarmentosum, but maybe y'all know some others that it might be, or can confirm my thoughts?

Lol there are capsaicin supplements? First time I've heard of that... I know they add it to ointments to help pain relief but didn't know it worked as oral supplement.

I watched doc on them breeding those record hot peppers and they would mix hot peppers with others is this that other species?

Take your studies with a pinch of salt. Especially if the sample size is low, or the result is anything but highly significant. But... I remember there was one study that showed capsaicine to provide highly significant improvements in some endurance focussed exercises. Now I can't tell for sure because I hardly have a meal without but if I plan to keep the power on the bike above 400W for 15 minutes (aka I need or want to go to town fast) I make sure to load up on that stuff and it makes things feel good.

Now regarding supplements: I guess everything is a supplement and everything can be improved via supplements in the mind of the marketing guys. Ironically people who fall for that never se to amount to anything they pursue.

I would start digging here if it's of interest. Tell us what you think:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36364793/

Lol there are capsaicin supplements? First time I've heard of that... I know they add it to ointments to help pain relief but didn't know it worked as oral supplement.

I watched doc on them breeding those record hot peppers and they would mix hot peppers with others is this that other species?

Some dude on youtube extracted it and tried a drop... he mentioned its likely so hot the taste buds get stunned and cant feel heat

Nah. Thay are kind of mellow. Now some people claim that they get to chili heads more as they have 'hardened off' on caspaicine alone. Now I call BS on that because the signaling pathway will be the same and you get comfortable with the signal over time, regardless of what exactly triggered it.
Then again I can't tell because ever year I'm blessed with plenty of Caps P.
They might end up hotter than measured if you measured caspaicine content only for your comparison. A reliable and universal method of determining 'heat' of any compound or mixture thereof is determining the dilution needed for a person to be unable to tell which is which sample in a blind comparisson with water. Aka 'its not hot anymore at 1:1000000 -> thats 1 million scoville'. Thats why we can put a heat rating on RTX that compares with caspaicine actually.
modern you might actually be the right member to have a look into Euphorbia Resinifera.

So these may be hotter but since heat is measured by capsaicin not the record holders?