Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: Rich V on April 11, 2005, 10:38:20 pm
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How many don't use smoke, and why?
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The only time I don't use smoke is during fall and spring inspections because I prefer to disrupt the bees as little as possible during those times of the year. Any other time I always smoke them before opening. Might try not smoking when I am looking for the queen this year-perhaps it will cut down on the usual time it takes me to find her majesty.
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I can work 12 of my 13 hives with no smoke but I do have 1 hive that I will smoke. I find it is easy to find the queen when you have not smoked the hive
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I captured four hives from walls. The first one was so gentle I never lit up. Then the third one was mean. I did finally smoke them and it didn't do any good. I have geard that not smoking doesn't disrupt them as much as smoking and they can get back to beeing quicker with out it.
I can suit up and get in and out faster than bothering with the smoker. Just one hassle I can do with out.
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I rarely smoke unless I want them out of a certain area, bye :)
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I'm a fan of using sugar syurp sprayed on them to keep them busy while doing any work with them. I do keep the smoker handy though to cover any scent if I am stung which does happen.
:D Al
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I almost always smoke the bees. Unless I'm opening a nuc and looking for a new queen. They are so flighty I don't dare. When looking for a queen in a regular hive, I don't do more than a puff or two. When harvesting I don't do more than a puff or two. A puff of smoke is much less disruptive to the hive than a defensive response. The mistake most people make is they smoke way too much. It doesn't take more than a couple of puffs in the door and a couple of puffs in the inner cover and a couple of puffs on the top bars and you have a nice gentle hive to work with. The object is not, TO get a reaction from the bees with the smoke. The object is to NOT get a reaction from the bees with the smoke. :)
Of course the hardest thing about smoking bees is getting them to stay in the paper when you roll it. ;)
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Of course the hardest thing about smoking bees is getting them to stay in the paper when you roll it. ;)
Good'N :D
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Thats great, lol :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Looking at the posts on smoke, has any one tried using propane-powered foggers?
I was on a beekeepers course recently where an experienced beekeeper used an insect fogger with parrafin oil (instead of insecticide). Not only did it replace the smoke with a nice-smelling fog, but he claimed it also helped kill varroa. The droplets are small enough to suffocate the mites,but not the bees. It seemed extreme, but boy it worked a real treat.... except he has to call the local fire brigade first because the clouds of plume get people dialling 911 :D
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I have fogged with FGMO for mites, but it seems like a big waste of propne to leave it lit when you're working the bees. It also seems kind of dangerous having such a hot thing nearby when you're distracted by bees. It does seem to have some of the same effects in that it distracts the bees and seems to calm them some, but I'd rather have a smoker with an insert that stays lit, and I can use it when I want without burning a lot of propane. I do have one of those self igniting propane torches and I can relight a smoker in about 10 seconds. :) But with the insert it hardly ever goes out.