Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: DayValleyDahlias on April 27, 2007, 11:41:37 am

Title: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 27, 2007, 11:41:37 am
Placing an order to Dadant today for some tools, many smoke making materials to choose from...which to buy?
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Hi-Tech on April 27, 2007, 11:47:30 am
I bought some cedar shavings at Wal-mart (pet supplies) and mix it with hay. easy to start, burns good and smells nice  :)
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 27, 2007, 11:48:33 am
Oh goody, thanks I just found a bunch of post here about the smoker fuel...sensory overload here...oh my...
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Hi-Tech on April 27, 2007, 11:52:30 am
Also, this may sound funny, but If I am going to be working bees a long time that day, I will add some dried horse or cow manure and my smoker will burn for many, many hours...
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: The Whale on April 27, 2007, 11:54:18 am
We found (in our limited 1-year experience as beeks  :)) that cedar chips used as bedding material for pets do a great job. We bought a huge bag at WalMart in the pet supplies department for about $6.00 and they work really well. Cheap and reliable. And the bag is enough to last for years!

We tried the cotton wadding stuff we bought from Brushy Mountain but found it a bit difficult to work with. Although I'm sure others really like this or they wouldn't be sellling it.  :)

Got this suggestion from someone on this board last year - can't remember who or I would give them the credit. It certainly was not an original idea but definitely a good one!!

Linda in Nashville
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: fishawk on April 27, 2007, 11:58:06 am
Placing an order to Dadant today for some tools, many smoke making materials to choose from...which to buy?

Mann lake has some fuel that works well 1.95 a bag and if you buy five 35 cents off.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 27, 2007, 12:03:37 pm
Is all this stuff put in dry or damp??  Boy am I a new bee eh?
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Hi-Tech on April 27, 2007, 12:04:54 pm
All dry....
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Dane Bramage on April 27, 2007, 12:49:07 pm
Coir (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coir) ~ I eat a lot of coconuts, dry the fibrous husks in the sun (or dehydrator) and use this for smoker material.  Works well and even smells nice.   8-)
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: 00dakota on April 27, 2007, 12:56:40 pm
We use dried pine needles, make a lot of smoke.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: lively Bee's on April 27, 2007, 01:43:34 pm
burlap burns for hrs and makes a nice cool white smoke.  I pick them up for .25 - .50 cents each.  Look for ones that have had coffie beans etc in them dont buy bags that have had seeds and planting in them they have been treated and could kill your bees.

If you have a coffie roaster near by you can get them for free all you can haul.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Bennettoid on April 27, 2007, 01:52:08 pm
I use burlap as well.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Mklangelo on April 27, 2007, 02:38:34 pm
40 pound bag of wood pellets for 10 bucks from Dadant.  I haven't used em' yet but that's pretty cheap and is should last a LONG time for me.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: kensfarm on April 27, 2007, 03:00:45 pm
40 pound bag of wood pellets for 10 bucks from Dadant.  I haven't used em' yet but that's pretty cheap and is should last a LONG time for me.

Go to Home Depo, Tractor Supply(TSC), Lowes..  and that 40lb bag would have cost less then $5. 
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: BeeHopper on April 27, 2007, 04:28:14 pm
I use a roll of toilet paper .












Just kiddin'  :-D  Pine needles and untreated burlap, both work well .
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 27, 2007, 04:56:57 pm
hahahaha  roll of TP...

I have burlap that I used for nesting material for my aviary birds...got it from the coffee roaster years ago..guess I will use burlap...I also have some Monterey Pinds on the land...needles too!  Hooray

Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: beeginner on April 27, 2007, 11:44:04 pm
Pine needles is the best its a nice light smoke and not to hot for the bees.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: ctsoth on April 28, 2007, 04:26:39 am
Why would you use cedar?  It is a natural insecticide.  Although to be honest, I have no idea if the smoke contains any harsh chemicals.  At least those reptile bark chips are being used by someone, their worthless for pets. 
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: buzzbee on April 28, 2007, 07:14:53 am
Why would you use cedar?  It is a natural insecticide. 
Insecticide or repelant?Quite different meaning! ;)
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: wrk4beer on April 28, 2007, 08:02:43 am
I have used the pine needles and
schreadded paper that I get in packing
The cedar sounds like a good idea
Got a bag of it somewhere now I'll have a use for it.
 
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Cindi on April 28, 2007, 10:03:57 am
I picked the red cones from the Staghorn Sumac trees.  I have had them drying now for about two months above my kitchen cabinets.  That place is really warm and dry and is a perfect place for drying anything that needs to be dried. 

I actually forgot about them until reading this post.  Time to drag them down.  I heard that they were really good for fuel and burn a long time.  Time will tell that tale.  Have a wonderful day, great day, the sun is shinin', great health.  Cindi
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: tillie on April 28, 2007, 10:08:28 am
I bought cedar chips on the recommendation of a bee club friend and I find it very hard to keep them lit.  I ended up ordered the compressed cotton stuff from Dadant, but I'm going to a bee Institute in May and to pass the basic certificate, I have  to be able to light the smoker - I find it entirely challenging.

Linda T challenged in Atlanta
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 28, 2007, 10:53:06 am
Gorgeous day here!  I suppose I should start practicing lighting my smoker NOW before the bees arrive...

Shoudl I fill the cannister to the top with stuff?  Should I leave it loose or compact it?

Linda, exciting about the bee institute!
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: reinbeau on April 28, 2007, 01:03:04 pm
I picked the red cones from the Staghorn Sumac trees.  I have had them drying now for about two months above my kitchen cabinets.  That place is really warm and dry and is a perfect place for drying anything that needs to be dried. 

I actually forgot about them until reading this post.  Time to drag them down.  I heard that they were really good for fuel and burn a long time.  Time will tell that tale.  Have a wonderful day, great day, the sun is shinin', great health.  Cindi
Cindi, supposedly the smoke from the sumac will make varroa drop off the bees.  Also, I've heard the bees aren't really thrilled with it - so please let us know if you notice them getting agitated when you use it.  I'm not wishing you harm!  Just interested in the results.  :)
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: livetrappingbymatt on April 28, 2007, 09:27:11 pm
tillie,can you get bailing twine,the brown not the green? make a ball/cyl with it light by starting wax paper fire in empty smoker add twine work bellows until FLAMEING close lid. work it a few minutes than PLUG smoker until completely out.
next time you use pre-burn twine will relight easy.
good luck on the test!
bob
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Brian D. Bray on April 28, 2007, 10:18:20 pm
BeeHopper,

I just have to ask--is that new or used toilet paper, wet or dry?  LOL.  Beauty Bark works well too.  I have a back yard full of prunings from the orchard.  I run a limb through the chipper and have enough smoker fuel for the entire summer.  If I need more I make more.  When I run out of limbs it's time to prune again. 
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Sean Kelly on April 29, 2007, 07:41:51 am
40 pound bag of wood pellets for 10 bucks from Dadant.  I haven't used em' yet but that's pretty cheap and is should last a LONG time for me.

Go to Home Depo, Tractor Supply(TSC), Lowes..  and that 40lb bag would have cost less then $5. 

I saw those pellets from Dadant and they look just like Pellet Stove pellets.  I have a pellet stove and gave a handful a try.  Works awesome!  Only problem was a massive buildup of creosote.  I left my smoker burning on my concrete patio, went out to dinner with my family, and 3 hours later the darn thing was still going strong!!!  I have a dome style smoker and I hear the creosote build up on those can get nasty compared to the cone type.

You also gota check out the Kwik-Start pellets from Mann Lake!  You can light it directly with a lighter, blow out the flame and ta-da!!!  Instant smoker!  They burn out real quick though.

I also used a big handful of dried leaves from my back yard that I didn't rake up last fall.  Worked awesome too but burned out pretty quick.

I think I'm gunna give those cedar chips a try.  Always lookin for the smoker holy grail.  :-)

Sean
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Cindi on April 29, 2007, 11:03:51 am
I picked the red cones from the Staghorn Sumac trees.  I have had them drying now for about two months above my kitchen cabinets.  That place is really warm and dry and is a perfect place for drying anything that needs to be dried. 

I actually forgot about them until reading this post.  Time to drag them down.  I heard that they were really good for fuel and burn a long time.  Time will tell that tale.  Have a wonderful day, great day, the sun is shinin', great health.  Cindi
Cindi, supposedly the smoke from the sumac will make varroa drop off the bees.  Also, I've heard the bees aren't really thrilled with it - so please let us know if you notice them getting agitated when you use it.  I'm not wishing you harm!  Just interested in the results.  :)

Ann, so now the experiment stage is in process.  I don't know if I will have varroa issues this year or not.  Probably will.  But, if I do a sticky board count, find there are varroa, I will smoke the hive lightly with the sumac and see what kind of mite fall there is afterwards.  Food for thought.  This will be a long term thing, but it will be in the back of my mind always.  Best of a beautiful day, good health to all.  Cindi
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 29, 2007, 11:19:59 am
In the human world, essential oils of eucalyptus, tea tree etc are benficial for curing and preventing fungus, infection, bug bites etc...

Are eucalyptus leaves unhealthy to use for smoking I wonder if the oils in it mite kill varroa, and not the bees?  I wonder if marijuana smoke was ever used as an addivitve to calm the bees?  I have tons of eucalyptus, no marijuana, but I am sure I could forage through a local forest and find some...hhhmmm
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: papabear on April 29, 2007, 11:23:29 am
Where can I find some untreated burlap?
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Cindi on April 29, 2007, 11:34:23 am
Sharon, I don't know if the eucalyptus leaves would be good for smoke or not.  There will be responses hopefully.  Personally, when looking through the forest I would look for marijuana leaves, well, actually, look for bud!!!  LOLL.

I still have seed for the Tea Tree that I was given by a fellow on Saltspring Island.  I am really not too sure if I can grow these here, they are pretty tender.  They grow on Saltspring Island,but they have a very warm micro climate over there. 

I would really like to do some research on growing Tea Tree in my area.  Will probably do it.  I will also probably germinate some of the seeds and grow the tree inside my house until it is larger.  I will treat it like I do all my other tropicals.  I would love to get the honey from the Tea Tree, should I ever be able to protect it enough outside for it to mature.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful day, good health wishes to all.  Cindi

Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 29, 2007, 12:05:35 pm
Thank you Cindi, yes...I will see if there is "bud" available haha.  I know of Saltspring, our local yoga community has a center there...Looks really beautiful.

Tea Tree...almost bought one yesterday.  They do very well here...perhaps you have inspired me to buy one today on my travels to the nursery, yet again...

Peace
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: shakerbeeman on April 29, 2007, 12:20:05 pm
Seriously now does the "bud" do the trick? It works quite nicely on man, this I can attest to. This scenario really gets the mind to working. We are talking some happy bees here.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Michael Bush on April 29, 2007, 03:53:49 pm
Burlap.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Dane Bramage on April 29, 2007, 05:34:10 pm
In the human world, essential oils of eucalyptus, tea tree etc are benficial for curing and preventing fungus, infection, bug bites etc...

Are eucalyptus leaves unhealthy to use for smoking I wonder if the oils in it mite kill varroa, and not the bees?  I wonder if marijuana smoke was ever used as an addivitve to calm the bees?  I have tons of eucalyptus, no marijuana, but I am sure I could forage through a local forest and find some...hhhmmm

If you want to utilize the beneficial active constituents of any plant (phytotherapy), smoking is the least effective method.  Smoking (combustion) destroys a large percentage of the beneficials and creates harmful irritants and carcinogens (CO, etc.,).  I think that administering beneficial plant extracts in the hive may indeed have merit but I would suggest this is best accomplished separately from smoking.  I suspect the amount of smoke necessary to delivery any beneficials would quickly reach the point of diminishing returns due to the harmful effects of the smoke itself.
A mist or nebulizer of essential oils... vapourising herbs (heating to the point that the actives are volatized (turned to gas) but prior to combustion) would all be potential "harm-reduced" methods of delivery.
I read in an Australian bee magazine about the beneficial effects (anti-fungal) of Eucalyptus pollen.  I imagine many plants could be useful in a phytotherapeutic (plant-based/natural) method of disease prevention/management.  Probably a topic for another thread.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 29, 2007, 06:05:04 pm
Oh great info..burlap sounds good hahahah
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Michael Bush on April 29, 2007, 08:31:54 pm
>Where can I find some untreated burlap?

The fabric store.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on April 29, 2007, 11:14:06 pm
Got my burlap at the local coffee roasting company.  Free
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: sandhya on April 30, 2007, 02:19:12 am
Pot?!?!, now thats funny..however, pot makes people paranoid...so think about it!! :evil: I use white sage bundles, on a bunch of shredded paper...(yes, the shredder stuff from my bills!!!) the shredded paper is a great starter and burns real hot, then I put my sage bundle in and it smolders a long time and smells wonderful and calming for me!!!!
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: UtahBees on April 30, 2007, 01:29:26 pm
My brother-in-law showed me that he also uses LINT taken from the dryer to also get the smoker started (with paper). I tried it last Saturday, and it lit very easlily. I also put dry grass and dried horse poop in there too, but I think I was too impatient.

I grill quite often. Is charcoal and lighter fluid totally out of the question!? LOL

UtahBees
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Cindi on May 01, 2007, 11:05:51 am
Dane, I have a nebulizer that I diffuse essential oils into the air.  I love the pure feeling and smell of what issues from the diffuser.  It wouldn't work in the apiary I don't think, the mist would be lost in the outside air. LOL.  Best of a beautiful day, great health, lovin' life.  Cindi
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Dane Bramage on May 01, 2007, 05:36:10 pm
Dane, I have a nebulizer that I diffuse essential oils into the air.  I love the pure feeling and smell of what issues from the diffuser.  It wouldn't work in the apiary I don't think, the mist would be lost in the outside air. LOL.  Best of a beautiful day, great health, lovin' life.  Cindi

Hey Cindi,

Nebulizers are nice eh?  "Raw aromatherapy" (much better than heating the oils imho).
Now, in the apiary - come on girl, put that positive attitude to work towards solutions.  One need not limit apiary phytotherapy to essential oils delivered via nebulizers (I listed a couple of other methods in my post).  But, even if so, it could still work <puts on engineering hat> ok, here's one idea - put a tube around the end of your nebulizer (mine uses 1/4") and snake that into the hive.  Either prop the lid slightly so as not to collapse the tube or, if this were an effective and often reoccurring treatment, drill a 1/4" hole in the top chamber (of course closed with cork, etc., when not in use).  My nebulizers have variable output air-pumps and can literally put out a thick fog of essential oil mist.  I've electrical outlets there on my deck as well.. so wouldn't even require an extension cord.  An enterprising individual could set up a mini-solar panel driven air pump, timers, etc., etc.,.  Or, low tech, a cotton ball with drops of essential oil placed in the hive would naturally diffuse in warm environs. 

Now, as far as dosage, efficacy, contraindications, side-effects, etc., - that should be thoroughly explored prior to even considering delivery.   There are many studies/resources available, monographs, therapeutic guides to herbal medicines as relates to humans (& some animal husbandry as well) but I've not yet found ayurvedics for the apiary.  First rule = do no harm. :) 

At any rate, very interesting stuff (for me) and sorry to derail this thread on a tangent (just ignore me, lol).  I intend to do some research and (careful) experimentation on this, sooner than later if it becomes necessary ~ else just as a preventive treatment in very dilute applications.  I can see a lot of very low-risk (non-toxic) anti-fungal & anti-bacterial options utilizing essential oils from plants and flowers with which bees already have routine contact.  If fungus, yeast, etc., were a real problem it would probably be a good idea to remove the infected frames, etc., for treatment, leaving just a little residual essential oil (as opposed to fumigating the bees).   Hmmm, I'm Jones'n for some alfalfa, fennel and thyme flower essential oil blend.  :mrgreen:

Cheers,
Dane
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on May 01, 2007, 07:10:22 pm
hhhmmm I am feeling that honey bees are probably more vata, certainly not kapha...maybe pitta at times :roll:
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Cindi on May 02, 2007, 11:04:34 am
Dane, you are also a master of long posts, good for you, there are a few of us around.  It makes for some really good reading stuff, gotta love it, keep it comin'.

Listening, learning, have a wonderful day, full of good health and let the sun shine!!!  Cindi
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Dane Bramage on May 02, 2007, 01:16:54 pm
hhhmmm I am feeling that honey bees are probably more vata, certainly not kapha...maybe pitta at times :roll:

...unsure what it has to to with herbal medicines in the apiary?
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: wrk4beer on May 02, 2007, 09:49:35 pm
used the cedar chips tonight,went well
and cedar sure does smell good
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: DayValleyDahlias on May 02, 2007, 10:40:24 pm
You mentioned ayurveda..hence...vata, pitta, kapha
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: heaflaw on May 03, 2007, 12:16:50 am


If you use marijuana, bees will get the munchies and eat all the stored honey.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: mick on May 03, 2007, 05:12:45 am
A bit of chux cloth on top of the newspaper is now my favourite. It smoulders nicely.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Sean Kelly on May 06, 2007, 05:50:54 pm
I gota try those cedar chips out.  I've decided the pellet stove pellets are bad.  They burn super hot but burn for a really long time.  What sucks is the creosote residue it leaves behind in the smoker.  It's getting so bad that it's dripping out the sides of the dome.  Just the day before yesterday I had a big drop of hot tar fall into my hive, right on a bee.  Poor thing is dead now.  Not to mention that stuff ever smells like smoke, I'm hoping the drops that fell into the hive wont screw up the social order of the bees like too much smoke will.  Plus I think my smoker is ruined.  Tried to scrub that gunk out with dish soap and a sponge and all it did was ruin the sponge.

Maybe this is a good excuse to buy a new smoker.  :-)

Sean
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Kathyp on May 06, 2007, 07:49:34 pm
i have been using the pellets and they seem to work well for me.  i also use the pine cones when i have enough dry.  cooler smoke will give more of a build up.  i took a flat head screw driver and scraped some of it off the inside of my smoker.  wonder if oven cleaner would work??  also wonder if you just stuffed the thing with newspaper from time to time and burned a hot fire if that wouldn't crack some of it loose?
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: asprince on May 06, 2007, 10:00:41 pm
I use what ever is handy and laying around. Pine cones, sycamore balls, pine straw, magnolia leaves, mill fiber, pellets, and any combination of the above. I do want to try the cedar chips.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Greg Peck on May 06, 2007, 11:19:21 pm
I called a local coffee roasting house today and went to pick up a burlap sack. Turned out he sells them normally but when I told him what I was going to use it for he gave it to me and asked me if he could sell my honey in his shop. He said he gets a lot of the all natural type people in the shop and knows he could sell local unprocessed honey. Coffee houses was a market I had not thought of asking to sell my honey.

So I cut the burlap in to a strip about 3 feet long and 5 inches wide rolled it up and put a piece of wire around it to hold it together. Lit it with a match and was smoking like a champ in seconds. I noticed that there is a lot more smoke and it is not even really warm. I have not used it with the bees yet but I like it a lot better then the smoker fuel I got from my local bee guy (same stuff you get from brushy Mt. it is cotton fragment i think.) I lites easier and makes more smoke and burned for a long time I put it out after about an hour. I am sold on the burlap, so long as it works with the bees and I am sure it will.

Thanks to whoever it was that brought the burlap up.

Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: beemaster on May 06, 2007, 11:53:24 pm
I know it's been four pages since I posted this, but I stick by burlap. I get it clean from work, "clean rags" are bundled in it and the burlap is tossed out if I don't grab it first.

I use a propane torch now to get it really lit even, I show foot square sheets into the smoker like a balled up newspaper, then hit it with the Self-Lite propane torch while pumping the bellows. After 10 seconds, I close the lid which kills the fire and I get a good 20 minutes of smoke (very heavy but cool at first) and then less smoke but steady burning - I like to leave the smoker near the entrance, off to the side so some continually flows in a drift at a time.

I have a stack again a foot high, I found where we had 4 bundles of new rags at work today and poured all 4 into the clean-rag bin and got all the burlap I'll need this season :)

Call me old fashioned, but that is all I need for my hives and it sure does the magic it suppose to!!!!!
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Cindi on May 07, 2007, 10:27:18 am
Back to burlap, good stuff.  IN our local Bee Scene magazine, one of the fellows has a little quote at the end of his entry into this magazine "nothing but burlap in my smoker".  That says it all.  Best of a beautiful day, great life and good health.  Cindi
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Brian D. Bray on May 07, 2007, 06:31:18 pm
If you want to cool your smoke put a handful or 2 of grass, weeds, or leaves in the smoker on top of the smoker material.  The moisture in the grass cools the smoke.  If it gets too hot just add more grass.  The bees react less to cool smoke than warm or hot smoke.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Cindi on May 08, 2007, 09:50:00 am
Brian, now that is some good advice and totally makes good sense.  Thanks for your input.  Have a beautiful day, awesome day, good health.  Cindi
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: beemaster on May 08, 2007, 02:57:33 pm
Greg:

What makes burlap so great is the weaving in it - it creates LOTS of holes for even fuel/air ration. I think I'm the first post in this 4 pager to mention it, doesn't matter - but the cost is usually nothing and it goes a long ways. The best part is it is a heavy smoker once the flame is out and it stays lit easily even if not pumped like many other fuels.

As I mentioned, I keep mine near the entrance so some goes into the hive in a steady light flow - nothing that would gas them, just enough to mask any alarm pheromones.

I think it can stay lit the best part of the half hour if a good size piece of material is lit. I wouldn't use any other material if I can help it.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Kathyp on May 08, 2007, 04:36:14 pm
beemaster, i agree with you that burlap is great.  i had some and have used it all.  wish i had a ready supply of it.  it's easy to light and burns just right.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: doak on May 09, 2007, 12:13:21 am
I have been using worn out blue jeans and grass clippings. I do get a lot of cresote build up.
No problem there. Take the bellows off and use the hand held tourch, cooks it right off. let cool and brush off.
Does anyone know what doesn't cause cresote buildup?
Have to try those ceder chips.
Say Magnolia leaves work?
Good thread, thanks guys&gals.
doak
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: abates99 on May 09, 2007, 02:56:45 pm
I have been using pellets from my pellet stove.  The first time I used pellets I piled them in after getting the fire going which made a nasty black liquid mess that got on everything, now I put a handfull of pellets in the bottom, a handfull of firestarter shavings and light the shavings.  Once the shavings are burning hot with the bellows pumping I slowly add another handfull of pellets and pump air untill I see the pellets burning.  This has seemed to work well with a good puff of smoke that does the trick, the smoker will burn for quite a while and with only a couple handfulls of pellets there is no tar.  If you notice the brand of pellets in the catalog and look them up they are the same company that makes the woodenware, also the pellets are marketed for pellet stoves.  I get my pellets for less than four dollars a bag.
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Sean Kelly on May 11, 2007, 09:35:23 am
also wonder if you just stuffed the thing with newspaper from time to time and burned a hot fire if that wouldn't crack some of it loose?

Tried this the other day.  Sounded like it wouldnt hurt.  Well it did.   :-\  I think I ruined my smoker.  Still works for now though.  Got that sucker blazing hot.  The nice stainless shine is now gun-blued steel in the middle, the tar drips that came from around the dome on the outside is now permamently baked on, and the plastic bellows started to melt (I'm using the cheapo from Mann Lake).

Now I do have an excuse to buy a new smoker.  Is it the glue in the pellet stove pellets that creates all that darn cresote tar?  Just having the smoker in the house (extinguished of course) makes everything smell like a campfire.  I'm hoping the cedar shavings or burlap will leave less tar.  Nasty stuff.

Sean Kelly
Title: Re: Looking for the best smoke making material
Post by: Cindi on May 11, 2007, 09:44:18 am
Sean, what an ucky bummer!!!!  Go for burlap, I have used my smoker for over 2 years and haven't had to clean any crap out of it yet.  It just plain and simply does not have build up junk in it. 

I have been using the dryed staghorn sumac flowers for smoke, along with burlap.  I surely hope that the sumac makes creosote.  Time will be the teller of that tale though.  I find these two combined burn for a long, long time.  I had it going for over an hour the other day when I was outside looking into all the 9 (Yeah) colonies that I have.  I didn't use very much smoke with them at all, but I just kept it smoldering around, just in case.  I now take a little spray bottle of sugar syrup, very diluted, and give the bees a little tiny bit of this misted on them.  They seem to really like it (of course), not enough that it would even make them wet, but it seemed to keep them busy enough.  No stings, just quiet little girls doing their own thing, and never minding this giant that opened up their little home.  I use baby powder on my hands always too, they seem to also not mind this, maybe they like it, I don't know.  A fellow from the bee club that came to my house my first year of beekeeping to help me catch a swarm told me to use baby powder cause the bees like it.  Always worked for me.  I have never once had a sting to my hand while working the colonies, and I never, ever wear gloves.

When I was inserting the sticky boards the other day for the varroa mite I put on gloves because I knew my hands were going to be interferring a little with the flight of the bees coming and going.  But it was about 5 seconds after I began that I removed the gloves.  What a nuisance.  Put on the baby powder and away I went. 

Have a wonderful day, I think that you are gonna have to buy a new smoker, that is too bad.  Beautiful life, great health.  Cindi