Subject: Preferred smoker material and methods

From: Jim Moore <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 10:01:33 -0500

I'm curious and just begining, 

   o what are the preferred materials to burn in the smoker 

   o are there any tricks to it

   o anyone ever have a bad experience smoking the bees with ...

   o what advice about transporting, handling, and extinguishing

   o any funny and educational anecdotes. 

	I remember the time ...

   Thanks,

	Jim Moore

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From: Gisborne_Design <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 17:32:45 -0800

>    o any funny and educational anecdotes.

Use any natural material such as denim or burlap. Any synthetic material
will give off toxic gases as it burns and likely kill the bees. One good
material to use in a smoker is the core of an automotive oil filter, 
after it has been removed from the metal case and allowed to dry outside
for at least a month.
Some people have used wood chips with success, but I could never seem to
get the chip size/moisture content just right so that the chips would
smoulder for any length of time.
Start the material burning in the smoker with a small amount of newspaper
or something similar, leave the top open and squeeze the bellows a few
times to get the cloth (or whatever) burning, and then close the lid.

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From: [email-masked] (Doug Johnson)
Date: 24 Mar 1996 15:07:20 GMT

Jim Moore ([email-masked]) wrote:
% I'm curious and just begining, 

%    o what are the preferred materials to burn in the smoker 

I always used corn cobs and burlap.  The more rotted the burlap
the better it burns.

%    o are there any tricks to it

Sometimes keeping it burning is a trick.

%    o anyone ever have a bad experience smoking the bees with ...

%    o what advice about transporting, handling, and extinguishing

%    o any funny and educational anecdotes. 

% 	I remember the time ...

I remeber when I got third degree burns from my smoker.  Don't cut
corners get a guard on your smoker.

--
Doug
[email-masked]

	Any day I wake up
	without a tag on
	my toe is a good day!

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From: [email-masked] (Craig Gammon)
Date: 25 Mar 1996 19:35:03 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] 
says...

	My preference is using cardboard, rolled up to fit my smoker.  
However, what I have recently used is a sugar syrup solution, instead. 
I find it less harmful than smoke and a lot more nourishing!  The end 
result is essentially the same...the bees are suitably distracted and 
settled so that I can work them, as required.

>   o what advice about transporting, handling, and extinguishing

	I make sure that the frames within each box sit lengthwise on 
the truck deck.  This helps prevent the frames from rocking too badly 
when we speed up or slow down, and thus, the queen is somewhat better 
protected from getting crushed to death between the rocking frames. 

Craig G.

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From: David & Margaret Gladstone <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 14:49:37 +0000

In article <[email-masked]>, Jim Moore
<[email-masked]> writes
>   o what are the preferred materials to burn in the smoker 
old paper mache type egg boxes seem OK and light very well.  Rolled
corregated cardboard is OK unless it has a a flame retardent.

>   o are there any tricks to it
Dont use anything that will make you sneeze.  It is rather difficult
with a veil on.

>   o anyone ever have a bad experience smoking the bees with ...
In mid 95 I posted a note about my experience with herbs in the smoker.
I found that sage was a definite NO.  It made them very angry indeed, no
it was more than just angry it made them real mean indeed.  I have since
found that sage is used in aromatherapy as a stimulant.   It contains
compounds called thujones but whatever the name of the compound it
certainly seemed to stimulate my bees.

-- 
David & Margaret Gladstone

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From: [email-masked] (Alex Kooney)
Date: 25 Mar 1996 15:48:33 GMT

Jim Moore ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I'm curious and just begining, 

:    o what are the preferred materials to burn in the smoker 

:    o are there any tricks to it

I use small pieces of pine branch as the fuel to keep the smoker burning, 
then tightly twisted bundles of pine straw on top to provide the thick 
smoke.  It is easy to light and will stay lit with occassional additions 
of bundles as needed.  The smoke is very cool and very thick.

				Timothy

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From: [email-masked] (Owen Watson)
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 21:53:35 +1200

> :    o what are the preferred materials to burn in the smoker 

Some time ago I bought whAt Dutch beekeepers use - a small smoker that
uses tobacco. It can be clipped around your neck, and you blow into a tube
instead of using bellows. I like it. You use floor-sweeping grade tobacco
which is cheap.