Collecting smoker fuel

[Curly green finger's]

Hi, today I have been collecting smoker fuel from the garden.
So far I have lavender and lemon balm in boxes drying out I also dry out all my orange peel.

I know this type of thread has been around the block a few times but... what are you collecting to use... Funny enough 9 times out of 10 the smoker gets lite and doesn't get used because I prefer to use a spray bottle. Tip to using a water sprayer if you can let the water warm up in the sun or car the girls prefer it warmer.

 

[Finman]

Hi, today I have been collecting smoker fuel from the garden.
So far I have lavender and lemon balm in boxes drying out I also dry out all my orange peel.

I know this type of thread has been around the block a few times but... what are you collecting to use... Funny enough 9 times out of 10 the smoker gets lite and doesn't get used because I prefer to use a spray bottle. Tip to using a water sprayer if you can let the water warm up in the sun or car the girls prefer it warmer. View attachment 28995

Use egg packages. Then go to the fores and find some rotten leaf tree trunks.

I use rotten birch trunck anf stump. They exist in every forest. Last 10 years I have got the stuff beside my property.
.

 

[user 819]

lavender & rosemary cuttings, eggboxes and bog roll/kitchen towel inner cartons.

 

[user 20297]

Use egg packages. Then go to the fores and find some rotten leaf tree trunks.

I use rotten birch trunck anf stump. They exist in every forest. Last 10 years I have got the stuff beside my property.
.

Another vote for rotten wood....it keps burning for ages and I just harvest it straight from where it lies when I need it.

 

[Norton Caff]

Dead leaves from lemon and other scented pelargoniums.

 

[Finman]

Dead leaves from lemon and other scented pelargoniums.

Why you need that scent?

 

[Finman]

Smoke is gasified tar. It condensates onto cool surfaces of hive interior. It condensates onto honey surface same way.

 

[Norton Caff]

Why you need that scent?

It's very mild. It's for me! I like the smell. I usually use hay gleaned from the fields

 

[elainemary]

Hi, today I have been collecting smoker fuel from the garden.
So far I have lavender and lemon balm in boxes drying out I also dry out all my orange peel.

I know this type of thread has been around the block a few times but... what are you collecting to use... Funny enough 9 times out of 10 the smoker gets lite and doesn't get used because I prefer to use a spray bottle. Tip to using a water sprayer if you can let the water warm up in the sun or car the girls prefer it warmer. View attachment 28995

Egg boxes. Pine needles from the floor of our wood. Hessian sacs from tree deliveries. Can you explain what the lavender, lemon balm and orange peel does for / to the bees pls?

 

[Moobee]

I normally use old corrugated boxes cut to size and rolled up and put a few sprigs of rosemary on top as have a big bush growing right by my bee cabin (it’s a prostrate variety so somehow survives the wind). It smells lovely and the bees don’t seem to mind it but I’ve noticed that latterly they’ve been so calm, I’ve not really needed it at all. Only to move them away from frame lugs or off the edges when I’m reassembling so I don’t squish any.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Egg boxes. Pine needles from the floor of our wood. Hessian sacs from tree deliveries. Can you explain what the lavender, lemon balm and orange peel does for / to the bees pls?

This is from an old boy who uses lavender all the time.
In his opinion he thinks the bees react to lavender smoke differently, the bees remember the smell and they are calmer than say using something a bit more heavy.
I never use the smoker long enough to vouch for this as I prefer to use a water sprayer or nowt.

Lemon balm is a new one I'm going to try and orange Peel keeps the smoker lite and bulks the lavender out as it can burn quite quickly.
Last season I made quite a few smoker cartridges out of newspaper/toilet roll stuffed full of lavender and orange peel.

Honey bees obviously react differently to different smoker fuels but to what degree I don't know.

@Finman made a good point about hive components being covered in perfumed smoke and a possibility of honey being tainted.
I think most beekeepers that have relativily gentle bees don't need a smoker what's the point?
Also most of the time for me supers are off when I use a smoker.

 

[elainemary]

This is from an old boy who uses lavender all the time.
In his opinion he thinks the bees react to lavender smoke differently, the bees remember the smell and they are calmer than say using something a bit more heavy.
I never use the smoker long enough to vouch for this as I prefer to use a water sprayer or nowt.

Lemon balm is a new one I'm going to try and orange Peel keeps the smoker lite and bulks the lavender out as it can burn quite quickly.
Last season I made quite a few smoker cartridges out of newspaper/toilet roll stuffed full of lavender and orange peel.

Honey bees obviously react differently to different smoker fuels but to what degree I don't know.

@Finman made a good point about hive components being covered in perfumed smoke and a possibility of honey being tainted.
I think most beekeepers that have relativily gentle bees don't need a smoker what's the point?
Also most of the time for me supers are off when I use a smoker.

Thanks. I tend to give them one small puff when I lift off the crownboard then put the smoker down and forget about it. Can make some bees more tetchy if use too much. Can’t grow lavender well as too high up and wet here, but I’ll get some from my mum in balmy Lincolnshire!

 

[rolande]

Sound wood such as broken frame parts and odds from the workshop is my preference by a long way.

 

[IndiBee]

I only ever use egg packages and any orange peal I have dried out.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have two bin bags of shavings from our felled Ash. A blunt chainsaw has its silver linings

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have two bin bags of shavings from our felled Ash. A blunt chainsaw has its silver linings

but remember that all chainsaw shavings will be smeared with chain oil

 

[Erichalfbee]

How much do you think?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

no idea, but the chain is continually fed a small quantity of oil and a blunt chain uses more

 

[Erichalfbee]

I shall do a test run. Without bees

 

[Murox]

If your tree surgeon used bio chain oil it shouldn't really be an issue as it should be biodegradable in soil and water, non-toxic for human or the environment. Look for EU Ecolabel certification on the oil container - makes it simple to know that the product is both environmentally friendly and good quality.