"E" Smoke??

MartinL · Jan 29, 2014

Just a thought,
Has anyone considered the possibility of an electronic cigarette based bee-smoker?
You know, the "E cigarettes" everyone is claiming they can smoke inside (often underneath the NO SMOKING signs) blowing their "pure water vapour"/potentially-noxious fumes into our clean air............................... :rant:

Got a little side tracked there,
but if it manages to calm those (weak willed) previously addicted humans (who, as soon as it warms up outside will be back on the hard stuff), is there a possible apiarist modification / adaption that could be done or is it a winter only fix?

I can see that one immediate advantage would be that, if / when accidently left in contact with plastics (feeders & wheelie bin lids come to mind), an electronic smoker might not melt the things all my conventional smokers have?
:sifone:

Tom Bick · Jan 29, 2014

A student some time ago had designed a smoker as a course project and I think worked on something similar and posted it on the forum.

Oscarmonster · Jan 29, 2014

MartinL said:
I can see that one immediate advantage would be that, if / when accidently left in contact with plastics (feeders & wheelie bin lids come to mind), an electronic smoker might not melt the things all my conventional smokers have?

Less likely to set cars on fire too.

alanf · Jan 29, 2014

Tom Bick said:
A student some time ago had designed a smoker as a course project and I think worked on something similar and posted it on the forum.

They did, http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=23590

The idea was to use an ultrasonic mister, as in a e-cig to vaporise "Smoker Liquid Concentrate". It's a neat idea, and the design looked like a traditional smoker but with battery, mister and fan, although I can't see any pictures still up. Omlet (and probably many others) sell a liquid smoker concentrate for use in the sort of hand mister you use for plants. I'm guessing it's the liquid used in some "smoked" food production. The real development question is what advantage is an electronic mister if a simple pound shop misting bottle seems to do the job.

REDWOOD · Jan 29, 2014

E cigs are vaporizers, they have a heating element that turns the sugar/water based fluid into steam, some fluids have small traces of vegetable oils to give a smoother burn, e cigs emit no or very little tar that blocks lungs, I would be more concerned with air fresheners, vapors from cleaning fluids, exhaust fumes,dust particles and paint fumes than e cigs however respect someones space and go outside to use them.
Cool tar free smoke can be achived in a bee smoker if you use the right fuel

Dishmop · Jan 29, 2014

Problem arises in how do you manufacture the liquid to put in it?
The E cigarette refills would be no good, and theyre about £2.50 each. However, you can buy the E cigarettes that can be refilled with a liquid.

I am a pipe smoker.
If I happens to be lighting the pipe when standing in front of my observation hive and the smoke goes into the hive, they certainly dont like it. Rather the same effect as tapping the hive, only more so.

I have just started to use the E cigarettes and as a test I blew as much "vapour" directly into the air vent on the bottom of the hive as I could. Absolutely no reaction at all. Zich.