First inspection

[ericbeaumont]

slap a brood box of foundation over them

In the event that a flow is on, a new box above the nest may easily be used as a super. If say, three frames of open brood are put into the centre of the upper box, and the rest of the brood in the bottom box condensed directly below those three, the nest will expand quickly in both boxes.

 

[understanding_bees]

Try cleaning them when a few years old (just in the middle of doing that)

Yes, I know that the bees like to add their artistic touch to the insides of a hive box, and cover board, etc, but the benefits of a clear crown board seem obvious to me.
Your comment suggests that you have had the opportunity to view the bees through your crown boards for a few years. I am encouraged by the thought that I might get a few years of viewing before the clear perspex needs to be cleaned or replaced.

 

[understanding_bees]

. . . . . At this point my smoke was out of I'd have given myself a few fragrant puffs. . . . .

When I first started with this hobby, one of my greatest challenges was to keep my smoker lit. I watched various videos of how other beekeepers lit their smokers, so that they would remain alight for long periods of time. Some of these beekeepers, (or at least one of them!), suggested that it was easy, but I was not successful straight away.

For those who have had difficulty keeping a smoker alight, I seem to have found the secret - because I have now been able to get mine to belch forth clouds of smoke after a few puffs on the bellows, even when I deliberately left the smoker alone for more than an hour, as part of my experiment.

The old adage of "Where there is smoke, there is fire" is applicable here, because you MUST have fire (or at least glowing embers) inside the smoker if you want it to produce smoke. You cannot expect a smoker to function if it does not have sufficient heat at its core.

When I light my smoker, I use wood shavings from my woodworking machine, but you could use other types of kindling material. I deliberately use the bellows as much as necessary to get a fire burning well, to get the firebox properly heated, and then start adding pine needles (I use needles from Pinus Radiata), but I believe that best results will be achieved from using well dried fuel which has been previously collected and stored, rather than dry material which is collected from the ground in the vicinity of a hive.

It is important to keep operating the bellows to keep the fire going, because the addition of fuel at this point can easily smother the fire. It is now just a matter of pumping the bellows to keep the fire burning, and adding in (packing in) more and more fuel until the fire box is packed fairly tight. This method, of having the fire box packed tight with fuel, seems to be the essence of the secret to keeping the smoker functioning for an extended period.

 

[madasafish]

When I first started with this hobby, one of my greatest challenges was to keep my smoker lit. I watched various videos of how other beekeepers lit their smokers, so that they would remain alight for long periods of time. Some of these beekeepers, (or at least one of them!), suggested that it was easy, but I was not successful straight away.

For those who have had difficulty keeping a smoker alight, I seem to have found the secret - because I have now been able to get mine to belch forth clouds of smoke after a few puffs on the bellows, even when I deliberately left the smoker alone for more than an hour, as part of my experiment.

The old adage of "Where there is smoke, there is fire" is applicable here, because you MUST have fire (or at least glowing embers) inside the smoker if you want it to produce smoke. You cannot expect a smoker to function if it does not have sufficient heat at its core.

When I light my smoker, I use wood shavings from my woodworking machine, but you could use other types of kindling material. I deliberately use the bellows as much as necessary to get a fire burning well, to get the firebox properly heated, and then start adding pine needles (I use needles from Pinus Radiata), but I believe that best results will be achieved from using well dried fuel which has been previously collected and stored, rather than dry material which is collected from the ground in the vicinity of a hive.

It is important to keep operating the bellows to keep the fire going, because the addition of fuel at this point can easily smother the fire. It is now just a matter of pumping the bellows to keep the fire burning, and adding in (packing in) more and more fuel until the fire box is packed fairly tight. This method, of having the fire box packed tight with fuel, seems to be the essence of the secret to keeping the smoker functioning for an extended period.

For quick inspections I use (crushed) card egg boxes (not the plastic ones obviously).
Flattened, rolled into a cylinder, tear one end, light it, leave for 10 seconds to get alight and then insert in smoker. Good for 10-20 minutes - great for quick one offs and can be refilled easily. Always carry two prepared in bee bag.

 

[pnkemp]

When I first started with this hobby, one of my greatest challenges was to keep my smoker lit. I watched various videos of how other beekeepers lit their smokers, so that they would remain alight for long periods of time. Some of these beekeepers, (or at least one of them!), suggested that it was easy, but I was not successful straight away.

I appreciate the advice, getting a smoker lit and stay lit is always tricky for a beginner. Not the problem I had however. I had *finished* my inspection and put out my smoker on purpose when the guard bees decided to come and have a go.

My personal smoker method I'm trying is wood shavings sold as pet bedding from the supermarket. A bit of paper and cardboard initially then add the shavings pumping on the bellow until I have a decent amount and lots of lovely white cool smoke. Most of it is still there when we've finished the inspection.

 

[ericbeaumont]

wood shavings sold as pet bedding from the supermarket. A bit of paper and cardboard initially then add the shavings

Wood shavings are OK but there's no need to pay for fuel; paper burns too fast and won't be around long enough to light anything heavier than shavings; cardboard ditto, and it often doesn't burn well, esp. if treated to prevent burning.

Alternative: use egg box as a starter, as Mike suggested. It burns strongly but not too quickly and the egg cups hold the main fuel above the flames, where they need to be. Store indoors: dry fuel lights best.

Woodchip is my preferred fuel; I'm not against lighter wood (thanks for the oak shavings, Robin) but woodchip is easy to get hold of and is free.

When puffing bellows understand the state of play in the box: some fires need tickling to develop, others need pumping like a steam train leaving a station. Not until there's real flame flying may the main fuel go in, in handfuls, and pump to keep the flames going.

Once the main fuel has caught it's time to condense the fire to get rid of air voids: fuel must be in contact with fire, so bang the smoker sharply on the ground. By this time the fire will have turned to smoke and fuel can be added firmly to compact the box. Add a handful of fresh herbs or grass if you wish.

PS: in my first year I couldn't keep a smoker alight for more than two minutes.

 

[madasafish]

Rotten birch wood is great. It smoulders for hours.
"

" PS: in my first year I couldn't keep a smoker alight for more than two minutes. "

Some people put smokers in cars and manage to burn them down (the car).


I tried but smelled it when I was on our local bypasss, stopped in Sainsbury's car park and took it out of the car and extinguished the embers on the grass.

 

[user 819]

I lit my smoker on Tuesday and when finished put the bung in the nozzle and placed said smoker in my bicycle pannier, riding home about 0.5km away I passed a pedestrian who shouted your on fire. I looked around and the pannier was belching smoke, the bung had come out going over a bump/pothole along the way. I stopped replaced the bung and carried on said pedestrian still watching me, probably thinking wtf.