How to open smokers

[Finman]

I use a combination of dried grass, sawdust, and slivers of wood (scrap from my table saw).

It's a new smoker, but seems to gunge up quickly. Even hammering / levering it .

Those are best stuff if you want to generate tar.

White smoke is gasified tar.

 

[madasafish]

Try really rotten dry wood for fuel.

Or try some quiet bees which don't require smoking, both will work.

PH

Well yes but I always light a smoker "just in case". Seldom use it but sod's law states if you don't light it...

 

[B+.]

You need new challenges!

A man should learn every day something new about his smoker!

My "challenge" is remembering where I put the damned thing. I so rarely use it that it's often at the back of the garage somewhere.
I'm really amazed at the number of you who use the smoker as a matter of course. To me, it's only used on unpredictable colonies i.e. captured swarms.
If I need to use a smoker on my test group, the colonies behaviour would be affected to such an extent that I couldn't observe their natural behaviour. That's what I'm looking for. So, to use a smoker means that queen is marked down and will not usually feature in my breeding plans.

 

[madasafish]

My "challenge" is remembering where I put the damned thing. I so rarely use it that it's often at the back of the garage somewhere.
I'm really amazed at the number of you who use the smoker as a matter of course. To me, it's only used on unpredictable colonies i.e. captured swarms.
If I need to use a smoker on my test group, the colonies behaviour would be affected to such an extent that I couldn't observe their natural behaviour. That's what I'm looking for. So, to use a smoker means that queen is marked down and will not usually feature in my breeding plans.

The first rule of many teachers is "smoke the hive entrance before you open it and leave a minute". Like matchsticks and other such antediluvian junk, it's advice I ignore as it is masking a problem. IF you need to smoke, you need better bees. Period.

Edit: If I were a commercial beekeeper I would ignore all of the above and smoke. With 5 minutes per hive to inspect , you want no issues.

 

[Finman]

.
I think that every one uses his smoker just like he wants. It is not bigger thing than life.

Smoker is very handy every time, who knows when. For example when you push away bees that they do not stay between boxes, when you close the hive, or you cut burr combs.

 

[Finman]

Edit: If I were a commercial beekeeper I would ignore all of the above and smoke. With 5 minutes per hive to inspect , you want no issues.

??????????......

 

[john t]

I can never manage to easily open smokers, especially when they are hot and need a top-up. The tops always seem to weld onto the bases, and need levering off - not easy if the funnel is hot.

I've tried ensuring the mating parts are spotlessly clean. I've tried putting in copper slip. nothing seems to work.

So, how do you manage to make your smoker lids open easily, esp when hot? What's your secret sauce?

i suspect you have a smoker with too tight a tolerance on the lid, my solution would be to take a small hacksaw,with fine blade and cut a slit on the lid rim,not ideal but should work

my own smoker is one i made 35 years ago from copper plate and a piece of welders apron for the bellows , it works great but a heat protection cage would be a useful addition

 

[B+.]

IF you need to smoke, you need better bees. Period.

I couldn't have said it better myself.
However, I live in the real world and realise that everyone's bees aren't like mine. I just wanted to question the automatic "reach for the smoker" approach. That doesn't mean, grin and bear it if they do need smoke. Just find out, then decide.

 

[Finman]

I couldn't have said it better myself.
However, I live in the real world and realise that everyone's bees aren't like mine. I just wanted to question the automatic "reach for the smoker" approach. That doesn't mean, grin and bear it if they do need smoke. Just find out, then decide.

But I use smoker, and I do not mind what others do. I do not select my queens according smoker. I stand like a man in front of their stings.

I have met bees which did not need smoke. The colony size was in summer two boxes....

 

[Beefriendly]

Despite most of my bees not really needing smoke for an inspection I do find it very useful for moving bees off the edges of my boxes when replacing supers etc. Saves crushing them.
Not sure how I'd do it without one.
Wouldn't dare use a bee brush as everyone else says they irritate the bees.
A goose wing perhaps?

How do others clear the bees from the edges of your boxes before sticking another on top?
Even if you put it across at an angle and slide it around the edges to shove the bees out of the way there are always a few casualties when you first plonk it down.....unless you have moved them off.

 

[thorn]

Smoke is very useful for moving bees off the edges of your boxes when replacing supers etc. Saves crushing them. Not sure how I'd do it without one. Wouldn't dare use a brush as everyone else says they irritate the bees. A goose wing perhaps?

Spot on.

 

[Popparand]

I have same problem. I've always put it down to having a cr*p cheapo Chinese smoker so thanks for all the comments, saves me the cost of buying a more expensive replacement

But to add more fuel to the fire - I was recommended to use torn up fibre (not plastic (!)) egg boxes and dried rotted wood or bark. Seems to give a cooler smoke which the bees prefer and keeps going without needing a re-ignition.

 

[Finman]

Yesterday I tried to open the smoker from hinge side.

.

 

[Popparand]

Yesterday I tried to open the smoker from hinge side.

.

Still no daylight up by the Artic Circle?

 

[Angry_Mob]

How do others clear the bees from the edges of your boxes before sticking another on top?

I got a bottle of clove oil essence, a muslin cloth and put both in a jar and seal it.

The muslin cloth takes on the smell of the cloves which the bees seem to dislike and when laid across the frames it drives them down.

 

[B+.]

I got a bottle of clove oil essence, a muslin cloth and put both in a jar and seal it.

The muslin cloth takes on the smell of the cloves which the bees seem to dislike and when laid across the frames it drives them down.

You can do the same thing with almond oil (Fischers ???) but that is more relevant to clearing supers than the general use of a smoker

 

[Helen]

I normally use a light spritz of watered down liquid smoke to persuade the bees to move off the frame lugs when lifting them out, and onto the broodbox edges.

But a colony was being a tad feisty a couple of weeks ago hence the smoker. It's a M***L*** smoker that I bought over winter.

Those bees, I discovered, were queenless, so understandably upset and acting like hooligans. I'll requeen them by merging an overwintered nuc with them this weekend, and hopefully peace and calm will be re-instated.

 

[Millet]

Use a glove? But not a nitrile one!

Why

 

[Millet]

I know where you are coming from as mine stick's also, but all i do just get a grip
of the lid and rive it open..