Smoker Fuel

[Vortex]

Corrugated Cardboard - but I add a cap of fresh grass which cuts down the temperature of the smoke.

 

[rolande]

I use the shavings left over after we have been cutting trees with the chainsaw. It burns pretty slow and produces just enough smoke for me.

Hi tidymeup,

Just a point which may be of interest; I'm not at all suggesting that you should change smoker fuel but merely bringing to your attention a discussion which appeared in one of the American periodicals this year (I think quite a few people use chainsaw 'shavings').

It was pointed out that the very nature of a chainsaw means that the shavings/chippings will of necessity have come into contact with the chain oil, which by all accounts isn't very nice stuff at all. Perhaps it isn't the healthiest of fuels for a smoker?

Then, I remember Tony Boonham at Hartpury telling us how he'd been to visit a farmer who had a couple of hives and seeing him fuel his smoker with rags soaked in old engine oil....

Good Luck,
Roland

 

[Black Comb]

I find some fuels give me a bad head so can't be good for bees either.
Shredded cardboard from a well know supplier does this. Ditto rotten wood.

Hessian is my current favourite.

 

[Finman]

Interesting - I'm now wondering if the sudden aggressive change in behaviour of one of my colonies was related to the time I started using pine cones. Definitely noticed that wrong sort of cardboard can aggravate rather than pacify them.

I think that burning bee wax makes the bees grazy. Birchbark does the same.

 

[Finman]

It was pointed out that the very nature of a chainsaw means that the shavings/chippings will of necessity have come into contact with the chain oil, which by all accounts isn't very nice stuff at all. Perhaps it isn't the healthiest of fuels for a smoker?

Sometimes there are much chain oil in chippings.

But I did not knew how much diifferent stuff is used in smoker.

 

[rae]

Chainsaw shavings for me. After a certain amount of research, I've determined that you need two types:

- Cross cut, .404 chain - nice little flakes for long burning fuel
- Rip cut, .404 chain - long "noodles" that are very good for lighting.

After I cut firewood, I gather up a few bags of the various types and stash them somewhere dry. Perfect for next year. If you use a smaller chain, the bits tend to be too small.

I'm not worried about the oil in the flakes - mainly because most of it burns off on the chain, and secondly because the amount of oil in the saw is tiny compared to the immense pile of chippings. I'm using proper degradeable saw oil anyway. If I was using old engine oil, there would be more of a problem.

 

[madasafish]

Dry and rotten wood , wood shavings and sawdust..

Bits of old bark .

Enough to last a lifetime...

 

[keithgrimes]

very dry and very rotten deciduous wood.

 

[Haughton Honey]

I've gone all laa-de-daa and now use CC smoker fuel - once you've managed to finally get it lit my smoker can go on for at least a couple of hours.

 

[abb]

hassien

if you have a friendly green grocers he will give you all sacks he has because they get them when buying neww potatoes , thats what i do

 

[666bees]

Just go down to you local horsey place and buy a bale of shavings about £6, it will last years.

 

[Finman]

.
We have rotten wood everywhere. Need not bye anything.
I know that you have in UK too. Further more, dry hay is not good in smoker.

 

[splottlands]

bay leaves wrapped in a little hessian...

 

[bushman1872]

How about new forest poney dung dried of course.

 

[chipper]

Alittle cardboard to start... then add a handful of used corks from wine bottles.....
Top with a bit of grass ....

 

[bushman1872]

does any body use no smoke? The only reason I ask is that a few days back when we had a beautiful day I went and put on some pollen patties on top of the frames. Now one lot normally has a right go at me when i do anything but they seemed pretty calm considering i had used no smoke or even syrup spray. I wonder if there is something in the cardboard that iv'e been using any thoughts?

 

[bee56]

Hi tidymeup,:

Just a point which may be of interest; I'm not at all suggesting that you should change smoker fuel but merely bringing to your attention a discussion which appeared in one of the American periodicals this year (I think quite a few people use chainsaw 'shavings').

It was pointed out that the very nature of a chainsaw means that the shavings/chippings will of necessity have come into contact with the chain oil, which by all accounts isn't very nice stuff at all. Perhaps it isn't the healthiest of fuels for a smoker?

Then, I remember Tony Boonham at Hartpury telling us how he'd been to visit a farmer who had a couple of hives and seeing him fuel his smoker with rags soaked in old engine oil....

Good Luck,


Roland

just thinking the same thing, oil fumes are no good for you or the bees, I have tried oak chippings, but the only thing that worries me is all the tar that you can see in the smoker.

 

[psafloyd]

bay leaves wrapped in a little hessian...

Was going to try some dried eucalyptus leaves...

 

[Liam C Ryan]

I use dried grass cuttings but there is a big enough tar build up in the smooker so I might try some of your other suggestions
Liam C

 

[Into the lions den]

Get some old hessian sacking,let it go rotten then dry it

Why let it go rotten? We use the stuff and never do that.