Smoking Hives

[Millet]

Who uses smoke lot's and who hardly uses it..and why..?.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Always have smoker to hand but hardly ever use it...
Just not needed unless bees get a little tetchy.
If I want bees to go down in the box I just throw a cloth over for a minute or so

 

[B+.]

Who uses smoke lot's and who hardly uses it..and why..?.

Whats a smoker?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Maybe a quick puff at the entrance, but hardly ever have to use it in the hive unless I have a tetchy colony. I try not to use it at all if I need to find a queen, but i always keep a lit smoker nearby. nspectrd two nucs lunchtime today and didn't take the smoker anywhere near them and I had to spend some time with one to find the queen.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Who uses smoke lots and who hardly uses it..and why..?.

I always light the smoker, and always put it out at the end of an inspection.

I almost always hang the smoker on the back of the first hive stand, so I know where it is. I never hold the smoker between my knees.

I almost always use two home made inspection cloths on my own hives - so that only a couple of frames are 'open' to the air at any time.

I rarely use the smoker during an inspection, unless a colony is tetchy.

I never smoke the entrance of the hive, will only ever use smoke to persuade the bees to go down.

I sometimes smoke the ends of the top bars when closing up.

 

[Millet]

The reason i asked is i don't use one very much.. from my past reading and media footage.. smoker's seem to get used too much.. my bee's don't like it a neither do i .. in these early day's i only use it now to clear bee's for frame inspection's or for putting everything back together..
I have read it is supposed to mask pheromones and make the bee's fill there bellies full of honey.. both of which does not happen here.. lol

 

[Erichalfbee]

I notice my bees can have their heads in honey when I look in even without smoke.

 

[Thymallus]

Yes, it does kinda negate the old idea of forest fires and rushing for stores. I see exactly the same.

 

[Millet]

I notice my bees can have their heads in honey when I look in even without smoke.

Me too..

 

[Thymallus]

Maybe a quick puff at the entrance, .

Is that a sly *** on the way in to the apiary?
Why smoke the entrance at all? I'm curious as to reasons why people do it.

I was always told it was to "let them know you are here". I quickly learnt with my nasty local bees it was the last thing you wanted to do, far too much advance warning.
Went for the sneak in quietly at the top approach. Worked much better.

 

[Finman]

.
Everyone can use smoker as he likes. No need to make consensus. If you are not satisfied, just learn another style, again, and again

Individual hives are different.


Often I wonder what carbage guys burn in their smokers.
Visible smoke is gasified tar. That condensates onto cool surfaces, like onto combs and honey.

 

[Finman]

Whats a smoker?

Google has an answer. You may use it in many purposes.

For example if robbers try to attack into a hive, what I am just taking honey off, smoke is a curtain to push robbers away.

 

[Thymallus]

.
Often I wonder what carbage guys burn in their smokers.
.

What do use in yours Finman. Assuming you use one.

 

[Finman]

What do use in yours Finman. Assuming you use one.

Ofcourse I use. Impossible to nurse hives without smoker.
I use rotten birch.

I wonder what virtue is not to use smoker?

Bees cannot be so much degenerated that they do not know any more, why they have a sting..

 

[Thymallus]

I use rotten birch.

Thanks.

 

[birdsandbees]

I was also wondering what fuel folk used in their smokers, I don't find the need to use one much either but as others said it can be useful in moving bees out of the way or if you have a grumpy colony to distract them.
I personally use dried conifer in mine, it's quite a pleasant smoke and gently smokes until needed unlike the flippin cardboard I used which it came with! That was terrible! Watering eyes, coughing and so much smoke I expected a fire engine to turn up!
Won't use that again in a hurry.

 

[pargyle]

Always have smoker to hand but hardly ever use it...
Just not needed unless bees get a little tetchy.
If I want bees to go down in the box I just throw a cloth over for a minute or so

Yes... more or less what I do... never really had need to use it on my bees but I have one colony that tend to come up to the top of the frames when I'm closing up and I find that a gentle waft well above the hive is enough to clear them down .. I too use an inspection cloth which is very useful.

I've also tried water mist ... some colonies respond to it .. some don't and it makes matters worse.

I find that treating them gently and recognising when they have had enough generally negates any need for smoke.

 

[Finman]

I personally use dried conifer in mine, .

Conifer makes much tar. IT glues the caps after a while.
.

 

[Finman]

I but as others said it can be useful in moving bees out of the way .

In these cases smoke is needed on every hive. Water spray works fine in this purpose too, because sometimes smoke irritates bees and they do not retreet.

In these autumn handling bees are not nice when I take all honey off and I push then into Winter space.

.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Who uses smoke lot's and who hardly uses it..and why..?.

Oh and when I sublimate Oxalic without a mask