Using lavender in your smoker.

[fiat500bee]

I have a small bag of smoker pellets which were bought when I started up and knew nothing (rather than next to nothing, as now). I quickly realised that where I keep my bees, the ground is literally covered in half-rotten, short, easily ignited pieces of fallen wood, cones and pine-needles, so I've used that tree litter fro a coolish and fairly reliable smoke.. But the pellets needed using up, and they are a dream to light and keep lit. But to enhance their perceived sweetness and make me feel better about the artificiality, I scrunch a handful of fresh, green lavender stems and stuff them on the top. they gradually dry with the heat and slowly release their magic ingredients.

 

[ldwgs]

Hi does anyone else use lavender in there smoker?
Do you notice any difference in the bees? If you use it.
Or do you notice any health benefits?

Cheers

yes can't say I notice any difference but my Bees are lovely placid colonies anyway. We have so much lavender and it burns really well and never use any other stuff apart from clean corregated cardboard to get smoker started

 

[Gilberdyke John]

You twit!
Not old in that respect

Careful Dani. Beware the offendatrons

 

[Erichalfbee]

Careful Dani. Beware the offendatrons

I had to look that up.
I’ve learned a new word today for an old experience

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

I have used (very) dried cow pats on defensive bees and noticed a marked difference following a tip from an African beek. Smells surprisingly good to the human nose.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I had to look that up.
I’ve learned a new word today for an old experience

https://thewordden.blogspot.com/2019/10/word-to-use-today-offendatron.html?m=1

 

[AlanJ]

For several years now we have been saving whole stems pruned from our lavender bushes and put them through the garden shredder: the woody bits help to give a longer burn. The dried shredded lavender is used to fill corrugated cardboard cylinders to make lavender 'smoker cartridges'.
A research study (sorry I don't have the link) showed not only that lavender smoke makes bees calmer, but also that they remember the smell and this helps to calm them next time. Mostly the lavender smoke is left to drift round the hives and only puffed directly at bees when they need to be moved (so never at the entrance).

 

[Murox]

For several years now we have been saving whole stems pruned from our lavender bushes and put them through the garden shredder: the woody bits help to give a longer burn. The dried shredded lavender is used to fill corrugated cardboard cylinders to make lavender 'smoker cartridges'.
A research study (sorry I don't have the link) showed not only that lavender smoke makes bees calmer, but also that they remember the smell and this helps to calm them next time. Mostly the lavender smoke is left to drift round the hives and only puffed directly at bees when they need to be moved (so never at the entrance).

Intriguing .

 

[Curly green finger's]

For several years now we have been saving whole stems pruned from our lavender bushes and put them through the garden shredder: the woody bits help to give a longer burn. The dried shredded lavender is used to fill corrugated cardboard cylinders to make lavender 'smoker cartridges'.
A research study (sorry I don't have the link) showed not only that lavender smoke makes bees calmer, but also that they remember the smell and this helps to calm them next time. Mostly the lavender smoke is left to drift round the hives and only puffed directly at bees when they need to be moved (so never at the entrance).

I would like to have a look at the link if you ever find it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would like to have a look at the link if you ever find it.

I found this
https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/honey-bee-brains-and-lavender/11016406

 

[North End Bees]

I found this
https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/honey-bee-brains-and-lavender/11016406

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

So if the lavender helps to lay down learning pathways, presumably the bees would also have a learned negative response if they happened to have had an adverse situation on the previous hive inspection?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

So if the lavender helps to lay down learning pathways, presumably the bees would also have a learned negative response if they happened to have had an adverse situation on the previous hive inspection?

They say bees remember faces too

 

[North End Bees]

They say bees remember faces too

I believe that's true. All the more reason to be nice and calm around the hive!

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've tried using this stuff before
https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/...-small-animal-bedding-lavender-scented-mediumit did smell nice and made me smell nice too. I don't think the bees cared what it smelt like. But the smaller shavings ended up airborne.

I found this
https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/honey-bee-brains-and-lavender/11016406

Thanks dani

 

[Murox]

I found this
https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/honey-bee-brains-and-lavender/11016406

Very thought provoking and interesting, thanks for posting it.