What do you smoke ?

[Norfolk]

Someone mentioned smoking hives on another thread, and I wondered what you guys and gals favour.
Mostly I used rolled up cardboard (thin boxes liberated from the supermarket) and set them on fire with the help of a squirt of lighter fuel.
I tried what I would term as smoke in a can that I hated, thought the bees hated it too.
I also had a go with pellets but soon came back to the cardboard rolls with the odd bit of grass added in now and again if the mood took me.

What's your poison ?

 

[Itchy]

Oak bark, lasts for ages and is fairly consistent burning

 

[sharonh]

I use wood shavings, light with a roiled up bit of unused toilet paper. Never found any problems so stuck with it.
Sharon

 

[Norfolk]

I use wood shavings, light with a roiled up bit of toilet paper. Never found any problems so stuck with it.
Sharon

I hope you can still edit your post Sharon and insert the word "unused" in there somewhere.

 

[dpearce4]

I use wood shavings that are sold by a company down here for use with horses, it has eucalyptus oil in it. the only reason I use it is because I have spare unused from my rabbits. It seems to work really well.

 

[sharonh]

I hope you can still edit your post Sharon and insert the word "unused" in there somewhere.

Funny, edited just for you

 

[Erichalfbee]

Rotten dried wood....not pine.... for me.
When I had SBI round to look at the colonies he helped himself to some dry grass from where the field had been cut a week previous. The bees seemed OK with that

 

[victor meldrew]

I start it with egg cartons then add cat litter . Natural pine ,no added anything , lasts for yonks all day if you don't use the bellows. Only draw back being it creates a lot of tar!
VM

 

[Swarm]

Well I could imagine all manner of replies
For the smoker I use pieces broken off a large lump of dead wood that I broke from a fallen tree. I start the smoker with egg boxes, which are less acrid and less tar build up than packing cardboard. I stuff the top with some hessian.

 

[REDWOOD]

I used to smoke golden Virginia until I gave up 4 weeks ago

I use well rotted wood that crumbles in your hand, free to anyone living near a woods
And I have been using eucalyptus bark to light it... Why because it was free and makes a good fire starter when dry nothing else

 

[REDWOOD]

I tried oil absorbent that was made from coconut husks but after the 20th attempt to light it I found out there was a fire retardant added to it

 

[Norfolk]

Keep it coming guys, some great stuff here, thanks

 

[stubee]

any thing I don't have to pay for

 

[busybee53]

Dried grass and cones from alder trees. Free and pleasant to collect. Have even used the dried leaves which fall from my house plants. (spider plants and Yucca)

 

[rayz_x]

The semi-shredded card used for packaging is easy to get for free - just need to watch for plastic tape.
An issue no-one has mentioned is the small particles of carbon that are blown out when you use the bellows. I like the card because it smokes a lot and can just be drifted in with little use of the bellows.
Ray

 

[For want of a better word]

Sun dried Donkey Doo Doos.....
Freshly plucked lavender fronds....
Alfalfa, pomegranate seeds and air dried thyme and rosemary bark.
All stored in an airtight container...

a gentle light aromatic smoke that keeps going for ages.

 

[Luminos]

T'ornes finest cardboard packaging, and hessian...I don't smoke the bees unless necessary though.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

T'ornes finest cardboard packaging,

I would like to try some of that - might get some one day, do they sell anything else apart from cardboard packaging?

 

[Newtobees]

Animal bedding straw from pets at home cheap lights easy and lasts ages.

 

[fiftyjon]

Dried grass and dried rotten wood, smoker started with lit newspaper.

Don't like using cardboard, seems to burn too hot and quick, once it is finally alight!