What do you smoke ?

[ichbinpaul]

Pine needles started with scrunched up bills and parking fine notices, and a sharpened teaspoon to remove the tar every now and then. I tend to shake it to keep it going it packs the needles into the hot embers without needing to bellow, unless I hear hyper activity and pinging, it subdues quickly perhaps because it is aromatic as well as chokingly pungent.

 

[mbc]

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.

not just any smoke.....

 

[garlicpickle]

I "smoke" an e-cig but it doesn't seem to work on the bees.

I have been using a big bag of wood chips I was given, and a bit of dry straw to get it going. The wood chips are about finished now so I'll need to find something else for next season.

 

[alldigging]

The very fine chopped up cardboard packing from inside a box from chocolate trading company. Nearly all used up now sadly. Lights really easily and smokes very nicely.
Have also used lumps of rotten dried wood. That smokes ok too.
Lavender stems get put in sometimes too - and that adds a brief nice smell, but you'd need a large amount of that to keep the smell going. Luckily my MIL has been given a ton of lavender plants for her garden which will need clipping next year

 

[ianorsven]

A cocktail of cardboard packaging with dry pine cones and very dry dead wood collected on way round golf course.

 

[johnfly]

What ever you use put a little waste beeswax on top and you get a nice cool smoke

 

[o.stjohn]

I use a bit of wax too - works well.

I also have a 4-shelf Bradley Electric Smoker but that might be on another forum!

 

[yantabulla]

Eucalyptus leaves and the bark of the trees near my hives.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Any ideas on thyme? Good idea or a waste of time?

 

[drstitson]

egg boxes, shredded card (as in parcels of bee stuff), walnut leaves and lavender cuttings.

 

[Mothman]

Another for start with newspaper then dried grass and the odd pine cone....

 

[Lindylou]

I start off with newspaper in the bottom, then pet bedding (straw) bought from pet shop. Gives off a lovely cool smoke.

 

[Norton]

Why do you want to know?

 

[Norfolk]

Why do you want to know?

Because i'm always interested in how other folks do things.

There is always a chance I might learn something

 

[Salamagundy]

Last winter a neighbour gave us an old apple tree, which had blown down, for firewood. It seemed too good for that so I'm turning the bigger bits, which gives lots of shavings. There was also a large rotten branch which crumbled in my hands. I now use a lump of that to start the smoker then add shavings and chips of more solid wood. Not sure it's better for the bees than cardboard but it lights easily, burns for a long time and smells great. After I've finished with the bees I plug it into a little home-made smoker and smoke some cheese and garlic. Yes, I know that's probably bad for me but it tastes good....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Rotten wood dried in the greenhouse over winter. Going to fell a few more trees end of the month to keep the stocks going

 

[Norton]

OK fine. I thought that there might be another reason.

 

[Norfolk]

OK fine. I thought that there might be another reason.

Well, now you ask, I have invented a smoker............I'm joking of course.

If I was wanting to advertise something I'd try and be more upfront.

 

[Itchy]

I thought the shredded cardboard that came with T ho r nes packaging also has plastic in it, so not good

 

[SixFooter]

I have an outdoor fuel pile in the garden and an indoor fuel box in a shed. Also, a cloth bag for life that I keep smoker fuel in. In stages the fuel in the outdoor pile is dried and put in the box, then into the bag in small amounts as I use it. I take the bag with me when I go to the apiary. I add anything that looks likely to the outdoor pile, but it is mostly rotten wood that I pick up when walking the dog. Some hessian sack and cardboard as well. The outdoor pile is teaming with insect life which is a bonus.

In spring, I get ready for the season, drying a lot of the fuel that has been outdoors all Winter by putting it in a big tray in my car. It gets really hot in the car and dries in no time. It also makes the car smell nice for a while.