Which smoker do you use?

[BBG]

yep, i have 2 complete suits / veils, and wear clean gloves for each hive.
hive tools sterilised, but difficult to sterilize the smoker.

Not difficult and no reason to be lax - use a plastic bag over the Squeeze box

As per Bee inspector scrub with brush and sterilising solution
- Basics

Hope it was of help - good for the bees.

 

[mbc]

I give mine a quick clean if I've been to someone else's apiary with it. Its easy enough to wash the bellows and lid where you're more likely to tiouch the smioker and this also helps avoid build up of propolis.

 

[iand]

The Bee inspector used a Dadant that just kept on and on, only needed relight ONCE in FIVE hours, and that included 2 X 20 minute drives - now that's impressive.[/QUOTE]

We find our Dadant smokers will stay in all day, but we need to pay attention to fueling. Especially before driving any distance, a bit of shake n rattle when moving gets a tardy smoker fuel load to burst into life, ready for the next site. Usually only going out if distracted by non bee jobs for a long time.
Keeping the pipework etc clean pays dividends with ease of use.

Yes RAB use of a landy to modify a smoker can be terminal (not me, but I know a man who did) lol

 

[The Cumbrian]

not to sure about the smoker as it does not touch hive parts and the heat would probably destroy nasties

I have wondered about smoker bellows. They don't get hot. People post about changing gloves between hives and having a hive tool for each hive which seems to me to completely forget about the smoker.

My thought is, you use your nice clean gloves in the hive and pick up infection which is transferred to the bellows of the smoker. You then change gloves and pick up the smoker and have got a situation which means you needn't have changed gloves, as they are now contaminated.

I am getting totally unsure about this concern over cross contamination.

 

[tonybloke]

I have wondered about smoker bellows. They don't get hot. People post about changing gloves between hives and having a hive tool for each hive which seems to me to completely forget about the smoker.

My thought is, you use your nice clean gloves in the hive and pick up infection which is transferred to the bellows of the smoker. You then change gloves and pick up the smoker and have got a situation which means you needn't have changed gloves, as they are now contaminated.

I am getting totally unsure about this concern over cross contamination.

why worry? you've only the one hive

 

[Luminos]

why worry? you've only the one hive

 

[The Cumbrian]

why worry? you've only the one hive

Strange though it may seem I intend to increase in the not too distant future! Also I try to understand what they rest of you do and why.

That was an extremely helpful comment - not!

 

[Swarm]

I prefer my old Empire, I tried an Etna type but it seemed to burn the fuel too fast.

 

[ROACHMAN]

Ive got a giant smoker whic I bought from a trader in the Ukraine - cost about £10 from the bay.

I have also got a giant Dadant which was about five times the price.

Both are excellent and never go out and last for ages.

I conclude that the bigger the better

 

[BBG]

Strange though it may seem I intend to increase in the not too distant future! Also I try to understand what they rest of you do and why.

That was an extremely helpful comment - not!

but he's got his basik and is feeling superior perhaps.

Keep coming back though, you will learn who is who and the information is here for you.

You can admire said item where he photographed it and created a whole thread.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7818&highlight=exam

We're still waiting for a photograph of him in his suit with the Badge sewn on. It's a bit like Cubs, badges for this badges for that.

Just kidding TB! But try not to be horrible to the new arrivals; it's called bullying. Not nice

Roachman is that a Rauchboy or similar from the Ukraine?

 

[tonybloke]

aforementioned post wasn't meant to be nasty or bullying, I thought (mistakenly apparently) that the 'cumbrian' had a sense of humour

 

[Haughton Honey]

I've got two of the larger Rauchboys and a 10*7 Dadant.

Both are very good (and work better when they're tarred up a bit as opposed to being new) but I tend to lean towards the larger Dadant by preference - in the main because I'm usually going through a large number of hives and it stays alight!

 

[earthsoul]

Thank you fantastic, seems like the Dadant is the better to go for!!!

 

[E1M]

My, limited, experience shows that it makes no difference, it is a skill that you develop over time. Our, expensive, smoker, sometimes stays alight, sometimes not. I beleive it is me, not the smoker.

 

[beesleybees]

Im still a relative newb but after a few months of my smoker going out on me, i finally found something that works for me. Try this

Make sure your use the aerator plate inside the smoker. This lifts the fuel off the smoker floor so that air can get to the smouldering fuel.

secound, i find corrugated cardboard the best fuel. get old cardboard boxes, and disassemble them. cut into long strips. The width of the strips is determind by the hieght of the smoker minus the lid and the aerator plate

theses strips are then rolled up, using other strips if needed, until they are they same circumferance (sp?) as the smoker. This will give you the smoker cartridges that you see for sale on 3bay or th*r*es

using a blow lamp or catering tourch, light the bottom of the smoker cartridge until all the bottom off the cartridge is glowing red.

put this into your smoker, with the lid still off, pump the bellow hard until flames are seen comming out of the top of the smoker, Replace the lid and get to work.

These cartridges smoke for ages but if your a bit slow between inspections, lie the smoker down, this slows down the burning of the fuel inside the smoker but dont leave it too long otherwise it will go out.

also, be sure to remove any debris from the smoker before every use. A blocked smoker does not work too well

 

[Alabamaeee]

I read somewhere that some corrugated cardboard can contain chemicals.

I prefer to use rotted wood because it is a natural product. I use shredded paper to start a good fire going in the bottom of the smoker, then add small pieces of the crumbling wood. Once that's going fill the smoke up with large pieces.

 

[AnotherNewBee]

Due to a near disaster with my personal possessions, when I moved from Germany to Sweden, I'm certain some cardboard contains waterproofing. I can't be certain but I suspect some contains pesticides - I would think the target would more likely be rodents than insects. As I have an easily accessible source of natural, untreated fuel I prefer to use that.

 

[madasafish]

Dry rotten wood is free so designed for exiled Scots like me..

Why pay for an inferior product?

 

[Onge]

I use a large Dadant stays alight for hours if I want it to. I use wood chipping's sold as animal bedding. Cardboard is nasty on my lungs.