Questions on an odd Smoker fuel.

[splitrock]

Met a guy (commercial beek) who uses alfalfa pellets soaked in diesel fuel in his smoker. Claims it works real well. Is this a common practice?

Can it be good for the bee's, brood, comb and honey?????........... Make for an interesting flavor I bet.

[iddee]

Heat a paint room with diesel fuel and watch the paint fisheye. He is eating diesel fuel along with his honey. It really doesn't sound like something I want to do.

[AllenF]

Ya, it don't sound so good to do.

[antaro]

I sure wouldn't burn diesel in my smoker.

[schawee]

i would never burn diesel in my smoker.i can't stand the smell of it.      ...schawee

[joebrown]

I can see using pellets but not the diesel. I have heard pellets burn well and they can be made out of anything if you have a pellet mill.

[Anybrew]

Stuff that!

[splitrock]

 Kind of what I thought, nobody thinks it is a good idea.

I was thinking he could AT LEAST use a soy diesel. javascript:void(0);.........That at least has a french fry aroma instead of the exhaust smell.

It bothers me that he knows how many things the bee's have working against them, and yet he fumigates them with another poison.

[Tommyt]

I thought years ago people used oil soaked rags or burlap with oil on it.
I would use both with-out the oil


Tommyt

[Michael Bush]

Why not just spray diesel on them... I'm sure the alfalfa pellets would work, minus the diesel...

[sc-bee]

What's the name of that unique flavored honey he has such a market for :?

[Brian D. Bray]

A few items can be used as an accelerant for starting your smoker but you would want something that would burn off rapidly such as starter fluid or charcoal llighter.  Deisel would remain in the smoker fuel and poison both the bees and the honey.

Alfalfa pellets and wood pellets both work well for smoker fuel and neither needs additional combustion aides.  Other good  fuels are burlap bags (aka gunny sacks), sisel based baling twine, and dryer lint makes a good tinder to start the smoker with.

The secret to keeping your smoker lit is to lay in on its side, lite it, and let it burn for a few minutes (like while you put on your suit and veil and get your other tools ready) to heat the chimney of the smoker enough to help keep the fuel smoldering once the lid is closed.  If necessary add fresh fuel to the smoke just before closing the lid, the new fuel will actually cool the smoke a little as too hot of smoke can make the bees testy.