Keeping your smoker lit...

[minz]

I had a partial bag of cedar shavings for animal bedding that I have been using the last couple of years. Start a piece of newspaper with a lighter, drop it in the bottom as stated in post #2. My burlap was always wound too tight so took a bit of time to fray the ends to get it going and it was nasty smelling. My pine needles were usually wet since I live in a rain forest. My scrap wood pieces took too long to start and burned too hot when they did.
Wait a second! Am I seeing bee keepers actually across the world coming to an agreement on how to do a task.
 

[LawyerRick]

Started using dried hops in the smoker this summer & it seemed to really calm the bees.  My buddy gave me 10 lbs of hops to dry so it was free.  Anyone else use hops as smoker fuel?  Like to hear your observations.

[Oldbeavo]

Use the hops to make some beer for after a hard day on the bees.
You can burn anything that you can stand the smell of, dry horse poo is good, nice size pieces, compact, burns slow.
remember it only grass with the running taken out of it.

[Hops Brewster]

I agree, the hops (in conjunction with some malted barley, water and yeast) would be much better used to cheer yourself up after a hard day of beekeeping.  But that's just my personal opinion.
Cheers!

[FatherMichael]

being a really cheap and old i never bought a smoker. i smoked myself with a small fire and whatever would make lots of smoke. the bees ignored me.the lifting was hurting me so i sold my 3 hives. $800.

Awesome!

[.30WCF]

Ben,
JP and Schawee both smoke themselves before doing removals.
Beequick doesn?t seem to help much to stop stings. The main ingredient is alcohol. It also has tee tree oil and almond extract.
Jim Altmiller

Wipe down with some liquid smoke from the salad dressing isle. Haha


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