# too much smoke



## ThomG (Sep 7, 2011)

It's my first year, so I was a little anxious when the first super was ready, I used smoke.. A LOT of smoke, there was some burr and it's tainted with the creosote I guess, the capped is just fine and taste like pears, but I am wondering if I can or should give the burr back to the bees.

I don't want to just throw it out, it's about a pint, but I'm not sure what would happen. 

they're still foraging but we're going to have some cold nights this week and I would like to give it back before the goldenrod is gone.


Tom


----------



## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

ThomG;708293 I used smoke.. A LOT of smoke said:


> Sorry to laugh. But, too funny. eat it or give it back it is up to you. If you wont eat it then don't bottle it.


----------



## ThomG (Sep 7, 2011)

it tastes awful, and I wanted to shoot myself, I thought I ruined my very first batch, So it won't hurt the bees??


----------



## toekneepea (Jul 7, 2010)

Use it for barbecue sauce?

Tony P.


----------



## ThomG (Sep 7, 2011)

would that get rid of the godawful taste?

Tom


----------



## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

You might also want to switch to burlap for your smoker. Or a sweet smelling grass or plant. Wonder how they do it in CA.? Maybe a good smelling tobacco or would the THC be bad for them.  I never heard of someone complaining about the brownies made with it.  Might be pricy so you would have to grow your own. In CA you can have 25 plants for personal use. But, that is a whole other forum.

I use Beego to remove the bee's from the frames when I extract. Made a top that soaks up beego well and just place that on top of the box and down they go out of it. No smoke needed. Don't leave it to long or smell might be the same as smoke.


----------



## ThomG (Sep 7, 2011)

I used clean straw with pine scraps, green ryegrass & clover, I used the bees as an excuse to not mow, but I don't think that excuse is going to work next year. I think the elevator would have some old burlap sacks, I lost sight of the thing in the ensuing mushroom cloud but I'm still picking things up and don't have the Beego, so I used an electric blower for the second super and that was a lot easier. I might get Beego but I only have the one hive, I would like 2, and I'm still getting the frames and other tools.

Tom


----------



## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

With two colonies I would just shake and brush to remove the bees. Put the frames of honey in another box, cover and carry home. It doesn't take long and no chance of tainting the honey.


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I use an escape board like this one...
http://www.plantertomato.com/2010/09/bee-escape-board.html
It works great to rid a super or supers of bees for me.


----------



## Edcrosbys (Oct 26, 2010)

AR Beekeeper said:


> With two colonies I would just shake and brush to remove the bees. Put the frames of honey in another box, cover and carry home. It doesn't take long and no chance of tainting the honey.


This is what I did. Worked like a champ!


----------



## ThomG (Sep 7, 2011)

I remember seeing those things in a catalog and couldn't figure out how they worked, I also saw a plan for an square escape made with wooden triangles somewhere, I might try to build one from memory. 

Tom


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Smoke is not a valid way to get bees out of a super, as you discovered.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesharvest.htm#beeremoval


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Vortex bee escape board...
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/vortexescape.html


----------



## ThomG (Sep 7, 2011)

Michael Bush,

you're right, at this point I'm not keen on clearing the supers with smoke, blowers, or chemicals. I make enough mistakes all day long, I just don't want to make big ones. If I had scores of hives maybe I would think differently but since I have just one, the escapes seem to be the only way that puts less stress on myself and them. I like your site, it has already answered several questions that I was planning to ask here.

Tom


----------



## ThomG (Sep 7, 2011)

RayMarler said:


> Vortex bee escape board...
> http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/vortexescape.html


 That's it !

Thank You

Tom


----------

