# Smoker Fuel



## divebee (Mar 15, 2006)

I know this has been discussed many times before, but I just began using a different method, and maybe someone else may like to give it a try. I am currently using one of the Charcoal starters that do not use fluid, just one of the round cans that you place some charcoal inside it and place some paper or cardboard under it. Get some charcoal going red hot. then dump it into my large smoker. Then I buy a bag of these wood pellets (some people use wood pellets for some specialized wood heating stoves) About $5 for a huge bag of these oak wood pellets. With the hot charcoal, I then dump a fair amount of wood pellets in on top of the hot coals. Close the lid and give it a good shake to distribute the pellets down among the hot coals. Puff some air a little bit. Then it improves smoke after some minutes later... Lasts pretty long... Take some more wood pellets if need to add more later.. The wood makes the smoke, the charcoal makes the good heat to keep things going. Well, it is an alternate method that I am using sometimes...


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## alexcc1 (Nov 12, 2006)

*Bagged Mulch*

I went to the local hardware mega store and bought a $2.00 bag of cypress mulch. I easily light it with a small propane torch that I have owned forever, and it seems to last quite a while if you pack it in there real tight. I bought the bag last year and I have enough left all if this year and then some. Keep in mind that I only have two hives to work, and you might want to stay away from the dyed mulch if you give this a try.


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## nmbee (May 11, 2007)

I use dried road apples, they are plentiful in my neighborhood and seem to last quite a long time in the smoker...


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

I use cedar chips. That are sold has horse bedding


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

my u folks are picky. for myself I use anything that burns... and slow is better than fast in this case. horse pettets are my favorite (very dry of course) nicely packaged, compressed and they burn wonderfully.... they do not smell all that great.


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## high rate of speed (Jan 4, 2008)

burlap or gunny sacks work really well.sometimes in CA you can get damaged onion sacks for nothing.You can soak them in used motor oil and they last longer than burning them dry.


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## Pete0 (Mar 30, 2002)

*Used Motor Oil?*

I've used food grade mineral oil in my hives but never motor oil. Won't that leave a film? I'll stick to grass clippings and dry burlap to light it.

Pete0
Bena, VA


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## Black Creek (May 19, 2006)

*What ??!!*

"used motor oil" ? 

um.... i'm no expert, but i dont think that sounds very healthy for the hive.


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## RememberBaker (May 21, 2007)

I use hemp.....make them reeeeeeal calm! Just kidding I use chips of wood lit with a torch then fill the smoker with pine needles ( I like the smell).


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## Ski (Jan 18, 2007)

Someone on here in the past mentioned using wheat straw. 
I just happened to have two bales so I gave it a try. I used pine needles at the bottom then added the straw. The straw was a little damp from being outside but seemed to work well. Had lots of smoke and was more then enough for my two hives. 

The charcoal and pellets seems like it would last a long time maybe more then 2 hives would need.
Can you put it out and restart it again?


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

*Free is a very good price!*

First critera for smoker fuel is that is free.
Us beekeepers have enough expenses without burning money.
But if it makes you feel better, go ahead and purchace smoker fuel, then let me know and I'll send you an invoice for the air that you puff through the bellows.
BE HONEST NOW!
Keep an acurate count of each cycle of the bellows so I can charge you fairly.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

1)Any scrap wood in the shop except plywood or treated
2)old blue jeans that aren't wearable
3)Sumac heads
4)Rosemary limbs from my garden (makes a nice smell)
5)cedar limbs from the dead cedar behind my hives (easy to light in a hurry)


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

I have a back yard full of pine needles. I collect them, put them in tubs in the garage and they dry out pretty quickly....and then I take a tub along with me when I head for the bee yards. They a cheap, easy to burn and provide a nice smelling smoke.

I have also used burlap, bailing twine, corn cobs, and wood pellets when they were available for free to me...


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## trapperbob (May 27, 2007)

where I keep them the owner has lots of brush and I start it with that and put peices of free burlap that I get and if I run low I just grab a couple of handfulls of the stuff under the cedar trees that the bees sit in front of makes all kinds of smoke.


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## Budster (Mar 24, 2006)

I only have 5 hives, so my smoker fuel needs are small. I usually by hamster wood chips at the grocery store. They are like a cedar chip bedding. Smells quite aromatic and burns a cool smoke too. I do like the wood mulch idea. I'll give that a try this year. I have also heard rumors of putting a partial roll of toilet paper in there too, but never gave it a try.


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## Troy (Feb 9, 2006)

I use either pine needles or the wood pellets. I like both. The wood pellets are a bit difficult to get started, but once going they last a lot longer.

I did want to share a hot tip that I learned while gathering pine needles last year. I always felt like I was spending an inordinate amount of time gathering pine needles and wasn't happy sporting out all the other leaves and things from the needles on the ground.

I spotted a large limb that had broken off a huge pine tree during a storm. Over the next few days to a week I noticed all the needles turn brown, but mostly stayed on the limb. I wnet over there and wow, they just fell off the tree limb in clumps. You can grab in one hand a nice clean bundle of needles all hanging together nice and neat. I stood there for 20 minutes or so and gathered up more pine needles than I will use in 2 years.

So next time you see a limb down or have to cut one yourself, let the limb stand in the sun for a week and gather up the needles before they fall off. It is so easy.


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

Cedar Chips, it’s cheap it’s easy to light put a cork into the end of the smoker and re-lighting the un burned chips is even easier. It makes a cool white smoke that smells pretty good. And it’s easy to transport. I keep a five gallon bucket with matches in the truck it gives me many hours of beekeeping fun without worrying about running out of smoker fuel.


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

newbeematt writes:
"used motor oil" ? 

um.... i'm no expert, but i dont think that sounds very healthy for the hive.

tecumseh replies:
you may not be an expert but I think you got that one right. do you really even want to know what's in used motor oil?


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## maddrone (Apr 5, 2006)

Ski said:


> Someone on here in the past mentioned using wheat straw.
> I just happened to have two bales so I gave it a try. I used pine needles at the bottom then added the straw. The straw was a little damp from being outside but seemed to work well. Had lots of smoke and was more then enough for my two hives.
> 
> The charcoal and pellets seems like it would last a long time maybe more then 2 hives would need.
> Can you put it out and restart it again?


I use dried Sumac flowers,give me good smoke,nock down the mites and is free.


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## okb (Apr 16, 2007)

Troy said:


> I did want to share a hot tip that I learned while gathering pine needles last year. QUOTE]
> 
> I use a rake. Then place them in a trash bag.
> 
> ...


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## high rate of speed (Jan 4, 2008)

*Rookie*

Tecumseh and Newbeematt,
Just my first day,dont know much.Numbers dont matter,but 6000 hives later 
4th generation,40yrs later still going strong.Maybe we will try perfume or wacky tabacky next.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*Smoker fuel*

I use wood shavings, 40 pounds in a compressed bale, that I buy at a local feed store.
Easy to light and they make good thick smoke.
I have used eucalyptus leaves and or bark.
I use to use burlap sacks until I found out that I was burning creosote.
Regards,
Ernie
Lucas Apiaries
(Queen Breeder.)


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

high rate of speed said:


> Tecumseh and Newbeematt,
> Just my first day,dont know much.Numbers dont matter,but 6000 hives later
> 4th generation,40yrs later still going strong.Maybe we will try perfume or wacky tabacky next.


Now, Now.... Lonnie. LOL


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## Black Creek (May 19, 2006)

*cardboard ?*

my uncle who got me started with bees told me that he took strips of cardboard cut from old boxes, rolled them up tight and put a piece of tape on it to hold it. He said he'd just put the torch to it for a couple seconds and it gave a lot of nice cool smoke. 

I havent tried it. Is there any nasty residues in cardboard that would make that a bad idea?


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## high rate of speed (Jan 4, 2008)

*wrong forum*

#'s are not part of this thread,maybe used motor oil "dried" is the problem with CCD.


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## aszalan (Sep 16, 2007)

I usually use pine needles for smoker fuel, and rolled cardboard when only checking a couple of hives. here is a nice little article about smoker fuels
http://www.beefarmers.co.uk/articles/p2_articleid/10


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## sansabar (Apr 11, 2007)

Pine needles and Spanish Moss. Spanish moss retains enough moisture that it makes a nice dense, cool smoke.


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## coondogger (May 30, 2007)

I've also found burlap to be a good fuel. The best source for burlap is coffee importers or distributors. They'll give you the bags by the pallet.


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

high rate of speed writes:
Just my first day,dont know much.Numbers dont matter,but 6000 hives later 
4th generation,40yrs later still going strong.Maybe we will try perfume or wacky tabacky next.

tecumseh replies:
you know the historical Tecumseh had a bit of a religion tagged onto his little rebellion. one of the prohibitions was not smokin' none of that wacky weed George reared down on his Virginia plantation and of course fire water was a no no.

I was 'informed' (and of course these old wives tales can often time be quite incorrect) a long time ago that motor oil first would 1) burn too hot (the second and third requirements beyond smoker fuel being free is that it first burn cool and secondly burn long) and 2) clog the trachae tubes of the girls.

lastly I would suggest to you (one old bee keeper to another) that there are any number of things that we do by habit that really might not be in the short term interest of the girls and /or the long term interest of the beekeeper.


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## Grandpa Jim (Apr 20, 2007)

Paper egg flats work well for me. Tear some off to get it started than crunch up a flat and stuff it in the smoker. If you need it to last a while, several flats can be made wet and compressed into a plug. Leave it to dry for a few weeks and they are ready to go.
Jim


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