# Smoker Fuel



## Gbell1577 (May 27, 2020)

Does anyone have a suggestion on smoker fuel? I have the pellets but they don’t seem to work, had a very upset hive this afternoon and the smoke was very week. 

Something that I can get easily, such as Walmart, tractor supply, or amazon?


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## roddo27846 (Apr 10, 2017)

Scrap paper to get it started -- little sticks -- bigger sticks -- enough pine straw to smother it well. In that order. Build a fire in there with the paper and sticks. Smother it with the pine straw -- pack it in til it's overfull. All free and works better than store bought.


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## kramerbryan (Oct 30, 2013)

Ive got a buddy who is an organic coffee roaster. Burlap coffee bags work great. Most roaster will give them away.


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## elmer_fud (Apr 21, 2018)

I have found the following works well:

1. drill a 3/4" hole in the bottom of the smoker and put a door on the bottom to block the hole. I have the 3/4 hole off center, and a metal flap attached to a bolt in the center.

2. put about 1/6 to 1/4 of a shreded egg carton in the bottom of the smoker (on the grate that holds stuff up a bit)

3. fill the rest of the smoker with wood pellets

4. hold a blowtorch thru the hole in the bottom for a minute or 2. After the smoker starts going pull the torch out and close the door (door may be hot)


This combo seems to go well and keep going.


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## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

Go to Walmart and get a bag of cedar chips for pet bedding and a blowtorch. Add a small handful of cedar chips in your smoker and use the blowtorch to get it burning. Once burning well, add a small handful of pellets to the smoker. It will probably put out the flames but use the bellows to get the pellets started. Add some more cedar chips and another handful of pellets. Keep pumping the bellows while adding the fuel until you have enough in the smoker to support your inspections and it is smoking heavily. On top of the fuel, I add a wad of cotton husks (Mann Lake) to keep sparks from getting blown out of the smoker.
This works well for me.


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## LAlldredge (Aug 16, 2018)

Hay is insanely great. Great white cool smoke. Beyond fuel, be sure you get a great smoker. Lighting should just take a couple of minutes and last for hours. Kamon has a great video comparison on YouTube.


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## datsdajoke (Aug 17, 2012)

Do yourself a favor and get a propane torch with auto ignite no matter what fuel you are using. I use almost exclusively pine straw (long pine needles). Use the leftovers from last burn as a starter and pack fresh needles over top. Key is to pack them down tight so it burns long. I can light a smoker in 2 minutes and it should last three hours.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Corrugated cardboard.
Free unlimited supply.
All those boxes from Amazon, etc.
Roll a piece, lit it, plug into the smoker.


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## Rlahaise (May 19, 2016)

I’m a horse guy and I use Alfalfa cube feed when travelling, the cubes are pressed grass and quite dense. A bit of paper, a few small sticks and fill with cubes... my smoker burns for 4-5 hours and never goes out.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

datsdajoke said:


> Do yourself a favor and get a propane torch with auto ignite no matter what fuel you are using. I use almost exclusively pine straw (long pine needles). Use the leftovers from last burn as a starter and pack fresh needles over top. Key is to pack them down tight so it burns long. I can light a smoker in 2 minutes and it should last three hours.


I endorse this 100%

Some cardboard and some wood pellets give a very acrid smoke. That is a bit of a crap shoot. Pine needles are ticketty boo every time!


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

I've tried about everything and have finally settled on sawdust - as I usually have several dustbins full of the stuff ...

I find the secret to getting a smoker to light *really easily* lies in the last time you use that smoker. At the end of a session, ensure there's some fuel still remaining in the smoker, and then cap the spout with something - a wad of paper, a cork - whatever's handy.

Then next time, all you need do is move some of that partially burnt fuel to one side with some sort of hive tool and drop a small piece of lighted paper down into that space. The fuel immediately ignites, and you're up and running within seconds. Add more fuel ... and you're ready for work.
LJ


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

One important consideration that gets routinely missed - how long do you actually work your bees?
It is a 15-minute project or 150-minute project?
Do you have one hive or 50 hives?
Do you really need your smoker working for two hours non-stop when all you really need it for 2-3 quick puffs while checking a nuc?

Somehow it is assumed everyone MUST have smoker running for 2-3 hours non-stop.
Why exactly?

I don't keep more than 2-3 hives at a single spot.
With that, a smoker running for 2 hours non-stop is a nuisance in my case.
I don't need a running smoker in my van while driving.
Killing/relighting the fully loaded smoker is a hassle.

I'd prefer the smoker to run out completely in 15-20 minutes on its own so that I can just empty it out and put into my van and drive away.
If need more running time - simply add more fuel (another roll of cardboard).


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Pinestraw is the fuel of choice around here. it is readily available and works well. Well packed it will smolder for hours. 
About once a year you need to get a propane torch and burn off the accumulated creosote.
You may want to go to your profile and add your location. Often when you ask or offer advice it is important to know where you are.


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

little_john said:


> I find the secret to getting a smoker to light *really easily* lies in the last time you use that smoker. At the end of a session, ensure there's some fuel still remaining in the smoker, and then cap the spout with something - a wad of paper, a cork - whatever's handy.
> LJ


This works.

I have found that putting the smoker on it's side or even tilted slightly down works better than having it upright. Light some newspaper and slowly squeeze the bellows to keep it lit. Add your smoke material on top while puffing slowly.

For fuel I use any dry material available. Often it's lawn grass after mowing. In a day or two of sunny weather it's good. I also use dry tree leaves. I grow tobacco in my garden for an occasional cigar but have many times the dried leaves I need so I use tobacco leaves in the smoker. This is controversial for some people because nicotine is an insecticide and may harm bees. I read some research that found no ill effects, and some research that found positive effects on mite drop. No idea if it actually kills mites, but over 90% of phoretic mites fell to the floor, which sounds good to me. So, for the last three years I have been using tobacco smoke.

But really, with normal, not aggressive bees, no smoker at all works great if you move slowly and gently.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

AR1 said:


> ..... but over 90% of phoretic mites fell to the floor, which sounds good to me. So, for the last three years I have been using tobacco smoke..


Per my non-scientific research, horse radish roots (dry) in the smoker drops mites too.
As well as hot peppers mixed in.

I found many non-scientific testimonies where all mite-control amounts to several sessions of horse radish smoking - the bees are claimed to be doing great.
Disclaimer - horse radish smoke is very aggravating. 
Use at your own risk.

I planted horse radish in my garden this year just so to have it handy.


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

AR1 said:


> But really, with normal, not aggressive bees, no smoker at all works great if you move slowly and gently.


+1

But - I do like to use a puff or two when closing-up to save any bees from getting squashed. 
LJ


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

Put an empty cardboard box in your trunk with a pair of gloves. Next time you drive past a bunch of pine trees along a country road pull over at a safe spot and fill up the box with dry pine needles and pine cones from the ground. Pine straw works better than anything else, and best part is it is free. Until the time you can collect a box of pine straw, a bag of hamster bedding from the pet store works well, make sure it is unscented and untreated wood shavings, you don't want those chemicals in your smoke. Small pet bedding doesn't fuel the smoker for as long as pine straw but it's cheap and easy to get. Before you close the smoker lid grab a handful of green grass, weeds, or leaves, roll them into a loose ball, and insert loosely into the smoker spout from the inside. The green foliage will cool the smoke so you don't singe any little bee wings. If you have a self igniting torch it is a big time saver. You can pre-fuel an unlit smoker with packed fuel, make a hole for the torch tip with your hive tool, shove the torch tip to the bottom of the smoker and pull the trigger for five seconds. Ta-dah! Lit smoker.

Edit, I think I need to clarify. The hole I said to make is not a hole in the smoker. Its a hole in the packed fuel. If you shove a torch into packed fuel then the fuel gets packed into the torch nozzle and it won't light. Shove a hive tool into the fuel and wiggle it back and forth to get to the bottom, then pull it back out. Now you have a clear path in the pine needles so that you can insert the torch nozzle into the pine needles all the way to the bottom. If you have to relight then use the hive tool to make a new path through the fuel for the torch nozzle to reach the bottom.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

JConnolly said:


> Put an empty cardboard box in your trunk with a pair of gloves. Next time you drive past a bunch of pine trees along a country road pull over at a safe spot and fill up the box with dry pine needles and pine cones from the ground. Pine straw works better than anything else, and best part is it is free. Until the time you can collect a box of pine straw, a bag of hamster bedding from the pet store works well, make sure it is unscented and untreated wood shavings, you don't want those chemicals in your smoke. Small pet bedding doesn't fuel the smoker for as long as pine straw but it's cheap and easy to get. Before you close the smoker lid grab a handful of green grass, weeds, or leaves, roll them into a loose ball, and insert loosely into the smoker spout from the inside. The green foliage will cool the smoke so you don't singe any little bee wings. If you have a self igniting torch it is a big time saver. You can pre-fuel an unlit smoker with packed fuel, make a hole for the torch tip with your hive tool, shove the torch tip to the bottom of the smoker and pull the trigger for five seconds. Ta-dah! Lit smoker.


What a time saver this is. The idea about poking a hole to the bottom on the air inlet side and being able to relight a filled or partially filled smoker without having to dump out and start from scratch each time. It is essential that the fire start at the bottom next to the air jet and this is the way to do it.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

crofter said:


> What a time saver this is. The idea about poking a hole to the bottom on the air inlet side and being able to relight a filled or partially filled smoker without having to dump out and start from scratch each time. It is essential that the fire start at the bottom next to the air jet and this is the way to do it.


Keep in mind that hole when a hot ash will fall out and start a fire.
One day.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

GregV said:


> Keep in mind that hole when a hot ash will fall out and start a fire.
> One day.


I think you must have me confused with someone who said to make a hole at the bottom of the smoker to light the charge. JConnolly I am sure was talking about prying a hole in the fuel all the way to the bottom on the bellows side that will allow the flame of the propane burner to blow down and light the fuel right by the air inlet. At least that is what I do. Then tamp that hole full from the top and pack everything down while pumping the bellows. Pack that temporary chimney full and add some more. Pine needles are pretty clumpy and no tendency to spark out.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Use what is free and readily available that you like. I have tried most of the fuels mentioned and dried grass clippings is my vote hands down. If I had to pay for it, I would. Lights easily,burns long and very cool,white smoke J


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

crofter said:


> I think you must have me confused with someone who said to make a hole at the bottom of the smoker to light the charge....


Yes. My bad.
There was something up there about a hole in the smoker bottom.
On a bad day something hot will fall out of that hole.


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

GregV said:


> There was something up there about a hole in the smoker bottom.
> On a bad day something hot will fall out of that hole.


I think you guys misunderstood. You do not need to modify the smoker or make any holes in it. Make a hole down through the packed fuel inside the smoker. If you shove the torch into the packed fuel then pine needles will pack into the torch tip and it wont self ignite and you won't be able to shove the torch nozzle all the way through from the top to the bottom of the fuel stack. So first shove the hive tool down into the top of the open smoker to make a channel or chimney in the packed fuel to the bottom, then stick the torch tip through until it is at the bottom inside the smoker. With the torch tip almost touching the bottom when you pull the trigger and the torch lights, the flame will spread horizontally across the bottom of the smoker, lighting the bottom layer of fuel from the core to the perimeter. You'll know when that happens because smoke will come up out of the entire cross section of the smoker, not just from a few places. Pull the torch back out, give the bellows a few puffs and stir the top of fuel a bit with your hive tool to close the hole you made for the torch.


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## AbqBee (May 29, 2020)

I appreciate all the ideas in this thread as it seems to always be a challenge to keep my smoker going. One thing I'd like to share is my method for getting a smoker lit. What I do is grab a few cotton balls and roll them in some petroleum jelly. Then, I throw in some small wood chips and wood strips (leftover pine from projects in the garage.). To light my smoker, I use a lighter and point it at the cotton balls. It lights up quickly every time. The one thing I have to constantly keep in mind is to not overwhelm my smoker with fuel. There seems to be an optimal balance between fuel and oxygen that I try to maintain. I'm always looking for ways to up my smoker game. I find it to be challenging to keep it going for longer than about 20 mins. I'm going to start experimenting with pine needles because I've heard a lot of people having success using them.


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## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

AbqBee said:


> What I do is grab a few cotton balls and roll them in some petroleum jelly. Then, I throw in some small wood chips and wood strips (leftover pine from projects in the garage.). To light my smoker, I use a lighter and point it at the cotton balls.


I would not want to use any petroleum product as a fuel for a smoker. It would be like putting your car's exhaust pipe right in the hive.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

I agree that pine straw and pine cones work pretty darn well and lasts for as long as i need it to, and then some. I have used regular wheat straw and found it easy to light but it burns fast. Truth is that for normal hive inspections, I simply do not bother with the smoker and save it's use to the times I plan on being in the hives for an extended period of time. Honey harvesting, making multuple splits, or rearranging all the furniture, that sort of invasive procedure.


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## Tigger19687 (Dec 27, 2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5l1pwqJf54

I use what he does and it Does work very well ! Just use dried grass clippings, free and plentiful !

I tried the pellets but my bees were None too happy about it. Did the grass again the next time in and they were so much happier


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

Gbell1577 said:


> Does anyone have a suggestion on smoker fuel? I have the pellets but they don’t seem to work, had a very upset hive this afternoon and the smoke was very week.
> 
> Something that I can get easily, such as Walmart, tractor supply, or amazon?


try the box instead of what you order in it. 

I cut cardboard into 5 inch or so strips , roll it into a roll smaller than the opening of your smoker. hold in you hand, light with a lighter one end, roll back and forth in your hand, it until most of the end is burning, drop it in, lit end down. It burns well enough, and uses up boxes, Ohh, and it is free.

bonus tip, look for the double cardboard has 3 flat layers and 2 wavy ones , works better.

second bonus tip, when you release the roll it normally expands to the outer edges of the smoker, for my unit 5 X 14 is a good size.
put leaves or mowed grass or straw or wood shaving, or pine needles, or dry ferns, in the hole for a cooler long lasting aromatic smoke.

Or get a good cigar you enjoy and gently puff the exhaust at the bees. I mean it you want to spend money.....

Not sure I ever spent a dime on smoker fuel.

Dry
grass
leaves
ferns
old hay
pine needles
card board
wood shavings

all work, and have been tested.

GG


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## Nicksotherhoney (Jun 10, 2017)

I’ve used dried cow patties with great success. Easy to light and stays lit for a long time and is free.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Wood pellets, though difficult to light, Give you hours of smoke. Ridiculously cheap as well, a 40 lb bag can often be bought for around $5.


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## Plannerwgp (May 18, 2019)

Be careful od some wood products as they contain harmful chemicals for you and the bees. Same applies to burlap.


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## LAlldredge (Aug 16, 2018)

You may have an inferior smoker if you’re having to do all that. Dadant tall smoker is the best. A smoker is a core item that must be high quality. It can also save your bacon.


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## Hogback Honey (Oct 29, 2013)

Do you have access to dried leaves, dried road apples, punky wood, dried pine needles? And keep it handy at the hives in a bucket, so you can feed your smoker as needed. All the above is what I use, works fine, but ya do need to keep an eye on the smoker when working the hives, and stuff more material into it periodically and pump it, to ensure it'll be working when you need it.

Yes, and like someone else said, cow pies, I've used those also.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

How about horse hockey pucks? I have an endless supply of them; no more cows though.


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## Clayton Huestis (Jan 6, 2013)

Pine needles. I find a couple big pine trees every spring, after mud season. Rake up 2-3 trash bags full of needles. Pinecones are allowed. Toss them in the wood shed to stay dry. Bring a Walmart bag or 2 as needed. Or the big bag goes with me for working long periods. It all goes back to the wood shed when done. Smoker fuel should be free IMO. Hard enough to make a nickel honey farming wasting $$$.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

crofter said:


> How about horse hockey pucks? I have an endless supply of them; no more cows though.


Hogback Honey already mentioned dried road apples, so it appears you are blessed with an endless supply of smoker fuel.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Just for the heck of it I will have to put some up to dry. The pine tree is just about 50 paces from the gate to the bee yard so _the road apples_ will really have to have something going for them to get the nod. Hogback Honey wouldnt s--t a fellow, would he?


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## Rlahaise (May 19, 2016)

crofter said:


> Just for the heck of it I will have to put some up to dry. The pine tree is just about 50 paces from the gate to the bee yard so _the road apples_ will really have to have something going for them to get the nod. Hogback Honey wouldnt s--t a fellow, would he?


Road apples work and are easier to light than my goto hay cubes but I find they go out if you forget to pump the bellows occasionally and they don’t last as long.


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## KellyW (May 16, 2020)

I buy 100% cotton rope to make toys for my dogs. After a few days play and chewing the toys look like mops. I cut the shredded rope into pieces that I've been using in the smoker. Lights easily with just a little paper and burns a long time. I'm still new at this and am still experimenting but I do like the rope. I just have one colony and obviously this wouldn't work for large yards.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Oh no! Another smoker fuel thread!


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

snl said:


> Oh no! Another smoker fuel thread!


Yeah - so it would appear to be something which people keep having trouble with. Which I can't understand either ...

I use a cheap s/s smoker (ex China) - works perfectly ok. The bellows could do with replacing at some point (it's had a fair mileage), but for now it works as intended.
No need for fancy methods of lighting, no need to buy a particular brand, no need for special fuel. For most of the time, no need to use the smoker at all. LOL.

I find some obsessions in beekeeping are just plain weird - take hive tools. How many different el wizzo designs are currently on the market ? I've never used one - I much prefer my old screwdriver and a pallet knife. Wouldn't use a commercial hive-tool, even as a free gift. 
LJ


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

...I've never used one - I much prefer my old screwdriver and a pallet knife....

Screwdriver and a paint scraper.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Some people just like to make a career out of being perverse!

I like the J hook feature as my finger pinch is compromised on my right hand. I narrow the hook down considerably.


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## Tigger19687 (Dec 27, 2014)

I use, china, smoker I bought a few years ago for $5. 
a small paint scrapper about 2 inch wide and this hooked car thingy because I had both just sitting around
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D2IHPHW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## little_john (Aug 4, 2014)

Another one for the paint scraper then ...

To be honest my 'pallet knife' is really a 2" paint scraper, but I thought 'pallet knife' sounded a little more up-market ... 

The thing is - they are *THE* perfect tool for cracking-open propolis seals without damaging the woodenware. Highly recommended.
LJ


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## elmer_fud (Apr 21, 2018)

GregV said:


> There was something up there about a hole in the smoker bottom.


That is me. I have never had good luck with animal bedding (pine shavings), coffee bags, or much else. I live at about 5000 ft elevation, and wonder if having about 20% less oxygen available makes it worse. I know I see a significant difference in the ability to cook stuff at 10K feet with charcoal because there is another 20% less oxygen at 10K vs 5K. I also know some appliances (water heaters, ect) are high altitude rated because the manufacture has to adjust them for less oxygen at higher altitudes. 

I got annoyed one day, did some searching, and decided that since heat rises, starting a fire at the bottom (the same way as a campfire or charcoal chimney) would work better. I drilled a hole on the bottom of my smoker that I can put a torch thru, then put a spinning door over the hole. Like a lot of other stuff differn't people find differnt things that work for them, and this seems to work for me. 










Source for oxygen at altitude: https://www.wildsafe.org/resources/...itude-safety-101/high-altitude-oxygen-levels/


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## IslandLife (Apr 14, 2015)

Wine corks ...


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## Danky (Nov 20, 2015)

I save my Christmas door wreath every year, usually a combination of various everygreens, holly, sometimes birch bark, pine cones, whatever the local garden club uses to create the natural wreath. I light a bit of paper bag in the bottom of the smoker and then throw on some of these dried greens. Works great.


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## B-NewBBB (Apr 9, 2014)

Gbell1577 said:


> Does anyone have a suggestion on smoker fuel? I have the pellets but they don’t seem to work, had a very upset hive this afternoon and the smoke was very week.
> 
> Something that I can get easily, such as Walmart, tractor supply, or amazon?


We have a lot of White Pine that sheds needles like crazy each year. I gather up the needles and store in dedicated garbage cans.
To start, I have saved the thin paper separators that come with wax foundation but newspaper is good as well. I also save burr comb and other wax scrapings and some propolis. Take some of the wax/prop and lightly press into golf ball size, not too tight. Place this starter ball into a couple of the paper sheets, add some pine needles and wood pellets. Roll up leaving some paper loose enough to light. I use one of those piezo lighters from the dollar tree. They can be refilled with butane repeatedly. Once the paper starts burning I pump the smoker and add more pine needles and pellets. This has worked well after a few practices of getting the mixtures right. I find I get better at getting a good smoker event as time goes on, like most stuff you have to learn. Basically free save the lighter/butane. Or you could hire a butler to do it for you!

Good luck.


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## Oneshoo (Feb 14, 2019)

datsdajoke said:


> Do yourself a favor and get a propane torch with auto ignite no matter what fuel you are using. I use almost exclusively pine straw (long pine needles). Use the leftovers from last burn as a starter and pack fresh needles over top. Key is to pack them down tight so it burns long. I can light a smoker in 2 minutes and it should last three hours.



Exactly!!! 👍👍👍


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## paulmon (Jan 31, 2018)

I second the hay. I wad up a couple of fist fulls and stuff it in. I have a propane torch and light it. I have some pellets but I must be using them wrong because they do next to nothing for me.


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## Schuman (Apr 20, 2018)

I use newspaper in the bottom then pack with pine needlea from under my trees like many othera here i see.. its free and works well.


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## roberto487 (Sep 22, 2012)

Gbell1577 said:


> Does anyone have a suggestion on smoker fuel? I have the pellets but they don’t seem to work, had a very upset hive this afternoon and the smoke was very week.
> 
> Something that I can get easily, such as Walmart, tractor supply, or amazon?


I sometimes throw pieces of comb, which gives a nice dense white smoke. It my clog if use extensively, but it can be cleaned off.


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## Filboid (Oct 13, 2015)

I use pine needles. The ones that are on the road and have been run over a few times are ideal. Just carry a bag around in your car on on your bike and collect some when you find them. I also mix in dried petals from my wisteria vine and/or my Cecil Brunner rose. If it's going to be a long session, I put a piece of burlap on top.


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## SMARtBees (Mar 7, 2018)

A wad of hay or dry grass, light it, add cedar landscaping chips slowly. Ready to go in 3 minutes tops, lasts for 2-3 hours assuming you aren't over-smoking your bees.


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## txbeek (May 21, 2013)

Gbell1577 said:


> Does anyone have a suggestion on smoker fuel? I have the pellets but they don’t seem to work, had a very upset hive this afternoon and the smoke was very week.
> 
> Something that I can get easily, such as Walmart, tractor supply, or amazon?


Dried cow and horse manure. Ask any rancher and they will let you load all you want from their pastures. Pine needles or paper gets them going will and they burn to fine ash. Dump any remnants in tour yard or flower bed.


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## Ode1891 (Aug 16, 2009)

Old t shirt material cut into small strips with pine straw and saw dust and paper from the shredder. I always pack the top , after it’s burning, with dry grass clippings so it’s cooled down and no embers come out.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

I see a lot of votes for the pine needles if they are available; Not many who try them are likely to say anything else is better. Seriously, I did do an experiment with the horse manure. Weathered ones that the outer shellac has been rain washed away. No identifying smell and they burn well. Still using pine needles for starting.

That self lighting propane torch is standard equipment for me. You dont have to empty the smoker every time you relight or refill it. Also does such a fine job for taking the wax and propolis out of frame rest ledges in hive bodies.


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## rkereid (Dec 20, 2009)

White Pine straw.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

I live under a pine tree. Still use a bag of mixed shaper shavings and paper shedder waste. Vary the volume of mixture to length of burn desired easily, and it stays lit. No puffing required.
Pine needles need to be stuffed pretty full to stay lit.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Saltybee said:


> I live under a pine tree. Still use a bag of mixed shaper shavings and paper shedder waste. Vary the volume of mixture to length of burn desired easily, and it stays lit. No puffing required.
> Pine needles need to be stuffed pretty full to stay lit.


I thought staying lit was a plus!  I have a plug that I stick in the snout when I want it to go out. Yep the pine needles need to be packed. I almost always fill right up anyways.


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## memguy (Apr 17, 2016)

Gbell1577 said:


> Does anyone have a suggestion on smoker fuel? I have the pellets but they don’t seem to work, had a very upset hive this afternoon and the smoke was very week.
> 
> Something that I can get easily, such as Walmart, tractor supply, or amazon?


Pine Needles....bundle at Home Depot about $3. or just find a bunch of pine trees....take a rake and a bag....free


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## rkereid (Dec 20, 2009)

crofter said:


> I thought staying lit was a plus!  I have a plug that I stick in the snout when I want it to go out. Yep the pine needles need to be packed. I almost always fill right up anyways.


If done right, it stays lit for hours. Once you get used to how it burns, you adapt. If it was that big of a hassle I wouldn't use it. That said, fairly dry, mown grass or hay works too.


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## Pchristu (Aug 10, 2016)

GregV said:


> Corrugated cardboard.
> Free unlimited supply.
> All those boxes from Amazon, etc.
> Roll a piece, lit it, plug into the smoker.


And if you save up a few cardboard rolls from TP or paper towels, cut into 1” rings, you can slide one around a tightly rolled 2-3” strip of cardboard. Makes a tidy little bundle that burns nicely. I make up 30 or so of these periodically; keep one in my pocket and a couple in a hive equiptment bucket, so if my pine straw load is burning out I can get another 20 minutes of smoke without returning to reload straw. Also, for a quick check on one hive, a single roll is plenty.


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## Titus142 (Apr 15, 2020)

Anyone use burlap? I have just started using it and it seems to work really well. It smolders for a while so you have to give it some pumps to get it smoking again, but seems to stay lit for a long time. Also when I am done i plug the smoker with a cork. I can then re-use all the unburnt burlap, so you get a lot of mileage out of it.


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## poletop7 (Dec 23, 2014)

Haven't seen anyone mention cedar bark off cedar posts. It lights easily with a common long nosed fire starter, gives off a good smoke, has a decent aroma, and leaves little ash. Can be found on the ground around the cedar post pile at most any farm and ranch store selling cedar posts. It and pine needles are my two favorite fuels followed by anything else that is free. Really don't like the smell of cotton seeds left after cotton has been ginned - good smoke, but really pungent and gnarly.


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

crofter said:


> I have a plug that I stick in the snout when I want it to go out.


Same here. I whittled a stick to fit into the spout about 1-1/2 inches. I left plenty on the other end so it was easy to grab to pull out. It shuts down the smoke in just a couple of minutes and saves fuel. For just inspections I can get a couple of uses out of the smoker before refueling.


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## poletop7 (Dec 23, 2014)

Previously used plumbers putty over the intake hole along with the snout plug to shut down the burn quickly until it dried out and fell apart. Then I decided I didn't really need to stop the burn that fast.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

jim lyon said:


> Wood pellets, though difficult to light, Give you hours of smoke. Ridiculously cheap as well, a 40 lb bag can often be bought for around $5.


I run a pellet stove in the Winter, so I usually have pellets around and that's what I use. It's a lot more convenient to use them, instead of gathering up the pine straw or hay.

Lighting is easy with the alcohol gel stove starter- put in a handful of pellets, dropping them against the wall opposite the bellows, squirt in a bit of gel then drop in a match. Then I go do something else like gather up tools and equipment, get the tractor going and hook up the trailer, then put my jacket on. By the time I get done with that the pellets are well on their way. Dump in a little more, depending on how long I need it to burn and it's good. I've sometimes put way more than I needed in and had the thing still going the next day.

Word of caution- pellets can burn REALLY hot if you get them going too good. I set the smoker down on a pallet one day, and when I picked it back up again it had burned a hole clear through the pallet, the hole was as big around as the bottom of the smoker, the bellows kept it from falling through. Good thing too (and a good thing I hadn't set it down on the grass), if a brush fire gets started here it's big trouble. We have a volunteer FD that does a great job of saving foundations.

I've also burned out the bottom of a fuel basket, and warped the snot out of the bottom disk of a different smoker. Eventually I figured out that it was getting way too much air, I stuffed some steel wool into the air inlet to cut it back and now it's good.


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## TehachapiGal (Mar 5, 2015)

Dry tree needles. Get a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and collect them from the floor around the trees. Some suggestions. Always start with an emptied smoker. Put in a hand full of needles, not too packed. Get it going then add more needles and a handfull of green tree leaves or whatever else is green. This will cool down the smoke. Easy peasy.


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## coalsmok (Jan 27, 2017)

I use anything that is handy that will burn readily. 
I prefer hay and living on a farm makes it easy to come by. Usually have a couple wads on my truck that are slightly damp, they get put in on some that was dry and started first. Pack it tight and add a little green grass up in the top of the smoker to hold in sparks.


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## cfalls (Nov 26, 2017)

Pine kitty litter works. My wife got a 40 lb bag for our foster kittens and then didn't like it, so that'll last me a year easily. It's a little harder to light than paper or pine needles but burns cooler for longer, so I start with a little paper or cardboard then dump the litter on top. A slight disadvantage is that if you don't use your smoker for 10 or 15 minutes you'll need to give it 20 or 30 pumps before it's really usable, but the plus side of that is you don't get as much smoke in your face when the smoker's just sitting around.

I've been toying with the idea of getting an imker pfeife just for fun. Might even be a practical way to work nucs since you keep your hands free and don't need much smoke anyway.


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## MichiganMike (Mar 25, 2014)

ericweller said:


> Go to Walmart and get a bag of cedar chips for pet bedding and a blowtorch. Add a small handful of cedar chips in your smoker and use the blowtorch to get it burning. Once burning well, add a small handful of pellets to the smoker. It will probably put out the flames but use the bellows to get the pellets started. Add some more cedar chips and another handful of pellets. Keep pumping the bellows while adding the fuel until you have enough in the smoker to support your inspections and it is smoking heavily. On top of the fuel, I add a wad of cotton husks (Mann Lake) to keep sparks from getting blown out of the smoker.
> This works well for me.


I use a similar process, i start the smoker with a small wad of paper followed by a few hand fulls of kennel bedding (purchased at tractor supply) pumping the bellows to get a fire going then add wood pellets again from tractor supply then top with a wad of long grass as a filter.


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## n8app155 (Jun 3, 2020)

WE have a planer and we use the sawdust in the smokers.


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## Jim Braun (Nov 8, 2019)

A few years ago I saw a Butane torch at HD. It's much smaller than a propane torch and refillable. I now use pine needles but I used burlap or old jeans before that. All of these work well but I have some neighbors that have pine trees in their yards. They are happy to have me rake and bag them in exchange for the pine straw.


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## n8app155 (Jun 3, 2020)

we use sawdust from our planer it works great for us.


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## SeaCucumber (Jun 5, 2014)

I use wood chips when making a garden. Call a tree company and have them dump the chips on your garden (for free).


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## HopCar (Aug 9, 2013)

For those of you using pine needles you don’t need to open your smoker to light it. Just pack it full before you head to your hives. When you’re ready to light the smoker use your propane torch to heat the smoker near the bottom. In seconds the steel smoker will be glowing red hot and ignight the fuel inside. I’ve been keeping a second smoker loaded and ready to go if I need more smoke.


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## RedAceBees (Jul 23, 2018)

I like the burlap sandwich idea. Burlap is available in bulk rolls at most garden supply stores (I also get mine free from a coffee roaster that uses my honey in their coffee shop). I cut the burlap into strips about 6" wide, and half the burlap sack long. Roll this into a loose doobie then light the fuzzy end on fire. Let it catch fire thoroughly before putting the roll into the smoker, fire side down. I pump the smoker until the flames are shooting up through the center of the burlap roll, then fold it over and put in your wood pellets. Not too many though. Packing your smoker too tight puts out the fire. Finally, I fold another burlap strip into a square and tuck it over the top of the pellets. This keeps flaming wood pellets from falling into your hive when you tip the smoker up to smoke the top of the hive. This setup will provide over an hour of smoke before you have to refresh the pellets. Pull the top plug and add more pellets. I use Doug Fir pinecones, since half my beeyards have piles of them just lying around. Incidentally, if you have just a few hives to check don't bother with the pellets. The burlap will do the job as long as you need smoke. I prefer not to use wood shavings or pine needles solo because they tend to burn too hot and here in the west having a flame shooter smoker is a terrible idea. Finally, to preserve your smoker fuel get a cork or a wad of grass to plug your smoker when you're done.


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