Been using the grass/weed clippings since I watched your video and I will never use anything else. Both times the smoke was cool and the fuel lasted even longer than I needed it to. Thanks for the informative videos!
We have a ton of lavendar and harvest all of our lavendar stalks in the early fall. I then dry them and that is what I use in my smoker. I started doing this when I watched a video of lavendar having the same calming effects on bees as it does humans. Works great and smells pretty good too.
Hi .., since I was 10 years old. I learn the wonderful life of bee keeping. just used eucalyptus leaves..is the best I ever used .and mesquite chips last super long. One dollar at the 99cent stores.good luck.bee keepers👍✌
Hi Kamon, I wanted to let you know that this demonstration has made my beekeeping experience much more enjoyable. The frustration of getting my smoker lit and keeping it going is gone! The hours I have in the day to work with my bees is very limited so anything I do that streamlines the process or saves me time is critical. Using what I have learned from you, I can light my smoker in about one minute and be working with my bees shortly after. This method is fast easy and doesn't cost a thing!
Sumac cones are my favorite smoker fuel. Cool, long lasting. Pine needles are great. I get wood chips from my lathe and put over the pine needles to make it last longer. I’ll never use cotton lint again. I used it for a couple of months a few years ago. Took a while to figure out it was the smoker fuel that was making the bees really stingy and irritable. We’ve all used grass clippings and hay. Works great, easy to light, just burns up too quickly. Great videos
I'm a combo beekeeper also. Start with paper or pine needles, add grass clippings, top with tobacco or wood pellets or rags. the ultimate smorgasbord for my smoker!
Thank you for putting this video out. I'm just starting out with beekeeping and don't have access to grass clippings but I do have pellets so this will be my best option. I'm enjoying your videos as I learn more about the exciting world of beekeeping.
Thank you for the great video. I used pine needles today and over stuffed after lighting and it worked like a champ. My bees were nice and calm from the cool smoke
Pine cones are good too. Free anyway..not the "best". I've been keeping bees since 1978 and have found that other beekeepers do everything better. Just ask any beekeeper. Humility is something the bees take away.
Thanks for showing how those store bought ones work....I usually rake up a good bit of pine straw and save it when I can't get any. And use what's on hand when I have choices. I try to bee prepared. Lol. I learn so much from your videos, thanks.
As someone who smokes meat with pellets alot the best way to light the is put about 2 or so inches in the bottom and use a heat gun to light the pellets... once lit dump more pellets on top and it lasts forever... but its an expensive fuel free is way better...
Thank you. I can now light my smoker like a pro. And it keeps going. That used to be my issue. Keeping it going. It'd always fail me when I most needed it.
Many thanks Kamon! Appreciate the content you've been putting out. Much love all the way from the Caribbean. I've learned a lot from watching your videos, Canadian Beekeeper, Don the fat bee man and barnyard bees!
Thanks Kamon, I have switched back to hay after watching your previous smoker video. It is much cooler and much easier than the wood chips and pine cones I was using. BTW, I think there might be 3 camps...Too hot, too cool, and just right!
Greetings from Australia. Thank you for this video. I tried this today and cannot believe I used to spend money on woodchips.... As a new beekeeper, lighting the smoker was the most painful thing for me. After following your advice, it took me all of 2 minutes..... The only bad point was that the grass I used smelled real bad... There are a few pine trees up the road so I'll gather some pine needles and try that next. Thanks again!
You make such entertaining and helpful videos. I have found that a combo of pine needles and dried mugwort will burn forever once you get it going. I never knew to overstuff the smoker! I'll be trying that
I did used wood pellets but went back to grass etc because the pellets gunk up your smoker...just too much smoke. Fun video that gave me the smile. Thank you.
I'm a big believer in the combo method. Start off with whatever burns quickly, add a couple of hands full of pellets and use it for all my hives (only about 20) and then set it outside my pole barn while it continues to smolder....which can be for hours and hours. I'm into year 4 of my bag of pellets and maybe have gotten halfway down at most. If it is running too hot, I just pull a few hands full of green grass and shove it in. I like it because it stays lit and needs a minimum of puffing to get the quantity of smoke needed....even if it has been sitting to the side for half an hour. While I know I'm not a big bee keeper or one of vast experience, I'm likely closer to your typical viewer and think the combo method is the easiest for me.
I got a Dadant smoker because of your recommendations and I love it. I am currently using hay in my smoker because that's what I have a bunch of at the moment. I have tried the bag of cotton before and I don't like it much either.
Great video Kamon. It was interesting to watch to see the side by side comparison. I have been using pine needles since I have three large pine trees on my property. I also have used pine shavings in a pinch purchased as pet bedding.
Grass clippings are free and a great smoker fuel for sure. It seems like the wood chips would burn just to hot. But I would imagine if you started with grass clippings like you did but woodchips on and then maybe some green grass on top of the woodchips to cool the smoke down it might work okay. Thanks for sharing.
And whatever fuel you use, don’t let the bottom of the smoker get too close to your mesh style bee suit as it will not react favorably to the heat. To quote Kamon, “Ask me how I know.”
I love using grass and topping it out with lavender cuttings from the end of the summer. I also use some dried orange peel occasionally and if I have pistachios, save the shells. I also save the punk from rotted wood and that burns nice and cool, too. I know people who use cardboard, which smells horrible and I have always found it makes my bees grumpy.
Well Kamon, one has to admire your persistence if nothing else. I use wood pellets as I have a pellet stove for winter heat. I started using them in my smoker. To get them lit I place a fan on the ground and after putting pellets in the smoker I lay it on its side in front of the fan and use a propane torch to light the pellets. Once lit and burning strong , close the lid and bilge it a few times. Pellets last for a very long time.
I just bought herbal hay for rodents when I started my beekeeping journey this year. Didn't cost much and it gets my smoker running a lot faster than whatever my coworkers use.
Hi. In our beekeeping we use beech tree fungi. When we harvest it we cut it in pieces and let dem dry on sun for a while. Doesnt making fire and making lot of smoke.
great video Kamon, I have hardly used my smoker cause i could never keep it going. But this is so easy, i am going to try again this spring. Maybe i need to buy a new one....mine is ancient
I think we would like to see Laurel do a video or two brother. She works awfully hard behind the camera and all we get to hear from her is a giggle every now and then. How many followers agree with me
Punky wood is a fan favorite for me. I have a 4' 2 foot diameter rotten maple log I pull it off. Grass on top to cool it as it does get hot after a while
You are correct! The more dense the material the harder it is to light and keep lit - this is why kindling is used for building a fire. My cigars burn well so medium-packed grass, pine needles, and tobacco make sense.
Before I watched this video, I saw a video by the company that sells that cotton stuff as well as the wood pellets. What they do is, start a small amount of the cotton, put it in the bottom of the smoker with the flame on the bottom, then put the pellets in. Seems to work well.
For quick smoke and pleanty of it I use hay or grass cuttings but I I want it to last I start with this then put wood chips on top that are produced when they mulch up brush wood when removing trees. It lasts ages and is free in large amounts. I keep it in a paper sack in my container so it just gets dried out even more.
Thank you. I use my quilt scraps..generally 1/4 to 1/2 inch trimmins mixed w dry grass. But showing the FIRST part of lighting the paper grass then "stuffing" with whatever fuel will help I'm sure.
Sparks hitting the behind will ruin pretty much anyone's disposition... Good video, newbie here, just ordered a Dadent top of the line on advice of an experienced keeper. Was wondering if I should order fuel, you just saved me a few bucks and some aggravation - Thanks! Great video!
Thanks for this -- it was helpful. I've been using wood pellets and it takes for.ever for them to light. I might try starting with grass clippings first and then adding the pellets. Thanks!
I usually use egg cartons. Works pretty well. Never tried grass clippings, they usually go on the compost heap, might start using them for fuel though. :)
Down side of pellets is that they fall out of the top when turned downwards. Fix is to put clippings on bottom, then pellets then more clippings on top
I like to use alfalfa pellets. I like them better than wood pellets. They make a cool, good smelling smoke, it last forever, and the bees react well to it. I use a handful of wood chips to get it started. I have goats and sheep so have plenty of both on hand. the pellets also expand enough not to fall out the smoker if tipped over.
I use a propane torch to light. I learned from Joe May (Skinny Bee Man - Little Bits O' Honey) that you can start by heating the outside of the smoker. You make a spot on the side of the smoker cherry red, pump the bellows and it fires right up. Also great way to restart smoker.
My free fuel sources are Bald Cyprus leaves -or- strips of Texas Cedar tree bark. My bee suit has many stitched up spots all over it from me burning a hole with my smoker during bee removals. When inside a room removing bees, fuel choice is important to your minimal comfort and your lungs.
I use Map gas and heat the side of the smoker from the outside. BetterBee sells a cloth scrap fuel that works good or better than pine cones. I only have short needle evergreens in my yard.
About the bottom grate. I do it and you do it and we all do it so I'll share a story. (Setting smokers on a bee hive lid) One day a few springs back I was going thru the yard and I turned around and noticed a hive bearding up big time. So I looked a little closer. The hive was on fire..the outer cover had caught fire in a nice circle the exact size of a smoker. The tops of frames were burnt. If I'd driven off I'm sure that hive would have maybe burned until it was gone. Point of the story: use that grate and extend it upwards with bolts. Always set your smoker on a brick.
When I first began keeping 10 years ago old timers were saying old tobacco leaves were great for killing, or deterring mites. Plenty here in NC. I know it works to get the bees to calm down.!
Thank Kamon this video is really good, I have shared this with few of the beginners I am mentoring and teaching. I would also like to say that a good smoker (Dadant) does make a difference, when I started beekeeping I bought a cheap ebay smoker and it never did work for me until I got a Dadant smoker. I would always recommend this brand.
I get organic food grade burlap bags from a coffee roaster for free. Have to cut them into strips or squares with scissors, but works well, especially for free.
The pellets are great, but like you say they need a good starter. The easiest are the coco insulation plates soaked in pottasiumnitrate. Just take a 1/2" x 1 " piece. light it, and throw it in, straight likes the pellets. On top of the pellets add some green gras, it prevents any sparks from coming through and cools the smoke. The great thing about the pellets is, that you light it once and it just keeps going for hours.
II have been using old egg boxes - the cardboard ones - as well as the shredded cardboard you often get as protective padding with deliveries of e.g. bee equipment and both work really well, lights easily and last fairly long, and of course cost nothing if you eat enough eggs and have enough deliveries to keep you covered (discard anything with tape or glossy print on it). As a back-up I also have pellets and some old fashioned baler twine, that I need to pay for but hardly ever have to use. Grass clippings are of course good too but I live in the UK and every time I am ready to make batch it starts raining for days 😄
I usually use a coastal horse hay bale and add a handful of pine shavings on top. Lasts a while. I've used cardboard ripped into 3-4" wide and roll it tight to fit smoker and it also works. Pine needles are great but not local.
I have tried a few things in my smoker including rolled up cardboard. Wood pellets work best for me, you do need to use something else to get them going first, I use wood wool. I also put some fresh long grass into the top to cool the smoke and to stop the pellets from falling out. My smoker filled with wood pellets will burn for about 3 to 4 hours, and I like the fact that you just pick it up, squeeze the bellows and you get a good stream of smoke out. Where I keep my bees in the UK we don't have a lot of pine needles or long grass.
Can you use regular wood pellets that are used as fuel for heating systems or some kind of special pellets made as fuel for beekeeping smoker. My concern is possible presence of additives in wood pellets.
@@sefedinujkani7553 I live in the UK, so our pellets must meet EN Plus standard, which is wood only, with a low ash when burned, and low natural contamination. Additives are not allowed, and they must be less than 10% moisture.
@@trevor311264 Thank you for your reply. The pellets I use for heating also meet EN Plus standard. So, I will try using them in the smoker and see how it goes. Have a good season!
I use Sumac a lot. It's free also. Supposed to be good for mite control also I'm hearing. Not much smoking going on in Colorado with 6 inches of fresh snow falling last night. Argh! I was hoping to get going on my first attempt ever at rearing some queens this weekend.
Pine straw is what I use and it’s even better if it been mowed with a lawn mower a little or ran over on the driveway or a parking lot. I know were there are pine trees growing beside a parking lot at a city park so I go there a couple of times a year with a leaf rake and an industrial plastic bag and stock up.
I do wilderness skills training, and one of the best materials to use as tinder when you are making fire by rubbing sticks together is what I like to call "Road Kill Pine Needles" lol Every year I go to a section of road under pine trees, and collect some trash bags full of needles from the center line and white line. It's a perfect mix of one's that have been run over and turned into fiber, and undamaged ones, so you get easy light, and good sustain.
ke6gwf, ok so you know like I do where to find easy start pine needles. Road Kill is a good name for them! Nothing no better in the south for starting a fire!
Thank you so much. I was trying to use cotton product in the smoker and could not figure out what is wrong with my smoke. Now I see, it is not me, it is the cotton.
I use Aspen bedding from Petco mixed with wood fuel pellets. I don't used handfuls of pellets, a layer of aspen, a layer of pellets and pack it as I go along. Lasts for ever
Hi I used pine-needles and it tars my smoker up a lot so that the lid don't want to close anymore so I'm just using card board box now. Nice video I really enjoy your Channel . I'm from South Africa
I have been trying different things with wood pellets. I have found them to be excellent if properly dry, and don't take much to get alight. The fact that the ones on trial here were giving off steam and expanding from moisture would suggest they had been able to absorb moisture from somewhere when stored. If you have some then try drying them in the oven (put them in after it has been used for something else and is cooling down) and then using them.
Great info. I use grass clippings cause it's free and plentiful. I've used pellets before and they do last a long time if you are needing hours of use.
I’ve been using cotton lately. I apply the torch to the outside of the smoker and pump it a lot to get it going. It is a pain to get going but a packed smoker will go for hours - literally. My horse gets all the grass clippings and doesn’t leave any extra hay lying around ;-}
Yeah, hay works good. I also add pellets on top if I want a smoker running for a long time. One thing to emphasize is to get a bed of coals started and then pack in the hay or needles in tight. The tighter the longer it will last. You did that but I just thought stating it would help the novice. Punk wood works well too.
I use cedar chips, they work well and stay lit for an hour using a big smoker. I put a thin layer on the bottom, then take one chip and light it with the lighter and drop it into the smoker. Then I start to pump and put more chips into the smoker. Takes no time to get a full smoker with fuel and cold smoke and the chips are big enough to stay in the smoker. The chips I am getting are not free, but I can get a big bag from walmart for about $8. This will last me a while.
I use mostly mown grass and pine needles. My old smoker you could not get anything to stay lite. Using the same fuel in my new Dadant and it never goes out until it is gone. Question, if you use tobacco would the nicotine harm the bees?
Hey Karla! Glad your new smoker is making things better for you! I am not worried about it and have used it many, many, times when I can get access to it. Toxicity is all about concentrations. Many people don't know that our bodies need trace amounts of arsenic. Too much will kill you. Soapy water will kill honeybees..... so I guess it is a pesticide also. Basically what I am saying is that tobacco works great but many folks in this country suffer from a condition called the knee jerk reaction 😃 I am positive if we took all of these fuels here and analyzed them we could all find something to freak out about!
I use cedar shavings and all I need to get them started is a small piece of paper and a lighter like you did with your grass clippings. ... I've used pine needles before andi find them to be too hot... but all you have todo is to ball up some green grass and that cools the smoke off... you'll learn that from us old beekeepers... you're welcome.
When I worked for bigger operations, they used cut up left over pieces of the pine the they made there boxes from. Its a pain to get lite in the morning, but once there goin they stay lite the whole morning going from yard to yard loading up pallets of bees
Been using the grass/weed clippings since I watched your video and I will never use anything else. Both times the smoke was cool and the fuel lasted even longer than I needed it to. Thanks for the informative videos!
Glad it has helped!
@@kamonreynolds
To my regret I can only pound on the like and subscribe buttons just once.
You are an excellent resource.
Many thanks.
We have a ton of lavendar and harvest all of our lavendar stalks in the early fall. I then dry them and that is what I use in my smoker. I started doing this when I watched a video of lavendar having the same calming effects on bees as it does humans. Works great and smells pretty good too.
Nice Instruction and evaluation. Thank you. Where to buy smokers?
Well hell, I was just about to buy fuel, but I have a ton of lavender in my back yard. Thanks man!
Damn real tip right there
@@skymagruder5270 happy to share this. Happy beekeeping!
I had a theory about Lavender having such an effect. Thank you for confirming.
Hi .., since I was 10 years old. I learn the wonderful life of bee keeping. just used eucalyptus leaves..is the best I ever used .and mesquite chips last super long. One dollar at the 99cent stores.good luck.bee keepers👍✌
Lol, I just love Laurel's giggles behind the camera! 😂
Great video. Very informative
I like the fact you say quality made in USA. Thank you. I use stag horn summac.
Thank you for this and all of your videos. I was having a hell of a time lighting and keeping my smoker going. You're Awesome!!
Hi Kamon, I wanted to let you know that this demonstration has made my beekeeping experience much more enjoyable. The frustration of getting my smoker lit and keeping it going is gone! The hours I have in the day to work with my bees is very limited so anything I do that streamlines the process or saves me time is critical. Using what I have learned from you, I can light my smoker in about one minute and be working with my bees shortly after. This method is fast easy and doesn't cost a thing!
Thanks for the comment Andrew!
Sumac cones are my favorite smoker fuel. Cool, long lasting. Pine needles are great. I get wood chips from my lathe and put over the pine needles to make it last longer. I’ll never use cotton lint again. I used it for a couple of months a few years ago. Took a while to figure out it was the smoker fuel that was making the bees really stingy and irritable. We’ve all used grass clippings and hay. Works great, easy to light, just burns up too quickly. Great videos
I'm a combo beekeeper also. Start with paper or pine needles, add grass clippings, top with tobacco or wood pellets or rags. the ultimate smorgasbord for my smoker!
thanks again for taking the time to make these videos. they are very helpful to us newbees. 🐝 🐝 🐝
Thank you for this demonstration, it has made mind up on material to burn.
How a bout gum tree sticks
Thank you for putting this video out. I'm just starting out with beekeeping and don't have access to grass clippings but I do have pellets so this will be my best option. I'm enjoying your videos as I learn more about the exciting world of beekeeping.
I have recently found a source of cedar shavings from a guy that does tongue and groove. They burn great!
Thank you for the great video. I used pine needles today and over stuffed after lighting and it worked like a champ. My bees were nice and calm from the cool smoke
Thanks for the feedback Brian!
blue jeans scraps from old pants work great. Gives off a cool smoke
Hi I am a viewer from Sweden. I use peat for my smoker. But thanks for the tip it worked better than I thought
I never really put much thought into a smoker. Seeing you jam the grass in there had me. I was very surprised! I do use pine needles
Thank you Mr. K
Pine cones are good too.
Free anyway..not the "best".
I've been keeping bees since 1978 and have found that other beekeepers do everything better. Just ask any beekeeper.
Humility is something the bees take away.
Thanks for showing how those store bought ones work....I usually rake up a good bit of pine straw and save it when I can't get any. And use what's on hand when I have choices. I try to bee prepared. Lol. I learn so much from your videos, thanks.
As someone who smokes meat with pellets alot the best way to light the is put about 2 or so inches in the bottom and use a heat gun to light the pellets... once lit dump more pellets on top and it lasts forever... but its an expensive fuel free is way better...
Thank you. I can now light my smoker like a pro. And it keeps going. That used to be my issue. Keeping it going. It'd always fail me when I most needed it.
Many thanks Kamon! Appreciate the content you've been putting out. Much love all the way from the Caribbean. I've learned a lot from watching your videos, Canadian Beekeeper, Don the fat bee man and barnyard bees!
Thanks Chad!
Great video! Thank you! Simple stuff like this is really helpful for new beekeepers like myself.
Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks Kamon, I have switched back to hay after watching your previous smoker video. It is much cooler and much easier than the wood chips and pine cones I was using. BTW, I think there might be 3 camps...Too hot, too cool, and just right!
Kinda like the 3 little bears!
Greetings from Australia. Thank you for this video. I tried this today and cannot believe I used to spend money on woodchips.... As a new beekeeper, lighting the smoker was the most painful thing for me. After following your advice, it took me all of 2 minutes..... The only bad point was that the grass I used smelled real bad... There are a few pine trees up the road so I'll gather some pine needles and try that next. Thanks again!
Whats up from Northern California Kamon! came across your channel and we like your content man! Good stuff.
Awesome! Thank you!
You make such entertaining and helpful videos. I have found that a combo of pine needles and dried mugwort will burn forever once you get it going. I never knew to overstuff the smoker! I'll be trying that
I did used wood pellets but went back to grass etc because the pellets gunk up your smoker...just too much smoke. Fun video that gave me the smile. Thank you.
When using pellets did they ever fall out of the funnel? It seems like it would fall out if not upright
@@allisdad08 never happened to me. You can put some grass on top if you worry.
@@fuzzy927 good deal. Thank you.
I hate messing with the smoker. Hopefully this will help. Thanks Kamon!
And those bees just love sparks. LOL.
I'm a big believer in the combo method. Start off with whatever burns quickly, add a couple of hands full of pellets and use it for all my hives (only about 20) and then set it outside my pole barn while it continues to smolder....which can be for hours and hours. I'm into year 4 of my bag of pellets and maybe have gotten halfway down at most. If it is running too hot, I just pull a few hands full of green grass and shove it in. I like it because it stays lit and needs a minimum of puffing to get the quantity of smoke needed....even if it has been sitting to the side for half an hour. While I know I'm not a big bee keeper or one of vast experience, I'm likely closer to your typical viewer and think the combo method is the easiest for me.
I found that the pine pellets last longer and you can get a 50lb bag at tractor supply for $6. I use paper bags to get it started.
I got a Dadant smoker because of your recommendations and I love it. I am currently using hay in my smoker because that's what I have a bunch of at the moment. I have tried the bag of cotton before and I don't like it much either.
Yeah the cotton was a pain in the rear end and that bag was only going to fill my smoker up twice!!!
Great video Kamon. It was interesting to watch to see the side by side comparison. I have been using pine needles since I have three large pine trees on my property. I also have used pine shavings in a pinch purchased as pet bedding.
Grass clippings are free and a great smoker fuel for sure. It seems like the wood chips would burn just to hot. But I would imagine if you started with grass clippings like you did but woodchips on and then maybe some green grass on top of the woodchips to cool the smoke down it might work okay. Thanks for sharing.
And whatever fuel you use, don’t let the bottom of the smoker get too close to your mesh style bee suit as it will not react favorably to the heat. To quote Kamon, “Ask me how I know.”
Ugh I did that to Laurels suit once :(
I burnt my suit but was able to sow it together
When I saw beginning
I love using grass and topping it out with lavender cuttings from the end of the summer.
I also use some dried orange peel occasionally and if I have pistachios, save the shells. I also save the punk from rotted wood and that burns nice and cool, too.
I know people who use cardboard, which smells horrible and I have always found it makes my bees grumpy.
Great video!!! I agree and learned from you early on to use the dry hay. I would suggest showing a digital thermometer to show the difference in heat.
Well Kamon, one has to admire your persistence if nothing else. I use wood pellets as I have a pellet stove for winter heat. I started using them in my smoker. To get them lit I place a fan on the ground and after putting pellets in the smoker I lay it on its side in front of the fan and use a propane torch to light the pellets. Once lit and burning strong , close the lid and bilge it a few times. Pellets last for a very long time.
I just bought herbal hay for rodents when I started my beekeeping journey this year. Didn't cost much and it gets my smoker running a lot faster than whatever my coworkers use.
Hi. In our beekeeping we use beech tree fungi. When we harvest it we cut it in pieces and let dem dry on sun for a while. Doesnt making fire and making lot of smoke.
great video Kamon, I have hardly used my smoker cause i could never keep it going. But this is so easy, i am going to try again this spring. Maybe i need to buy a new one....mine is ancient
I'm actually trying to make a smoker to troubleshoot the EVAP system on my truck so I finally came here. ;)
Another good video. practical reminder...thanks
I think we would like to see Laurel do a video or two brother. She works awfully hard behind the camera and all we get to hear from her is a giggle every now and then. How many followers agree with me
Punky wood is a fan favorite for me. I have a 4' 2 foot diameter rotten maple log I pull it off. Grass on top to cool it as it does get hot after a while
You are correct! The more dense the material the harder it is to light and keep lit - this is why kindling is used for building a fire. My cigars burn well so medium-packed grass, pine needles, and tobacco make sense.
Before I watched this video, I saw a video by the company that sells that cotton stuff as well as the wood pellets. What they do is, start a small amount of the cotton, put it in the bottom of the smoker with the flame on the bottom, then put the pellets in. Seems to work well.
Thank you. Grass and pine needles easy and free if you have a yard the bees are in.
"Unless you wanna brand yourself" ... lol.. thanks Kamon.. my coffee is now all over my keyboard!!!
For quick smoke and pleanty of it I use hay or grass cuttings but I I want it to last I start with this then put wood chips on top that are produced when they mulch up brush wood when removing trees. It lasts ages and is free in large amounts.
I keep it in a paper sack in my container so it just gets dried out even more.
Thank you. I use my quilt scraps..generally 1/4 to 1/2 inch trimmins mixed w dry grass. But showing the FIRST part of lighting the paper grass then "stuffing" with whatever fuel will help I'm sure.
I tried putting a couple big handfuls of wood pellets in on top of a big wad of hay and it seemed to work really well.
The cotton stuff I've learned to light it with a torch before I put it in the smoker, but a small handful lasts for what I need.
Sparks hitting the behind will ruin pretty much anyone's disposition...
Good video, newbie here, just ordered a Dadent top of the line on advice of an experienced keeper. Was wondering if I should order fuel, you just saved me a few bucks and some aggravation - Thanks! Great video!
Enjoy your dadant they are top notch!
Thanks for this -- it was helpful. I've been using wood pellets and it takes for.ever for them to light. I might try starting with grass clippings first and then adding the pellets. Thanks!
I usually use egg cartons. Works pretty well. Never tried grass clippings, they usually go on the compost heap, might start using them for fuel though. :)
Down side of pellets is that they fall out of the top when turned downwards. Fix is to put clippings on bottom, then pellets then more clippings on top
Thank you for the great review. Think I will stick with hay and grass clippings.
I like to use alfalfa pellets. I like them better than wood pellets. They make a cool, good smelling smoke, it last forever, and the bees react well to it. I use a handful of wood chips to get it started. I have goats and sheep so have plenty of both on hand. the pellets also expand enough not to fall out the smoker if tipped over.
I use a propane torch to light. I learned from Joe May (Skinny Bee Man - Little Bits O' Honey) that you can start by heating the outside of the smoker. You make a spot on the side of the smoker cherry red, pump the bellows and it fires right up. Also great way to restart smoker.
My free fuel sources are Bald Cyprus leaves -or- strips of Texas Cedar tree bark.
My bee suit has many stitched up spots all over it from me burning a hole with my smoker during bee removals. When inside a room removing bees, fuel choice is important to your minimal comfort and your lungs.
I use Map gas and heat the side of the smoker from the outside. BetterBee sells a cloth scrap fuel that works good or better than pine cones. I only have short needle evergreens in my yard.
About the bottom grate.
I do it and you do it and we all do it so I'll share a story. (Setting smokers on a bee hive lid)
One day a few springs back I was going thru the yard and I turned around and noticed a hive bearding up big time. So I looked a little closer. The hive was on fire..the outer cover had caught fire in a nice circle the exact size of a smoker. The tops of frames were burnt. If I'd driven off I'm sure that hive would have maybe burned until it was gone.
Point of the story: use that grate and extend it upwards with bolts.
Always set your smoker on a brick.
When I first began keeping 10 years ago old timers were saying old tobacco leaves were great for killing, or deterring mites. Plenty here in NC. I know it works to get the bees to calm down.!
OBAMFSpike buy cheep cigars and break them up, and add some of it to your smoker fuel.
Black walnut works good too.!
I just tried wood pellet today, I could not get it lit, this was an awesome vid, im going to collect pine needles tomorrow, thanks for the info
Thank Kamon this video is really good, I have shared this with few of the beginners I am mentoring and teaching.
I would also like to say that a good smoker (Dadant) does make a difference, when I started beekeeping I bought a cheap ebay smoker and it never did work for me until I got a Dadant smoker. I would always recommend this brand.
Thanks for the feedback and for sharing Paras Shah! A quality smoker can make beelife SO much better!
I recently started using cotton seed, it was free. Loblolly Pine Straw makes the best smoke.
I get organic food grade burlap bags from a coffee roaster for free. Have to cut them into strips or squares with scissors, but works well, especially for free.
Rob J I hear the same thing all the time. I buy my coffee by the lb though. 🤣
Keep pumping and stuffing! Got it.
The pellets are great, but like you say they need a good starter. The easiest are the coco insulation plates soaked in pottasiumnitrate. Just take a 1/2" x 1 " piece. light it, and throw it in, straight likes the pellets. On top of the pellets add some green gras, it prevents any sparks from coming through and cools the smoke. The great thing about the pellets is, that you light it once and it just keeps going for hours.
II have been using old egg boxes - the cardboard ones - as well as the shredded cardboard you often get as protective padding with deliveries of e.g. bee equipment and both work really well, lights easily and last fairly long, and of course cost nothing if you eat enough eggs and have enough deliveries to keep you covered (discard anything with tape or glossy print on it). As a back-up I also have pellets and some old fashioned baler twine, that I need to pay for but hardly ever have to use. Grass clippings are of course good too but I live in the UK and every time I am ready to make batch it starts raining for days 😄
I usually use a coastal horse hay bale and add a handful of pine shavings on top. Lasts a while. I've used cardboard ripped into 3-4" wide and roll it tight to fit smoker and it also works. Pine needles are great but not local.
Thank you
I have tried a few things in my smoker including rolled up cardboard. Wood pellets work best for me, you do need to use something else to get them going first, I use wood wool. I also put some fresh long grass into the top to cool the smoke and to stop the pellets from falling out. My smoker filled with wood pellets will burn for about 3 to 4 hours, and I like the fact that you just pick it up, squeeze the bellows and you get a good stream of smoke out. Where I keep my bees in the UK we don't have a lot of pine needles or long grass.
Can you use regular wood pellets that are used as fuel for heating systems or some kind of special pellets made as fuel for beekeeping smoker. My concern is possible presence of additives in wood pellets.
@@sefedinujkani7553 I live in the UK, so our pellets must meet EN Plus standard, which is wood only, with a low ash when burned, and low natural contamination. Additives are not allowed, and they must be less than 10% moisture.
@@trevor311264 Thank you for your reply. The pellets I use for heating also meet EN Plus standard. So, I will try using them in the smoker and see how it goes. Have a good season!
'American Made' haha I like it, thanks for another great video Kamon.
Thanks for the feedback Jacob!
I use Sumac a lot. It's free also. Supposed to be good for mite control also I'm hearing. Not much smoking going on in Colorado with 6 inches of fresh snow falling last night. Argh! I was hoping to get going on my first attempt ever at rearing some queens this weekend.
Pine straw is what I use and it’s even better if it been mowed with a lawn mower a little or ran over on the driveway or a parking lot. I know were there are pine trees growing beside a parking lot at a city park so I go there a couple of times a year with a leaf rake and an industrial plastic bag and stock up.
I do wilderness skills training, and one of the best materials to use as tinder when you are making fire by rubbing sticks together is what I like to call "Road Kill Pine Needles" lol
Every year I go to a section of road under pine trees, and collect some trash bags full of needles from the center line and white line. It's a perfect mix of one's that have been run over and turned into fiber, and undamaged ones, so you get easy light, and good sustain.
ke6gwf, ok so you know like I do where to find easy start pine needles. Road Kill is a good name for them! Nothing no better in the south for starting a fire!
Thank you so much. I was trying to use cotton product in the smoker and could not figure out what is wrong with my smoke. Now I see, it is not me, it is the cotton.
I use Aspen bedding from Petco mixed with wood fuel pellets. I don't used handfuls of pellets, a layer of aspen, a layer of pellets and pack it as I go along. Lasts for ever
Good point. Thanks
Hi I used pine-needles and it tars my smoker up a lot so that the lid don't want to close anymore so I'm just using card board box now. Nice video I really enjoy your Channel . I'm from South Africa
I'll give that a bash
I have been trying different things with wood pellets. I have found them to be excellent if properly dry, and don't take much to get alight. The fact that the ones on trial here were giving off steam and expanding from moisture would suggest they had been able to absorb moisture from somewhere when stored. If you have some then try drying them in the oven (put them in after it has been used for something else and is cooling down) and then using them.
Grass or pine needles are best thanks the helping I would recommend that we always have a fire extinguishers handy. Enjoy your day
Dryer lint is great for starting your smoker under your other fuel
Great info. I use grass clippings cause it's free and plentiful. I've used pellets before and they do last a long time if you are needing hours of use.
Yes I love this video
I’ve been using cotton lately. I apply the torch to the outside of the smoker and pump it a lot to get it going. It is a pain to get going but a packed smoker will go for hours - literally. My horse gets all the grass clippings and doesn’t leave any extra hay lying around ;-}
Horses make the best smoker full. Old dray horse dropings. It wose my full for 20years, but now the horses and doncys are gone from the island.
Cotton is sprayed with a heavy duty defoliant to cause the leaves to fall off before harvest.
Yeah, hay works good. I also add pellets on top if I want a smoker running for a long time. One thing to emphasize is to get a bed of coals started and then pack in the hay or needles in tight. The tighter the longer it will last. You did that but I just thought stating it would help the novice. Punk wood works well too.
I use sawdust from my planer. Lights easy and stays lit for a long time.
I use cedar chips, they work well and stay lit for an hour using a big smoker. I put a thin layer on the bottom, then take one chip and light it with the lighter and drop it into the smoker. Then I start to pump and put more chips into the smoker. Takes no time to get a full smoker with fuel and cold smoke and the chips are big enough to stay in the smoker.
The chips I am getting are not free, but I can get a big bag from walmart for about $8. This will last me a while.
Thanks !!
Will be trying dried mugwort this year.
Free is good! Almost as good as “Less is More!”
Pine straw. Smolders and smells great.
I use mostly mown grass and pine needles. My old smoker you could not get anything to stay lite. Using the same fuel in my new Dadant and it never goes out until it is gone. Question, if you use tobacco would the nicotine harm the bees?
Hey Karla! Glad your new smoker is making things better for you!
I am not worried about it and have used it many, many, times when I can get access to it. Toxicity is all about concentrations. Many people don't know that our bodies need trace amounts of arsenic. Too much will kill you. Soapy water will kill honeybees..... so I guess it is a pesticide also. Basically what I am saying is that tobacco works great but many folks in this country suffer from a condition called the knee jerk reaction 😃 I am positive if we took all of these fuels here and analyzed them we could all find something to freak out about!
I'd strongly suggest some twigs of sassafrass as starter for your smoker fuels.
I use cedar shavings and all I need to get them started is a small piece of paper and a lighter like you did with your grass clippings. ... I've used pine needles before andi find them to be too hot... but all you have todo is to ball up some green grass and that cools the smoke off... you'll learn that from us old beekeepers... you're welcome.
When I worked for bigger operations, they used cut up left over pieces of the pine the they made there boxes from. Its a pain to get lite in the morning, but once there goin they stay lite the whole morning going from yard to yard loading up pallets of bees
Chad Eikenhorst, (their) boxes. Get (lit) in the morning, but once (they’re) going(,) they stay (lit)
Pine needles! ❤️
I use a chefs torch, instant light blows heat fast. Iwatani is the name I believe on Amazon.