I appreciate that, Or! I'm glad that you enjoyed seeing the development process. It has indeed been fascinating, and I believe things are just starting to ramp up. Be sure to subscribe to the channel and keep sharing your feedback. Thanks again!
Thanks, Nick! Yes the trick will be to distill it down to it's main components that the bees react to in smoke and replicate it in liquid form. I've already gotten some good results using wood ash and VG, hardwood tar, etc. Let me know if you see anything that you think I should try, buddy.
You are ahead of me. I have been thinking about this for a while. Keeping the smoker lit is a hassle and then when you are done you have to wait for it to cool down to put it away
Jim, Great minds think alike. Consider signing up for the VIB group and become an Insider and help us develop this. I would love to work together on the best smoker that the world has ever seen. technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
You absolutely right! Why are we still dealing with those annoying smokers from the pass ages. This is a great idea and would like to help you finance your development if needed. I really believe in your idea.
@@VoidingWarrantiesAgain Glad it did. If you want to get deeper into the development of our projects, feel free to sign up for the VIB Club. vib.technicallybeekeeping.com
Glad to see a fellow innovator actually doing the product.. congrats, very good and useful idea came to life because of you.. I have all sorts of ideas myself but I just tell them to my wife and friends just to find out, few years down the line that a south Korean company made the product and they have a massive recognition because of it..
This is a very interesting project and a lot of thought has gone into it. As you said at the end of your video this probably won't replace the smoker entirely. For me personally starting the smoker is one of the things I love. It's a moment to relax before going to the bees. Commercial beekeepers might have a different view on it. But at a small scale of beekeeping I wouldn't want to miss my smoker.
@Comment0815, I love this! It’s fantastic that using your traditional smoker helps you relax and that you enjoy the process of starting it. I’m sure your calm energy has a soothing effect on your bees too. 🧘 For some, the task of lighting and keeping the smoker going can be stressful. To me, smokers are simply tools to build a deeper connection with these amazing creatures. 🐝 Well done on mastering the traditional smoker. Respect, my friend!
I had the same exact idea back in 2018 because of the dry grass around my hives in the summer in central California. I always envisioned some sort of vap pen with pine needle oils to create the smoke. Great work!!!
Loma Vista, Oh, pine needle oils, that's a really interesting idea. Honestly, I'd not thought about that. I met in 2023 with Fabiana Ahumada from the study below. She was SO amazing to donate her time to me. Her study is on the affects of hops on calming bees. My hypothesis is that vaporizing hops oil may have a similar affect to burning hops in a smoker, so I've been testing with a small amount of it. Hard to know for sure with a scientific study or disciplined experiment like they did. I was amazed at how they strapped down the bees to do this in a methodical way. I've been thinking of building their bee rack device. 🐝 🔍 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6105110/
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I’m sure you probably have several people asking to do testing on this great idea, but if not, I would surely love to give it a try and even promote it on my channel when the time comes for it to go onto the market. My colonies are surrounded by ranches and dry weeds in the summer and so I put my pallets on weed barrier to cut down the risk of a spark leaving the smoker and landing in the dry grass causing a possible fire that could do a lot of property damage.
You deserve to succeed with every success, it certainly is time for a healthier bee keeping smoker tool, I will buy the finished product for sure if it can demonstrate the same and better effect of the old school device ! Thanks for sharing your efforts !
Thanks, Adam! I hope that you subscribe to the channel and the VIB club so that you can part of our journey. I promise you that it will 🐝 an adventure.
@ralphhamblin00, make sure to sign up the VIB club if you'd like to get involved in the development of the product. I only have limited prototypes and would love you feedback on the designs. technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
@unmarkedmayhem, thanks! If you want to help with the development of the product, please sign up for VIB Insider's club. I'd love to have you on the team. technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
Cant say I ever had problems operating a traditional smoker tbh but this would be great for new folks with a single hive and less hassle. I love being non digital on the farm for obvious reasons but gets easier all the time with solar batteries etc.. many hives are on off grid plots of course
Thanks, PazLeBon, I respect that some beekeepers like yourself have mastered the traditional smoker and are not interested in an alternative. Interesting idea with the solar batteries. Maybe even a solar charging station in time as I'm now looking at using standard drill batteries. Thanks so much for your feedback.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I didnt mean to imply it wasnt interesting at all. More that the traditional one works great for multiple hives that Ive usually owned but for or one or two hives they'd 'be be a pain so this is ideal for the hobbyist. Not even solar charger needed so much but larger 1kw type batteries are becoming quite common on the farms so being able to connect to those would be great some of which woul dbe solar.. others perhaps recharged occasionally. Many would have just a usb c type connection :)
PazLeBon, yes, I have my main apiary on a farm outside of town and one colony at home for pollination. When I inspect my home colony, it's a pain to stoke up a smoker for just one hive and then to have to babysit it while it cools down. Since I invented the electric smoker, it's much easier, I just go out, smoker the bees, do the inspection, and bam, back at my home desk before lunch is over. ⏰
@@PazLeBonNo worries, my friend! I took it as a positive. I hope you keep watching the channel and engaging with me-I've really enjoyed our conversation. You clearly have a lot of beekeeping experience and could be a fantastic mentor for our community.
@TechnicallyBeekeeping I was fortunate to have a mentor for a year.. As you know, there is so much to learn. I live in Southwest Florida, so winter is very mild here. Our last flow is Oct/Nov we have several throughout the year.. I feed my bees probiotics and red cell during the winter months to keep them fat and healthy. I feel this has prevented me from losing colonies.. I'm looking forward to future videos..
Brilliant! For your camera you could make it a Bluetooth accessory and have the video/Pics stored on your cellphone. Another idea would be integrate wifi or cellular module to upload video/pics to a webserver and offer it as a subscription. Think reoccurring revenue. I love the Dewalt battery concept as well!
Thanks, Brian! I agree with the recurring reoccurring revenue. I used to work for Motorola Mobility and we used to say that our biggest problem was that we were only "selling silicon" meaning we only got money when someone bought a phone but no reoccurring revenue. So we had to keep pumping out phones. I don't want to be "selling silicon" with the smoker and smart device. I'm imagining like you say, perhaps a cloud SaaS offering where the images can be stored, or partnering with bee inspection SaaS companies. Keep the great ideas coming! 🧠
My least favorite part of beekeeping is the smoker. Please keep your ideas coming, and know that you are appreciated. I await the time when you can market them.
I am super impressed by your thinking, execution, and sales abilities. Personally I believe you have developed a Rube Goldberg solution to an already dead simple solution. However this is NOT meant to discourage you. I believe there is a market among the many new beekeepers who will go through the inevitable learning curve associated with learning how to operate traditional smokers. Your idea of using the ubiquitous cordless power tool batteries is brilliant and and optional adapters that would allow users to choose which type would help imo. The power tool batteries should be powerful enough to provide enough heat to utilize pelleted wood, a simple easily accessible smoke generator that works poorly in traditional smokers and might work well for your application if you can handle the feed and residue issues. Also, as you have no doubt realized, it requires lots of energy to make heat with electricity and burning a flammable fuel source with electricity might not be feasible. Good luck to you I believe you on the way to a marketable product that you could easily sell face to face and possibly through videos. I predict a short lived product life cycle.
I think it is a great idea specially if you make it compatible with Dewalt or other main brands. About the camera unless it is a 4k where you can make videos and pics and zoom in and see the bees, mites, damaged wings etc I would not bother. Amazing work developing it, congratulations.
Thanks, Butteworks! Good point about the 4K camera. The smart device will be further down the line and it seems to be the least popular of the features. Thanks for the feedback and keep it coming.
Brandywine Farm, you're not so bad yourself. ;) Thanks for the compliment, my friend. Make sure to subscribe to the channel to keep track of updates and if you want to help with feedback and directly talk with with me, join our VIB Insider's club below. technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
I love this! As you said, sometimes I want to spend hours in the hives, so a big smoker (car) might be more appropriate. But, by far, the vast majority of my beekeeping time is spent popping into a hive or 2, just to check out what's going on in the top box. Often, I don't even use smoke, but having a unit like this (horse) would be great for when the bees are getting chippy. I would prefer common, replaceable, rechargeable, smaller (like AA) batteries, as long as they lasted for, say, 15+ minutes of run time (that should be a couple of hours of on/off use), but using a bigger, cordless tool battery works too. The problem is, then you have to get involved with all of the different battery configurations of the different tool companies (well, you don't HAVE to, but then you're limiting the market). I also envision this unit being left in my bee yard with my other equipment, so the idea of having some extra AA batteries ready to go, and not tying up my tool batteries suits me. All told, if I got enough run time to be in the hives for an hour or so, I'd prefer the AA setup. I do run the Lorob bee vaporizer with an 18V Rigid battery, and love it, but that's a very specific use at a very specific time, so I don't mind that setup. With this smoker, I want to be able to use it on a whim, so I want it in my bee yard. Anyhow, I appreciate your curiosity and your experimentation. Thanks.
Wow, what amazing feedback, Doug. I really appreciate it. It's a good point about not wanting to tie up your tool batteries. I'm not sure that I could get AA batteries to have the juice needed to run it, unfortunately. I am looking to make it detachable, whatever I do. My current design, you'd need to open the battery cover, but I'm learning from the community here that having it easily swappable like how I have the fuel source is key.
Saying 'Hi There' from me and my Bees here in Scotland ! 🏴 Been there done that with 'Bee Smokers going out all the time. Add a bit of Lavender Flower or Dried Stems to the Smoker Fuel. Keeps the Beek calm and the Bees Calmer as well. Works a treat. Happened today, several times, knowing the Smoke stopped right at the wrong moment ! Oh Drat !?! . . Where's my Culinary Blow Torch when I need it (?) Like the ones used on Creme Brulee etc. . . Brilliant at getting 'Smokers all lit Up.' 🔥 A case of Fingers Crossed it stays alight for all my Hives and Nucs (re : mid Summer Splits) to Inspect. One by one. All doing great this Autumn (Fall.) 😁 Like your way(s) of thinking there. . . Only one Request : "Don't forget us 'Lefties' or South Paws ! Need that Magnet to be able to Turn 180 Degrees ! So I can Shoot from the Left Hip: kinda. Already have a (dead Speaker) Magnet 🧲 inside my Bee Suit Pocket . . . "Clank" goes the Hive Tool : on the "Outside." No Lost Hive Tool ! Works a Treat. . . 👍 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 RUclips AI : Randomly brought me to this Video. Awesome thinking there ! [Genius idea 💡 in the making by the way.] What are you going to Call it ? Lazy-BEE-Smoker without the Fire going out. 😂 Could it also Warm Up or make another Bee Friendly Cup of Tea too !?! 🫖 I'd grab that unwanted Tubing, and use that as a kind of Straw ! Thru the side of my Bee Suit Veil no problem. . . Oh and a few Chocolate Biscuits (Cookies) wouldn't go amiss either. Now how to eat those ? Good Luck with the Project. by the way. . . 🤞 Keeping Bees is thirsty work. . . Us UK 'Blighty Folk' always want a good Cup of Tea ! As Beekeepers say : Always "Think Outside the Box ! " 😁 The Tea Caddy or the Biscuit Barrel : both are Wood Boxes of sorts. . . I'll let myself out. 😎
Wow! All the way from Scotland! We have close friends outside of Glasgow, what an amazing place! It has taken me 20 years, but I can understand a little Glaswegian. Lavender oil is a great idea. And makes for a nice smell as well. Regarding left handers, yes I started out the design with the air vent on the right side, and moved it to the back to allow the magnet to connect on either side for either hand. That is important to me, so I have you covered. Regarding Lazy-BEE Smoker, lol, love it.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Hi. . . Lavender Essential Oil might work (!?). . . Not sure (?) Tip : My suggestion was actually the Plant : Dried Flower Heads and waste Stems etc. . . Bees love Lavender Flowers all through Summer. Come Autumn (Fall) all that Dried Matter needs trimming off, to aid better Flowering for next Season. I trim and deadhead all that Debris, dry it out. Keep the Lavender Flowers for use in the Home etc. Or Gift it away. Those Dried Stalks used to be 'thrown out'. But hey, why not use that too ! So I do this. . . I make loads of Smoker Fuel 'Burner Bundles' using spent Plant & Foilage material. (Do measure your Smoker Chambers Width, and make these Bundles a little smaller !) Or you might find they didn't fit great. Been there done that. . . Oops ! 🤭 Getting a Garden through Autumn (Fall) before Winter provides : Snipped Stalks, Stems and Sticks, masses of Leaves. All literally wasted. Smoking stuff !?! Getting the Bees and Hives healthy and ready for our long Scottish Winters also means that I plenty of old Bees Wax from Frame Exchange Outs. (Old Combs / Wax Melting and the resulting 'Slum Gum' left) must have a use too, surely ? I had an idea. Make Smoker Fuel into easily used Burner 'Bundles. Waste not, want not. I can always find 'Tattie Sacks' somewhere near by (live in a Rural Area of Scotland where Potatoes get grown.) This Hessian (Burlap) with some Garden Twine: and a bit of 'Cleaning Up' through some pruning, deadheading etc. . . Is ample Material for making decent 'Smoker Fuel' Burner Bundles. Also helps in that we have a Wood Burner Stove on so an old Stove Pot with water, an inner Container (eg an Ex large Tomatoe Tin.) Results in Dipping Small Tied Up Bundles (of Hessian Wrapped Plant Material) even using a bit of those plentiful Lavender Stalks, uses up Debris. For a Good Beekeeping cause ! Or at least I think it might make my Bee Smoker light more easily ! Burn longer, right ! Or at least Calm the Bees and Beekeeper alike. What we do for our Bees. . . 😏 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Family lived for a Year many decades ago in a place called Aix en Provence, in the South of France. Lavender growing far & wide ! And the Honey was amazing too. . . Just about remembering it ! So trying to Grow more for my Bees. Whether these Plants will survive the Winter will have to be seen. An odd one does. (Take lots of Cuttings off it come Spring, and grow more to replace the Frosted ones !) All I know is that an 'Old Timers', well used Copper Bee Smoker, I had bought, a few Years back (from a Garage Sale, a Retiring Beek, now deceased,) Is well loved and just about works. And sometimes just about 'stays alight.' Keep Calm and Carry on. . . 🤭
@@ME_MeAndMyBees great idea with the smoker bundles. Lol, what we do for our bees, indeed! Regarding the lavendar fields, that is a bucket list item for me is to go to a place with lavendar fields in full bloom. The way that I imagine it is heavenly! 🐝Calm and Carry on, as well, my friend.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Thank You. . . 😏 More Bee Gear Invention "Ideas" please. . . They are are 'Buzzing' full of good suggestions ! Just watched the 'Mason Jar Lid' ways and means. Fabby ! More used Stateside, (than here in the UK, tend to reuse naff Supermarket Jam (Jelly) Jars. Or ones with that nice expensive Italian Tomatoes Sauces in them. 😉 Don't think the Dinky (Tiny) Regional Airport in FLA would allow me to Buy up all WinnDixies 'Mason Jars' and bring them Home across the Pond, after seeing Family. Think (K.W) has enough 'Crazy Season' Tourists already. . . 🙃 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2024 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Wow : we had Trmps in the 20C's (mid 70F's) Yesterday ! After an awful x4 Month Wet (Icky) Summer : only a good Day here and there. Do an odd Hive Inspection & run Indoors after another deluge. . . 🌧 The "Girls" 🐝 are making up for it now : Collecting in lovely 'Heather Honey' off the nearby Moorlands by me. Never knew decades ago, my Locality was a 'Mecca' for Honey Crops. Local Bee Association (Club) has tales of all sorts with Folks moving Bees on Trailers, Vans, even Back Seats of Cars ! Whacky (Bee) Races. On your Marks, get Set, Smoke ! 🤣
Thanks! I love the look of your hives, btw. A friend and I were working in his Castle Hives a couple of months ago on his manicured backyard. The whole scene looked like something out of a magazine.
Love it!! Keep going!! Such passion & great ideas for the future of beekeeping New beek here (first year) very steep learning curve. I wondered the same thing... Why a fire hot, burn your finger, a Christmas story curse someone for thermostatic, forget one second annnndddd it's out smoker 🤣. Hope you keep it open source.?! I got my 3D printer ready & waiting 🐝👍
As someone who vapes, I like it, and have had the same thoughts. You need to return to the long tube nozzle that runs down the arm, and a remote trigger on the hand. I wore a belt pack respirator for a long time, and it's not that bad weight wise. You could make this thing commercial scale that way. However, the vape cartridges wear out, and a few bucks here and there add up.
This would be a fantastic device to use during the hot summer months, or whenever there is a burn ban in effect in your county. You could possibly make the smart recording device voice-activated, so you could tape a problem frame, or summarize the health of your colony.
Paul, I like your thinking! I've been thinking about something like a Siri for inspections. When you have a frame in your hands and propolis, wax and honey on your fingers is the worse time to grab a pen and paper. If you could use voice commands, it would be perfect. I'd not thought much about burn bans and smokers before building this. As a person in Chicago, we don't face this often. But many states have regulations around bee smoker use. I believe that this smoker could prevent a lot of forest fires in the future. A benefit that I'd not really thought much about before starting. Thanks!
Awesome idea and I think it could be the smoker of the future. But the camera attachment is something I'd never use personally. Best of luck with it, and I will be watching.
Thanks, Malcolm! Fair enough, on the camera being something you'd never use. I initially integrated the smart device and camera into the smoker but realized it might not appeal to everyone. Plus, it would increase the cost of the smoker for something that not everyone values. I'm thinking that the smart device would be an optional add-on. Thanks for continuing to watch, I'm eager to hear more of your feedback to make this device truly resonate with you.
Thanks, John! I truly appreciate your support. If you've not done so, sign up for the Very Important Beekeeper Club below to stay updated and to get more involved. Thanks! 🙏 vib.technicallybeekeeping.com/
This is one of the first things i looked for when i was first looking into beekeeping. A vape style smoker already exists but its still based on a standard smoker design with bellows, is from europe or something and costs a ton because it uses all proprietary stuff. Im VERY interested and would be happy to help or just buy one when available. I have a 3D printer, soldering stuff, etc. I definitely think the drill design is the way to go.
Adrenaline Junkie, great RUclips profile, btw! I'm looking forward to making this journey with you. It would be great if you can sign up for the VIB club: technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
Peter, I've never met a beekeeper from Kenya before! So excited to have you watching the channel. I can imagine that heat and fire could be a large issue in your bee yard. 🔥 Make sure to sign up for the VIB club if you'd like to get more involved, my friend! vib.technicallybeekeeping.com
Cool development. A small solar panel in the side or top could boost run time or potentially help maintain a charge if it sits unused for long periods of time.
Wow, I'm impressed with all the research and development you did. I usually have to reload my smoker twice for each hive. I would prefer a rechargeable battery that can be charged with a USB-C plug. I use Makita instead of Dewalt battery tools, and a lot of people use Milwaulke. The QR code on the side for instructions is a great idea and the magnetic clip is a great idea, too.
Yes, USB-C if I have an internal charger is a must. To your point, I was looking at this battery this weekend and looks really promising. Let me know what you think? DeWalt has a simliar 8V that might work. Thanks so much for the positive comment, I was worried I'd get a lot of trolls, but so far everyone has been amazingly supportive. www.globalindustrial.com/p/72v-lithium-ion-cordless-1-4in-hex-driver-drill-kit-with-auto-stop-clutch
Very cool, the dewalt battery may make it impossible to hang by magnet which seems like a plus to me. I've been keeping bees for more than 20 years and can keep a smoker lit but many of the folks I mentor can't and only have 1 or 2 hives. Having to light a smoker for 10-20 minutes can be a chore. I recommend the compressed cotton or smoker pellets sold by the equipment suppliers to make it easier for them. Something like this would be very handy.
Thanks, Pete! I completely agree. I have most of my colonies on a farm but I have one at home for pollination. Getting a smoker running and dealing with the cool down period is a lot of overhead for one hive inspection or if you just want to get in and out. Thanks for mentoring these folks, we don't have enough 20 year beekeepers that are interested in helping newbeeks to be successful. 🙏
This looks very promising. I have been considering the Apisolis smoker as it would be more convenient checking a few hives quickly or if there is a high fire risk. I know their design uses a tried and true bellow design but I really like the adjustable fan speed your prototype offers. I agree that you should definitely consider the drill type grip along with the popular batteries currently available, since many people already use those. It will make the smoker a tad heavier but I think also a bit sturdier. Finally, the trigger mechanism as it currently is designed may build up quickly with propolis and beeswax. I wonder if a soft touch button that is covered would be affected less. Or if your trigger device was covered with silicone type material that would prevent propolis from gumming up the trigger. This does look very exciting and I think I will wait to hear more about the availability of the product before I purchase anything else!
Phillip, regarding the bellows, I've found that mounting a camera to a bellowed machine doesn't work due to the movement. I've also gotten some feedback that after inspecting more than a couple of hives, many beekeepers get tired of pumping the bellows. So I agree that the fan is the way to go. Regarding the trigger, you have a great point. My plan is to use hydrophobic materials on the handle of the smoker to repel propolis, wax, and honey (also more sanitary for the bees). The part I've not figured out yet is how to make a satisfying trigger experience without having the gummable space between the trigger and the handle. I've thought about capacitive buttons, but they don't work well with leather or silicone gloves. I may try a membrane button like this one, I'm not sure how nice it would feel though, what do you think? www.adafruit.com/product/1333?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwufq2BhAmEiwAnZqw8vr69tnQueFNfMjs9TwX20amLnpGnoR_kbY_va9PD1fFje8ZULz-yBoC9n4QAvD_BwE
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping great we will be by your booth. We are in Kalamazoo and excited to see your innovations. Just watched the sponge tops for feeding. I noticed my bees love my moss covered water stations so the sponge texture is similar. Thanks for creating new items for beekeeping.
Is the moss artificial or natural? Do the bees react similarly? I have to imagine that sponge and moss are also much more pleasant for the bees to walk on, like a day at the bee spa. 🐝💈
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I use a 3 gallon galvanized feed pan from a feed store. Then layer rocks , skim off natural moss on our land and place on the rocks. I fill in with twigs for additional rafts. I need to drill a few over flow holes should we ever get rain again. I can send you a few pics but the bees do in fact select this over my chicken feeders with rocks in the trough. I now have 3 in my apiary. Occasionally a deer comes during the might and messes up the moss but I fix it for the bees. I try to fill with some salt water or plain water. The dirtier the water is the better it seems.
great idea! I suggest making the battery adapter easily swappable so you can sell to owners of other batteries than dewalt. Heavy powertool batteries will probably overload the magnet though.
That's an interesting idea with the swappable battery adapter. With the heaviness of the batteries overloading the magnet, I agree. I've seen some comments that perhaps I could use a hook, which would solve for this, but I also don't want a device that's heavy to carry around all day for people with a large apiary. The current weight is super light, which I really like. What brand of drill/battery do you like/use? Thanks.
Stan, if it would be appropriate for your FB group, I'd appreciate a mention of this video. Understood, if it's not. It is difficult for me to get the word out about what I'm working on. Any assistance is appreciated. 🙏
Thanks, Stan! Much appreciated. It would explain the large influx of people from TX in the VIB Club. It will be awesome to extend our testing season in the fall and winter. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️
It seems like a different version of the apisolis smokeless smoker but it definitely seems better. Better battery especially with the DeWalt battery and with way better options
That is an interesting comparison, Jason. The first person that I know of that built a similar device was Paul Younger close to 20 years ago. He was a real pioneer and visionary. ruclips.net/video/SkRO_gGwDfo/видео.htmlsi=uUoMZ0enLN8U2WDG Unfortunately, the Younger Smoker was not very user friendly. I personally feel that for people to switch from a bee smoker to an electric bee smoker, it needs to be 10x+ easier to use than the traditional bee smoker, and the Younger Smoker didn't reach that efficiency. There was just as much prep time as a smoker and it was bulky, heavy, and hot. I also want to give credit to Apisolis for popularizing this technology-I've enjoyed trying out their product this year. Hopefully, we can push things to the next level and make beekeeper's lives easier. I hope you'll join us on this journey to shape the future of the bee smoker.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping your biggest issue is hopper size, and smoke temp. Too hot, and you'll cook off some bees 🐝, and piss off the hive. Cold smoke is better. I used to smoke 🚬 in my hood. It lead to holes 🕳 😳 😑
awesome! Drill batteries is probably a good choice, make sure you have adapters for the most common used ones! modular system where individual parts can be replaced. Please don't over price the oils and coils, this device can prevent so many beekeeping related fires! i'd buy one, even your prototype to test!
Flashcard guy, love the name. What kind of drill/driver/dremels do you use? What would be your preference? Regarding the oils and coils, agreed. I may even open-source the oil recipes in the end. I want beekeepers to feel that they can use the device even if I get hit by a bus. 🚌 It probably doesn't make sense from a business perspective, but I just want this device to help the beekeeping community. We're dealing with so much with mites and keeping the bees alive.
Love the idea and the form factor. Could do a higher end model where the additional piece is a heat camera. Would be very nice for those of us crazy enough to do removals to have a smoker and heat camera that could snap onto the belt and not choke me to death in small spaces. Also, hear me out... why not use a Dewalt handle form factor and their battery as your power source? This way you could take several batteries and cartridges (this is where you make your money) into a large apiary or removal and never need to find a plug.
Sam, that's an amazing idea. I'd not thought about the removal angle. I like the thermal camera concept. I've come to the conclusion that I definitely need a battery that's easily replaceable like a drill/driver/dremel battery.
Benjamin, that's an aspect of this that I've been learning as I go along. Being from Chicago, we don't have those dangerous dry seasons. Building this device could have a positive affect on the environment and sustainability. I hope that you make the journey with us.
Rob, lol! 🤣 I saw this corn cob pipe at the Eastern Apicultural Society conference's smoker history exhibit. You blow in it to push smoke on the bees. Who needs a veil?! Yikes! Definitely going to make a come back. 😏 drive.google.com/file/d/1hq0g0o533aeIHt8nxoQjh21nxiBxOOJ3/view?usp=sharing
Oh man, thats an epic lookin tool you have goin on there! So much innovation. Ill be keepin an eye on this! Id like to see something with a Mic and a camera that can scan a QR code on a brood box, and then store all the next pictures / vids in a folder with audio (for note taking). Once you scan the next QR code, starts a new or adds to an existing folder. Id also prob make buttons separate for the camera part, and the smoker part, i can imagine the smoke might mess up the image / too much noise from fan to record audio. But man, just as a smoker without all those bells and whistles, you have peaked my interest! *edit* and the dewalt battery is also a great option, tho unless you make a bunch of dif versions, might limit your customer base unnecessarily in the beginning.
RePetes, thanks for all the ideas! I like that idea, maybe I could push the vids and pics to a Google Drive at first. I was thinking of storing it all on the cloud. So far most people just want a device that replaces the smoker and don't seem super interested in the Smart Device, but I've actually added GPS into the smart device to detect where the beekeeper with the idea of registering it's location so that the QR code wouldn't even be necessary (although still an option). As a solo inventor that's doing all this on my own dime, there's only so much of the elephant that I can eat at one time, but I really think that the potential is limitless and the smoker is the best place to put a smart device. Wouldn't make much sense in a hive tool. ;). Thanks for your comment, it's been a long lonely road developing this, and it really makes me feel like I'm on the right track.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Oh def, focus on the smoker, thats gonna sell itself if it works! then you have all these addons you could sell separately and develop at a later date with or without help once you see some returns. Best of luck on your travels! Ill def be a buyer at some point im betting! Looking forward to the next vid!
@RePetesBees, yes, I originally started with the smart device embedded in the smoker and realized that not only would it add a lot of development time to building it, but some of the people that may want an electric bee smoker may not care about automated inspections (they just want to smoke their bees faster and better). I think that decoupling the smart device from the smoker turned out to be the right call. Thanks again for the great ideas, keep them coming.
QR code on brood box x your smart inspection device would be a great innovation. Could then link photos with that Varroa-spotting app - I can't remember the name of it as we are the only corner of the world without VM at the moment...... but being in Western Australia where we have total fireballs for most of summer your vape-smoker is an awesome idea!!! I bought an Apisolis last year but haven't got around to using it yet but yours looks much more user-friendly. Keep up the thinking!!!
Rachel, I love the QR code idea. Keep the ideas coming. You are right about areas that have severe droughts. I learned about smoker regulations in many parts of the Western US due to the potential of forest dies. I suspect that Australia may be similar in risk. Regarding the design, yes, I have seen some devices that strap a vape machine onto a bellow or a fan onto a burning chamber, but I feel that they are incremental fixes to the bee smoker. Thanks for your comment!
This is good idea for the QR code! QR code number each box, and when you come around with the smoker+camera, just a quick point at the QR code with the camera and ur good to go! All photos / video linked to a QR code in a nice folder maybe at some point with software, and like you said, wifi/ BT to a phone or PC. Man, this would make my life so much easier. Just thinkin, then if you needed notes, maybe a mic on it for some audio notes. Everything id use in 1 handy device.
RePetesBees, you are on to something here. I was thinking the other day, "What if we had something like a Siri for taking notes while inspecting a hive?!". It seems like when you're in the middle of an inspection with a frame of bees in your hands is the worst time to look for a pen and paper, especially with everything being so sticky. What if you could do the equivalent of a "Hey Siri, colony 5 is in trouble and has American foulbrood, make a note and send a message to the state inspector" or "what should I do?!". What do you think about this idea, or maybe there's an alternative way of doing it, I'd value your opinion on this?
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping The Siri thing sounds really cool! I hate trying to take notes while inspecting hives. Something to record either what you say, or be even cooler to have something that you can interact with! Used to use a gopro but that just became cumbersome to more or less watch a whole video to re-transcribe notes. So needs some way to break up videos. Tho, now for it to replay / play sound your talking speakers too, and idk if siri / google or whatever you choose would charge you to implement such a thing. Might be something for down the road? Start off with something pretty effective but simple, maybe just push a button and it stops vid, push again starts another, with mic creating a folder for each. Then look into either goin the QR code route, or if they dont charge, maybe something fancier with siri or the likes. No matter what you choose tho, your making a unique product that, at its base, I have a feeling will sell well. I hate traditional smokers. If it works, and its not hundreds of dollars (not including all the add ons you could do, talkin base product), id be interested! might also want to look into a patent for the idea, might not save you from other countries scalping your idea and rushing it to market, but would least block American companies from takin advantage of it without paying you royalties (or the likes for where you live? I just used american as example)
Thanks, RePetesBees. I'm pretty sure that you and I will invent a Jarvis for beekeeping one day. 🦾 Regarding the patent, the device is currently patent-pending. I have a ton more work to do on it. 😅 Thanks for the encouragement! We are just getting started.
Curtis, They smelled like smoke, right? I believe that the inventor of it's name was Steward Taylor. I'm currently reading his patent when I saw your comment. Ha! His main ingredient is hardwood tar oils. As he says in the patent, smoke-odor simulating components are very effective. Thank you for sharing your extensive beekeeping experience with us; it's great to have someone with such a rich history to remind us of all the brilliant inventors and their inventions. patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ae/9d/5f/7726a4db2bdc20/US2900300.pdf
Bryan, Thanks buddy! I'm 100% changing the battery to a drill battery. I've not put together a price point yet. I am doing everything I can to keep the price down, as I know that's a big factor for many beekeepers. I'd love to have you help out with development and give us feedback. Please consider joining the VIB Insider's club. technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
I assume the latest prototype is still using a purchased vape? How long is it safe to use for without overheating the components/battery? Are you concerned about the vape battery exploding while it's in your hand? What precautions have you taken for those scenarios?
Hey Austin, I'm using a mix of off the shelf parts and custom ones. We're still in the early prototyping phase, but regarding safety we're using overheating detection that safely turns off the circuits and we stay within the recommended wattage. Thanks for the questions.
@@TechnicallyBeekeepingMay I suggest to work on adapting a bee smoker with an electrode inside to auto light and a fan blower so you don't have to pump a bellows, use a Milwaukee M12 battery NMhi. Reinventing the wheel from scratch is not practical when the early smoker chamber would serve well, it may be hard to get away from bio fuels. One concern is that the creosote in the not fully combusted bio fuels causes cancer, it's a major concern for health to try and improve it IMO, it would require heaps of scientific testing in laboratory conditions, would cost a lot but worth every cent if it can bring a better product to market. I doubt you'll get people to spend more than 100-150 $ though so it has to be affordable again IMO.
@@livingadamman7994 Regarding creosote, I'll avoid using that like the plague, definitely a toxic substance. You read my mind on the M12 battery, the form factor and weight should be perfect.
Eric, I'm planning to start the Kickstarter for it January. Make sure to follow this channel and if you want to help direct the development of the product, please join our Very Important Beekeeper community. technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
An easy option: Buy a battery operated heat gun with added burn chamber and make a second attachment for OAV vapor. I could send you photos of mine if you want. Edz Beez
I probably know why the algorithm brought me here, as I’ve been sketching ideas with my dewalt battery and a dud power drill. 😁 I signed up , retired engineer. Hoping I can be of help.
I am writing a "why" article for ABJ on honey bees and smoke & I would love to chat with you more about this, if you'd like, for possible inclusion in the article.
I like the idea of the 20 volt Dewalt battery. It is light enough (12 oz) to hook to your belt and strong enough to provide power for a long time. My current Dewalt drill has a hook to clip right to my belt. Personally, the idea of a hook, similar to what is on my current smoker, would be fine. I would just hook the smoker on the side of the bee box. My current smoker weighs 2.5 pounds empty. I can’t hook it to my belt now so, I would not worry if the new one did not have the ability to hook to my belt. Let us know how you progressing. Thanks
Jim, good point about the belt mount. I am thinking about mounting a light smoker to a manikin's belt clip and the electric smoker to another manikin's belt to watch the difference. :) I suspect the first manikin will go up in smoke. Thanks for the hook idea. I'll check it out. Keep watching and subscribe to the channel so that we can exchange more ideas. Love the feedback!
Danny, I was looking at the Milwaukee M12 battery this weekend. It would fit nicely in the handle and wouldn't add much weight. What do you think? amzn.to/3XnfOj1
@marian061-v3o I could do an entire video on this question. 🤣 My original designs I used a toy airplane engine, lol. I'd also worked with some drone engines as well. The reason is that there are not many smaller fans that pull air through it and are cylindrical in shape. I've also looked at Dyson blades. While it would save me space in the barrel, I'd need more space in the handle to accommodate it, so it has all the wrong tradeoffs. It would have looked space-aged cool though. 🚀 To answer your question, I focused on quality of parts and switched to a DC motor.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I tried with a Sunon MF25101V2-1000U-A99 fan. It cannot overcome the resistance through the Vape coils. The air stream returns back. I would be happy if you could make a video on the topic in which you could share your experience.
@marian0061-v3o, honestly, the fan is the easy part, the air flow is the hard part. A fast and easy way to build something similar is using these plans: www.kamuicosplay.com/product/fogmachineguide/ I will tell you that their design won't pump out enough vapor to get the bees attention, however. Also consider becoming a VIB Insider: vib.technicallybeekeeping.com
I loved your video, I would buy the smoker, not sure I'd want or need all the extra gadgets, I only have 1 hive and I think those extras are cool, but they would end up making it pretty expensive? I hate my bellows type smoker, I can not keep it lit to save my life, lol.
Lol, yes traditional smokers are easy to learn, but difficult to master. It's why I believe that the electric smoker could help so many to spend more time with their bees and less time playing with their smokers. I originally started with the gadgets being part of the smoker and then realized that it would make the cost much more and the majority of people would not want to start with them. So I'm thinking about an optional add-on in time. The first smokers will be 100% about being the best smoking experience possible without any extra gadgets. Still a lot of R&D to do, but subscribe and become part to the VIB club to stay tuned.
I think the Apisolis Vaporizer is a similar idea, just not with a fan. Perhaps it's worth looking at their fluid. The one thing I'd be concerned about is glycerine / oily residue in the wax and honey. That's why you never want to have a "disco" smoke machine in your home ;-).
Vielen Dank, Balu! This is one of the areas that I'm most seriously experimenting with right now is the oil mixtures. I do find that the bees clean the oils off of themselves if sprayed directly which helps with hygiene. I've been trying different oils as the main vaporization agent to discover oils that are not just benign but healthier for bees. With a traditional smoker, there's wood ash, tar and whatever else that the beekeeper puts into their smoker that are particulate matter in the smoke. For example, I've seen some beekeepers use newspaper/printer paper with colored ink to start their smoker, the colored inks are often toxic. I'm hoping to get to a standard and known formula that beekeepers feel excited to use on their bees. Let me know which oils that you feel more comfortable with for vaporization. I'd love to hear more.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I have not a lot of experience in these matters, but you are right that it definitely is worth looking into. There are reasons, why us beekeeps try to avoid using smokers with the honey supers on... :)
I'm glad that you like it. 👏 I'm still deep in the prototoyping phase. I'm going to start a kickstarter in January and I have a Very Important Beekeeper Club that gets early updates. I suggest subscribing to this channel and signing up for the VIB Club at: technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1 I'm excited to build this device for the community.
Mike, the only thing that I'm worried about with the dewalt battery is that it would make the device heavy. Right now, it's really light and well-balanced in the hand and on the holster. I was playing with this battery this weekend and looking at the Makita battery that I mentioned in the earlier comment. Thanks for the support, my friend! amzn.to/47jVbsE
Hey Kevin, I'm doing everything I can to keep the price down on the device, batteries and the fuel. I hope that you sign up for the VIB Insider's club and help with feedback. Thanks for your comment. 🙌
If priced reasonably, I would buy a simple version (no camera). I actually did some of this prototyping with Ryobi batteries. Got it to work on a traditional smoker, but not as good a solution as you are onto. For now, I drill a port into the side of my smoker and light with a torch. Works well, but not as convenient as your solution. Please finish!
@panoramahouse1159, thank you so much for your support on this project, it really means a lot to me! Please check out the followup video to this one for battery updates: ruclips.net/video/4pwRO7pOVYs/видео.html I also looked at some Ryobi battery options. Keep giving me feedback and if you want to be part of the action, please sign up for our VIB club: vib.technicallybeekeeping.com And I'd love to see your traditional smoker mods, that sounds amazing!
Commercial beekeeper here: Ditch the hive inspection aspect to keep cost down. Focus on this thing lasting 8-10hrs, being light weight, and convenient to carry while not using. I totally want one, im tired of breathing in burlap or moldy pine needle smoke all day.
Thanks Zak. Totally agree that it needs to be long lasting and the fuel and batteries need to be easily swapped out. I appreciate your openness to the idea. I wasn't sure if commercial beekeepers may be open to it. I also think that making it rugged and something that you can throw in the back of the truck would be useful. Might also be interesting to put an airtag feature in it for if you lose it in a field. Not sure how well airtags work in rural settings, I'd need to research that. Thanks for the feedback. Very useful to have someone that lives and breaths beekeeping weigh in on the commercial side.
Darren, thanks. I've used Apisolis and like their smoker. I do agree that a bellowed design is limiting. For example, mounting a camera to a bellow just isn't going to work. Thanks for you comment, and make sure to subscribe so that you don't miss out on whatever comes next.
Hey Song, wow, I've never talked to a person in Korea that is Beekeeping, it is an honor to meet you. It is not commercialized yet, I have a new smoker video coming out in a couple of days. Stay tuned, my friend!
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I shared your RUclips with my Korean beekeeping friends and they wish that portable (battery-equipped) smokers would be commercialized as soon as possible. :)
I know exactly how you should use the QR code. Tie it to AI, also to The colony. Print QR codes apply them to the hive. Scan QR, smoke, check hive let AI and the camera do its thing, AI attaches its "observations" back to the unique QR code for that hive. That info/file can be uploaded to the cloud or Phone via 5G/Bluetooth. The AI lives on the Phone as an app. The AI / camera takes a wow nice smoker and makes it into a WOW Hi-Tech beekeeping tool. Putting a scanning camera device on the smoker is the easy part.... How it connects to the app and how the app processes the AI is where the magic will occur. This has the potential of changing beekeeping as we know it.
Charley, I love it and will be using that idea in the future. I agree, we're just at the beginning of the journey, but it's going to 🐝 a blast, my friend!
Elijah, I like the idea of using a charger for sure. I'm convinced now, that the batteries need to be like drill batteries that can be removed without opening a battery cover. Thanks for your feedback!
stunning! Two things I hate about beekeeping - stings and the smoker. Thanks also for the development process - it's fascinating!
I appreciate that, Or! I'm glad that you enjoyed seeing the development process. It has indeed been fascinating, and I believe things are just starting to ramp up. Be sure to subscribe to the channel and keep sharing your feedback. Thanks again!
This is probably the best video on how and what bees are reacting to within the smoke.
Ian, thanks, buddy, I appreciate that. Cute dog avatar, btw. 🐶
Wow, what a creative device...and the bees will surely be happier as a result :)
Thanks, Ravi!
Where to buy?? 😊@@TechnicallyBeekeeping
@@memycellsandi it is not yet for sale. Keep watching this playlist for updates. Thank you for your interest!
This is great! Being a person that vapes, I have thought about this for a while and glad to see someone finally making it. Absolutely awesome!
Thanks, Nick! Yes the trick will be to distill it down to it's main components that the bees react to in smoke and replicate it in liquid form. I've already gotten some good results using wood ash and VG, hardwood tar, etc. Let me know if you see anything that you think I should try, buddy.
You are ahead of me. I have been thinking about this for a while. Keeping the smoker lit is a hassle and then when you are done you have to wait for it to cool down to put it away
Jim, Great minds think alike. Consider signing up for the VIB group and become an Insider and help us develop this. I would love to work together on the best smoker that the world has ever seen.
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
You absolutely right! Why are we still dealing with those annoying smokers from the pass ages. This is a great idea and would like to help you finance your development if needed. I really believe in your idea.
Wow! Thanks, Gaétan. Do you mind if I ask, do you beekeep in France or somewhere in Europe? I appreciate the kind words.
Absolutely Awesome, my vote is DeWalt battery.
Thanks, Bob. DeWalt seems to be the most popular battery for this.
I had this exact same thought last time I threw my smoker. I like it!
Lol, @motobreath5point0! I think that may be my new logo, "The smoker that you won't feel like throwing against a wall!". Perfect!
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I don't know how you ended up in my feed, but you've given me some ideas for winter projects. 😁
@@VoidingWarrantiesAgain Glad it did.
If you want to get deeper into the development of our projects, feel free to sign up for the VIB Club. vib.technicallybeekeeping.com
Glad to see a fellow innovator actually doing the product.. congrats, very good and useful idea came to life because of you..
I have all sorts of ideas myself but I just tell them to my wife and friends just to find out, few years down the line that a south Korean company made the product and they have a massive recognition because of it..
Thanks, Aleksandar! That means a lot coming from a fellow innovator. ⚙️
This is a very interesting project and a lot of thought has gone into it. As you said at the end of your video this probably won't replace the smoker entirely. For me personally starting the smoker is one of the things I love. It's a moment to relax before going to the bees. Commercial beekeepers might have a different view on it. But at a small scale of beekeeping I wouldn't want to miss my smoker.
@Comment0815, I love this! It’s fantastic that using your traditional smoker helps you relax and that you enjoy the process of starting it. I’m sure your calm energy has a soothing effect on your bees too. 🧘
For some, the task of lighting and keeping the smoker going can be stressful. To me, smokers are simply tools to build a deeper connection with these amazing creatures. 🐝
Well done on mastering the traditional smoker. Respect, my friend!
Love the idea, real practical. Go for production :)
Thanks Danny! I appreciate the feedback. Keep watching the channel for more updates.
Awesome Awesome Awesome work cannot wait for this!!!
Crazy Pumba, Thanks for the Awesome^3! I hope that you subscribe to the channel and take the journey with us.
I had the same exact idea back in 2018 because of the dry grass around my hives in the summer in central California. I always envisioned some sort of vap pen with pine needle oils to create the smoke. Great work!!!
Loma Vista, Oh, pine needle oils, that's a really interesting idea. Honestly, I'd not thought about that.
I met in 2023 with Fabiana Ahumada from the study below. She was SO amazing to donate her time to me. Her study is on the affects of hops on calming bees. My hypothesis is that vaporizing hops oil may have a similar affect to burning hops in a smoker, so I've been testing with a small amount of it. Hard to know for sure with a scientific study or disciplined experiment like they did. I was amazed at how they strapped down the bees to do this in a methodical way. I've been thinking of building their bee rack device. 🐝 🔍
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6105110/
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I’m sure you probably have several people asking to do testing on this great idea, but if not, I would surely love to give it a try and even promote it on my channel when the time comes for it to go onto the market. My colonies are surrounded by ranches and dry weeds in the summer and so I put my pallets on weed barrier to cut down the risk of a spark leaving the smoker and landing in the dry grass causing a possible fire that could do a lot of property damage.
Hey Loma Vista, you are in California? Can you please sign up for the VIB club here?
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/7
Love process of discovery 😊
Thanks, Gallowaylights! 🔍
You deserve to succeed with every success, it certainly is time for a healthier bee keeping smoker tool, I will buy the finished product for sure if it can demonstrate the same and better effect of the old school device ! Thanks for sharing your efforts !
Thanks, Adam! I hope that you subscribe to the channel and the VIB club so that you can part of our journey. I promise you that it will 🐝 an adventure.
This is great!! Keep going!!
Thanks, Melody! I appreciate the encouragement. 🙏
This man's making it happen. The future is now old man!
Thanks, Danny!
This is FANTASTIC! Thanks - I have SUBSCRIBED!
Thanks, Dan! I'm looking forward to continuing to take this bee smoking journey with you.
I look forward to seeing them for sale soon!. I am past my three score years and ten. Thanks
Thanks, Johnkels! Keep tuned in (and Hands on).
😉
wow this is awesome keep up the innovation
Chris, thanks so much! Please keep watching and giving feedback. I hope to have an update on v5.3 soon.
Outstanding! Can't wait until these are for sale!
Thanks, @BackBeeBrokenBeekeeping, I'm hoping that I can get one into your hands before then. I'd love to get your feedback. We'll talk soon.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Sign me up for one as well. It's genius. Thanks.
@ralphhamblin00, make sure to sign up the VIB club if you'd like to get involved in the development of the product. I only have limited prototypes and would love you feedback on the designs.
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
I am sick and tired of fighting with my smoker! This device is an amazing idea! Would love to test/help with this puppy!
@unmarkedmayhem, thanks! If you want to help with the development of the product, please sign up for VIB Insider's club. I'd love to have you on the team.
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
So cool, great idea
Thanks, Aidan! Stay tuned in by subscribing to stay involved in its evolution. 🙏
Cant say I ever had problems operating a traditional smoker tbh but this would be great for new folks with a single hive and less hassle. I love being non digital on the farm for obvious reasons but gets easier all the time with solar batteries etc.. many hives are on off grid plots of course
Thanks, PazLeBon, I respect that some beekeepers like yourself have mastered the traditional smoker and are not interested in an alternative. Interesting idea with the solar batteries. Maybe even a solar charging station in time as I'm now looking at using standard drill batteries. Thanks so much for your feedback.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I didnt mean to imply it wasnt interesting at all. More that the traditional one works great for multiple hives that Ive usually owned but for or one or two hives they'd 'be be a pain so this is ideal for the hobbyist. Not even solar charger needed so much but larger 1kw type batteries are becoming quite common on the farms so being able to connect to those would be great some of which woul dbe solar.. others perhaps recharged occasionally. Many would have just a usb c type connection :)
PazLeBon, yes, I have my main apiary on a farm outside of town and one colony at home for pollination. When I inspect my home colony, it's a pain to stoke up a smoker for just one hive and then to have to babysit it while it cools down. Since I invented the electric smoker, it's much easier, I just go out, smoker the bees, do the inspection, and bam, back at my home desk before lunch is over. ⏰
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping yeahh absolutely get that ;) Hence i wanted to reiterate i meant it as a positive ;)
@@PazLeBonNo worries, my friend! I took it as a positive. I hope you keep watching the channel and engaging with me-I've really enjoyed our conversation. You clearly have a lot of beekeeping experience and could be a fantastic mentor for our community.
Really nice! Awesome work!
Thanks, Saurabh!
Very cool idea...Very interested
Thanks, Caz!
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping 2nd year beekeeper...12 hives and growing
Caz, way to go, my friend! That is truly amazing. My first year, I had 6 colonies, my second I had 2. Don't ask, it's still too painful. 🐝😭
@TechnicallyBeekeeping I was fortunate to have a mentor for a year.. As you know, there is so much to learn. I live in Southwest Florida, so winter is very mild here. Our last flow is Oct/Nov we have several throughout the year.. I feed my bees probiotics and red cell during the winter months to keep them fat and healthy. I feel this has prevented me from losing colonies.. I'm looking forward to future videos..
Caz, a good mentor can make all the difference. I have a condo in Venice, FL. I hope to be down there in Dec/Jan to get away from Chicago winters. 🥶
This is co cool! Awesome work!
Thanks, guys! Looking forward to using it on a Keeper’s Hive next year. 😉
Great development and description.
Thanks, Kyler!
Great idea 🇬🇧
Louise, thanks for the encouragement, my friend!
very clever development and thinking - impressive
Thanks, Richard!
Brilliant! For your camera you could make it a Bluetooth accessory and have the video/Pics stored on your cellphone. Another idea would be integrate wifi or cellular module to upload video/pics to a webserver and offer it as a subscription. Think reoccurring revenue. I love the Dewalt battery concept as well!
Thanks, Brian! I agree with the recurring reoccurring revenue. I used to work for Motorola Mobility and we used to say that our biggest problem was that we were only "selling silicon" meaning we only got money when someone bought a phone but no reoccurring revenue. So we had to keep pumping out phones. I don't want to be "selling silicon" with the smoker and smart device. I'm imagining like you say, perhaps a cloud SaaS offering where the images can be stored, or partnering with bee inspection SaaS companies. Keep the great ideas coming! 🧠
My least favorite part of beekeeping is the smoker. Please keep your ideas coming, and know that you are appreciated. I await the time when you can market them.
Thanks so much, Maggie! I'll keep working on it. 🔧
I am super impressed by your thinking, execution, and sales abilities. Personally I believe you have developed a Rube Goldberg solution to an already dead simple solution. However this is NOT meant to discourage you. I believe there is a market among the many new beekeepers who will go through the inevitable learning curve associated with learning how to operate traditional smokers.
Your idea of using the ubiquitous cordless power tool batteries is brilliant and and optional adapters that would allow users to choose which type would help imo. The power tool batteries should be powerful enough to provide enough heat to utilize pelleted wood, a simple easily accessible smoke generator that works poorly in traditional smokers and might work well for your application if you can handle the feed and residue issues. Also, as you have no doubt realized, it requires lots of energy to make heat with electricity and burning a flammable fuel source with electricity might not be feasible.
Good luck to you I believe you on the way to a marketable product that you could easily sell face to face and possibly through videos. I predict a
short lived product life cycle.
Hey Doug, sorry to hear that it doesn't resonate with you. I respect that you like the traditional smoker. All the best.
I think it is a great idea specially if you make it compatible with Dewalt or other main brands. About the camera unless it is a 4k where you can make videos and pics and zoom in and see the bees, mites, damaged wings etc I would not bother. Amazing work developing it, congratulations.
Thanks, Butteworks! Good point about the 4K camera. The smart device will be further down the line and it seems to be the least popular of the features. Thanks for the feedback and keep it coming.
Interesting ideas . Keep working !
Jay, thanks for the encouragement! I'm a bit obsessed with building this, so I'm not sure I could stop working on it if I wanted to. 🤣
wow. you are fantastic.
Brandywine Farm, you're not so bad yourself. ;) Thanks for the compliment, my friend. Make sure to subscribe to the channel to keep track of updates and if you want to help with feedback and directly talk with with me, join our VIB Insider's club below.
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
I love this! As you said, sometimes I want to spend hours in the hives, so a big smoker (car) might be more appropriate. But, by far, the vast majority of my beekeeping time is spent popping into a hive or 2, just to check out what's going on in the top box. Often, I don't even use smoke, but having a unit like this (horse) would be great for when the bees are getting chippy.
I would prefer common, replaceable, rechargeable, smaller (like AA) batteries, as long as they lasted for, say, 15+ minutes of run time (that should be a couple of hours of on/off use), but using a bigger, cordless tool battery works too. The problem is, then you have to get involved with all of the different battery configurations of the different tool companies (well, you don't HAVE to, but then you're limiting the market). I also envision this unit being left in my bee yard with my other equipment, so the idea of having some extra AA batteries ready to go, and not tying up my tool batteries suits me. All told, if I got enough run time to be in the hives for an hour or so, I'd prefer the AA setup.
I do run the Lorob bee vaporizer with an 18V Rigid battery, and love it, but that's a very specific use at a very specific time, so I don't mind that setup. With this smoker, I want to be able to use it on a whim, so I want it in my bee yard.
Anyhow, I appreciate your curiosity and your experimentation. Thanks.
Wow, what amazing feedback, Doug. I really appreciate it. It's a good point about not wanting to tie up your tool batteries. I'm not sure that I could get AA batteries to have the juice needed to run it, unfortunately. I am looking to make it detachable, whatever I do. My current design, you'd need to open the battery cover, but I'm learning from the community here that having it easily swappable like how I have the fuel source is key.
Saying 'Hi There' from me and my Bees here in Scotland ! 🏴
Been there done that with 'Bee Smokers going out all the time. Add a bit of Lavender Flower or Dried Stems to the Smoker Fuel. Keeps the Beek calm and the Bees Calmer as well. Works a treat.
Happened today, several times, knowing the Smoke stopped right at the wrong moment ! Oh Drat !?! . . Where's my Culinary Blow Torch when I need it (?)
Like the ones used on Creme Brulee etc. . . Brilliant at getting 'Smokers all lit Up.' 🔥
A case of Fingers Crossed
it stays alight for all my Hives and Nucs (re : mid Summer Splits) to Inspect.
One by one. All doing great this Autumn (Fall.) 😁
Like your way(s) of thinking there. . . Only one Request :
"Don't forget us 'Lefties' or South Paws !
Need that Magnet to be able to Turn 180 Degrees ! So I can Shoot from the Left Hip: kinda.
Already have a (dead Speaker) Magnet 🧲 inside my Bee Suit Pocket . . .
"Clank" goes the Hive Tool : on the "Outside." No Lost Hive Tool ! Works a Treat. . . 👍
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2024
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
RUclips AI : Randomly brought me to this Video. Awesome thinking there !
[Genius idea 💡 in the making by the way.]
What are you going to Call it ?
Lazy-BEE-Smoker without the Fire going out. 😂
Could it also Warm Up or make another Bee Friendly Cup of Tea too !?! 🫖
I'd grab that unwanted Tubing, and use that as a kind of Straw ! Thru the side of my Bee Suit Veil no problem. . . Oh and a few Chocolate Biscuits (Cookies) wouldn't go amiss either. Now how to eat those ?
Good Luck with the Project. by the way. . . 🤞
Keeping Bees is thirsty work. . .
Us UK 'Blighty Folk' always want a good Cup of Tea !
As Beekeepers say : Always
"Think Outside the Box ! " 😁
The Tea Caddy or the Biscuit Barrel : both are Wood Boxes of sorts. . . I'll let myself out. 😎
Wow! All the way from Scotland!
We have close friends outside of Glasgow, what an amazing place! It has taken me 20 years, but I can understand a little Glaswegian.
Lavender oil is a great idea. And makes for a nice smell as well.
Regarding left handers, yes I started out the design with the air vent on the right side, and moved it to the back to allow the magnet to connect on either side for either hand. That is important to me, so I have you covered.
Regarding Lazy-BEE Smoker, lol, love it.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping
Hi. . . Lavender Essential Oil might work (!?). . . Not sure (?)
Tip :
My suggestion was actually the Plant : Dried Flower Heads and waste Stems etc. . .
Bees love Lavender Flowers all through Summer. Come Autumn (Fall) all that Dried Matter needs trimming off, to aid better Flowering for next Season. I trim and deadhead all that Debris, dry it out. Keep the Lavender Flowers for use in the Home etc. Or Gift it away.
Those Dried Stalks used to be 'thrown out'. But hey, why not use that too ! So I do this. . .
I make loads of Smoker Fuel 'Burner Bundles' using spent Plant & Foilage material. (Do measure your Smoker Chambers Width, and make these Bundles a little smaller !) Or you might find they didn't fit great. Been there done that. . . Oops ! 🤭
Getting a Garden through Autumn (Fall) before Winter provides : Snipped Stalks, Stems and Sticks, masses of Leaves. All literally wasted. Smoking stuff !?!
Getting the Bees and Hives healthy and ready for our long Scottish Winters also means that I plenty of old Bees Wax from Frame Exchange Outs. (Old Combs / Wax Melting and the resulting 'Slum Gum' left) must have a use too, surely ?
I had an idea. Make Smoker Fuel into easily used Burner 'Bundles. Waste not, want not.
I can always find 'Tattie Sacks' somewhere near by (live in a Rural Area of Scotland where Potatoes get grown.) This Hessian (Burlap) with some Garden Twine: and a bit of 'Cleaning Up' through some pruning, deadheading etc. . .
Is ample Material for making decent 'Smoker Fuel' Burner Bundles. Also helps in that we have a Wood Burner Stove on so an old Stove Pot with water, an inner Container (eg an Ex large Tomatoe Tin.) Results in Dipping Small Tied Up Bundles (of Hessian Wrapped Plant Material) even using a bit of those plentiful Lavender Stalks, uses up Debris. For a Good Beekeeping cause !
Or at least I think it might make my Bee Smoker light more easily ! Burn longer, right ! Or at least Calm the Bees and Beekeeper alike.
What we do for our Bees. . . 😏
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2024
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Family lived for a Year many decades ago in a place called Aix en Provence, in the South of France. Lavender growing far & wide ! And the Honey was amazing too. . . Just about remembering it !
So trying to Grow more for my Bees. Whether these Plants will survive the Winter will have to be seen. An odd one does. (Take lots of Cuttings off it come Spring, and grow more to replace the Frosted ones !)
All I know is that an 'Old Timers', well used Copper Bee Smoker, I had bought, a few Years back (from a Garage Sale, a Retiring Beek, now deceased,) Is well loved and just about works.
And sometimes just about 'stays alight.'
Keep Calm and Carry on. . . 🤭
@@ME_MeAndMyBees great idea with the smoker bundles.
Lol, what we do for our bees, indeed!
Regarding the lavendar fields, that is a bucket list item for me is to go to a place with lavendar fields in full bloom. The way that I imagine it is heavenly!
🐝Calm and Carry on, as well, my friend.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping
Thank You. . . 😏
More Bee Gear Invention "Ideas" please. . .
They are are 'Buzzing' full of good suggestions !
Just watched the 'Mason Jar Lid' ways and means. Fabby !
More used Stateside, (than here in the UK, tend to reuse naff Supermarket Jam (Jelly) Jars. Or ones with that nice expensive Italian Tomatoes Sauces in them. 😉
Don't think the Dinky (Tiny) Regional Airport in FLA would allow me to Buy up all WinnDixies 'Mason Jars' and bring them Home across the Pond, after seeing Family. Think (K.W) has enough 'Crazy Season' Tourists already. . . 🙃
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2024
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Wow : we had Trmps in the 20C's (mid 70F's) Yesterday ! After an awful x4 Month Wet (Icky) Summer : only a good Day here and there. Do an odd Hive Inspection & run Indoors after another deluge. . . 🌧
The "Girls" 🐝 are making up for it now : Collecting in lovely 'Heather Honey' off the nearby Moorlands by me. Never knew decades ago, my Locality was a 'Mecca' for Honey Crops. Local Bee Association (Club) has tales of all sorts with Folks moving Bees on Trailers, Vans, even Back Seats of Cars ! Whacky (Bee) Races. On your Marks, get Set, Smoke ! 🤣
This is really awesome🎉🎉🎉.
Thanks, Sedharth! Much appreciated.
Great work. .
Thanks! I love the look of your hives, btw. A friend and I were working in his Castle Hives a couple of months ago on his manicured backyard. The whole scene looked like something out of a magazine.
Love it!! Keep going!! Such passion & great ideas for the future of beekeeping
New beek here (first year) very steep learning curve. I wondered the same thing... Why a fire hot, burn your finger, a Christmas story curse someone for thermostatic, forget one second annnndddd it's out smoker 🤣.
Hope you keep it open source.?! I got my 3D printer ready & waiting 🐝👍
So glad that you like it. How are your bees doing after your first year. A lot of new beeks give up in the first year, so keep strong, it gets easier.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Thank you! Bees are looking good, treated and hopefully ready for winter 🤞
@meganwinters5163, Awesome. Feel free to lean on our VIB community for help if you need it.
As someone who vapes, I like it, and have had the same thoughts. You need to return to the long tube nozzle that runs down the arm, and a remote trigger on the hand. I wore a belt pack respirator for a long time, and it's not that bad weight wise. You could make this thing commercial scale that way. However, the vape cartridges wear out, and a few bucks here and there add up.
Interesting, I'd not thought about a belt pack version. It would definitely help with fuel capacity for bigger jobs. Thanks for the ideas.
This would be a fantastic device to use during the hot summer months, or whenever there is a burn ban in effect in your county. You could possibly make the smart recording device voice-activated, so you could tape a problem frame, or summarize the health of your colony.
Paul, I like your thinking! I've been thinking about something like a Siri for inspections. When you have a frame in your hands and propolis, wax and honey on your fingers is the worse time to grab a pen and paper. If you could use voice commands, it would be perfect.
I'd not thought much about burn bans and smokers before building this. As a person in Chicago, we don't face this often. But many states have regulations around bee smoker use. I believe that this smoker could prevent a lot of forest fires in the future. A benefit that I'd not really thought much about before starting. Thanks!
Awesome idea and I think it could be the smoker of the future. But the camera attachment is something I'd never use personally.
Best of luck with it, and I will be watching.
Thanks, Malcolm! Fair enough, on the camera being something you'd never use. I initially integrated the smart device and camera into the smoker but realized it might not appeal to everyone. Plus, it would increase the cost of the smoker for something that not everyone values. I'm thinking that the smart device would be an optional add-on. Thanks for continuing to watch, I'm eager to hear more of your feedback to make this device truly resonate with you.
Thanks for video-I’m impressed with your creativity! Let me know when you’ve product and I’ll buy it.
Thanks, John! I truly appreciate your support. If you've not done so, sign up for the Very Important Beekeeper Club below to stay updated and to get more involved. Thanks! 🙏
vib.technicallybeekeeping.com/
This is one of the first things i looked for when i was first looking into beekeeping. A vape style smoker already exists but its still based on a standard smoker design with bellows, is from europe or something and costs a ton because it uses all proprietary stuff. Im VERY interested and would be happy to help or just buy one when available. I have a 3D printer, soldering stuff, etc. I definitely think the drill design is the way to go.
Adrenaline Junkie, great RUclips profile, btw! I'm looking forward to making this journey with you. It would be great if you can sign up for the VIB club:
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Signed up right away. Thanks!
Am an apiarist frm Kenya. That's splendid innovation & waiting when you start marketing the gadgets,,,kudos✓🎉
Peter, I've never met a beekeeper from Kenya before! So excited to have you watching the channel. I can imagine that heat and fire could be a large issue in your bee yard. 🔥
Make sure to sign up for the VIB club if you'd like to get more involved, my friend!
vib.technicallybeekeeping.com
@TechnicallyBeekeeping Thanks,,, much appreciated
@@Pemuga-x3y Any time, looking forward to getting to know you better. 🐝 well!
Love the idea of the Dewalt battery pack
Thank you, Seth, for joining the VIB Club. Your expertise in AI has the potential to transform our VIB community. 🦾
Cool development. A small solar panel in the side or top could boost run time or potentially help maintain a charge if it sits unused for long periods of time.
Thanks, Honey Bee Live. I might try that on the smart device as well, it has the flat surface and could run down over time. Keep the ideas coming!
Wow, I'm impressed with all the research and development you did. I usually have to reload my smoker twice for each hive. I would prefer a rechargeable battery that can be charged with a USB-C plug. I use Makita instead of Dewalt battery tools, and a lot of people use Milwaulke. The QR code on the side for instructions is a great idea and the magnetic clip is a great idea, too.
Yes, USB-C if I have an internal charger is a must. To your point, I was looking at this battery this weekend and looks really promising. Let me know what you think? DeWalt has a simliar 8V that might work. Thanks so much for the positive comment, I was worried I'd get a lot of trolls, but so far everyone has been amazingly supportive.
www.globalindustrial.com/p/72v-lithium-ion-cordless-1-4in-hex-driver-drill-kit-with-auto-stop-clutch
Very cool, the dewalt battery may make it impossible to hang by magnet which seems like a plus to me. I've been keeping bees for more than 20 years and can keep a smoker lit but many of the folks I mentor can't and only have 1 or 2 hives. Having to light a smoker for 10-20 minutes can be a chore. I recommend the compressed cotton or smoker pellets sold by the equipment suppliers to make it easier for them. Something like this would be very handy.
Thanks, Pete! I completely agree. I have most of my colonies on a farm but I have one at home for pollination. Getting a smoker running and dealing with the cool down period is a lot of overhead for one hive inspection or if you just want to get in and out. Thanks for mentoring these folks, we don't have enough 20 year beekeepers that are interested in helping newbeeks to be successful. 🙏
This looks very promising. I have been considering the Apisolis smoker as it would be more convenient checking a few hives quickly or if there is a high fire risk. I know their design uses a tried and true bellow design but I really like the adjustable fan speed your prototype offers. I agree that you should definitely consider the drill type grip along with the popular batteries currently available, since many people already use those. It will make the smoker a tad heavier but I think also a bit sturdier. Finally, the trigger mechanism as it currently is designed may build up quickly with propolis and beeswax. I wonder if a soft touch button that is covered would be affected less. Or if your trigger device was covered with silicone type material that would prevent propolis from gumming up the trigger. This does look very exciting and I think I will wait to hear more about the availability of the product before I purchase anything else!
Phillip, regarding the bellows, I've found that mounting a camera to a bellowed machine doesn't work due to the movement. I've also gotten some feedback that after inspecting more than a couple of hives, many beekeepers get tired of pumping the bellows. So I agree that the fan is the way to go.
Regarding the trigger, you have a great point. My plan is to use hydrophobic materials on the handle of the smoker to repel propolis, wax, and honey (also more sanitary for the bees). The part I've not figured out yet is how to make a satisfying trigger experience without having the gummable space between the trigger and the handle. I've thought about capacitive buttons, but they don't work well with leather or silicone gloves. I may try a membrane button like this one, I'm not sure how nice it would feel though, what do you think?
www.adafruit.com/product/1333?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwufq2BhAmEiwAnZqw8vr69tnQueFNfMjs9TwX20amLnpGnoR_kbY_va9PD1fFje8ZULz-yBoC9n4QAvD_BwE
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping that button is better than what I was thinking and believe it would provide a very durable and clean way to turn the unit on!
Keep the ideas coming, Phillip! It will make the device better and better.
Love watching this. Will you be at the bee expo bringing the items here?love the creativity.
Cathy, I will be. I already reserved my booth. I hope that I see you there!
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping great we will be by your booth. We are in Kalamazoo and excited to see your innovations. Just watched the sponge tops for feeding. I noticed my bees love my moss covered water stations so the sponge texture is similar. Thanks for creating new items for beekeeping.
Is the moss artificial or natural? Do the bees react similarly? I have to imagine that sponge and moss are also much more pleasant for the bees to walk on, like a day at the bee spa. 🐝💈
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I use a 3 gallon galvanized feed pan from a feed store. Then layer rocks , skim off natural moss on our land and place on the rocks. I fill in with twigs for additional rafts. I need to drill a few over flow holes should we ever get rain again. I can send you a few pics but the bees do in fact select this over my chicken feeders with rocks in the trough. I now have 3 in my apiary. Occasionally a deer comes during the might and messes up the moss but I fix it for the bees. I try to fill with some salt water or plain water. The dirtier the water is the better it seems.
great idea! I suggest making the battery adapter easily swappable so you can sell to owners of other batteries than dewalt. Heavy powertool batteries will probably overload the magnet though.
That's an interesting idea with the swappable battery adapter. With the heaviness of the batteries overloading the magnet, I agree. I've seen some comments that perhaps I could use a hook, which would solve for this, but I also don't want a device that's heavy to carry around all day for people with a large apiary. The current weight is super light, which I really like. What brand of drill/battery do you like/use? Thanks.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I have black and decker.
Sounds like an idea
Thanks, Alan.
Exciting!
👍
love it!!! i need it!!
Stan, lol. Thank you my friend!
Please keep me up to date
Brilliant!! I need it. I run Texas Friendly Beekeepers Facebook 12.000 members
Stan, if it would be appropriate for your FB group, I'd appreciate a mention of this video. Understood, if it's not. It is difficult for me to get the word out about what I'm working on. Any assistance is appreciated. 🙏
Yes sir -Posted it yesterday -folks are very excited about it 👍🤠🐝
Thanks, Stan! Much appreciated. It would explain the large influx of people from TX in the VIB Club. It will be awesome to extend our testing season in the fall and winter. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️
It seems like a different version of the apisolis smokeless smoker but it definitely seems better. Better battery especially with the DeWalt battery and with way better options
That is an interesting comparison, Jason. The first person that I know of that built a similar device was Paul Younger close to 20 years ago. He was a real pioneer and visionary.
ruclips.net/video/SkRO_gGwDfo/видео.htmlsi=uUoMZ0enLN8U2WDG
Unfortunately, the Younger Smoker was not very user friendly. I personally feel that for people to switch from a bee smoker to an electric bee smoker, it needs to be 10x+ easier to use than the traditional bee smoker, and the Younger Smoker didn't reach that efficiency. There was just as much prep time as a smoker and it was bulky, heavy, and hot.
I also want to give credit to Apisolis for popularizing this technology-I've enjoyed trying out their product this year. Hopefully, we can push things to the next level and make beekeeper's lives easier. I hope you'll join us on this journey to shape the future of the bee smoker.
Add a hopper and use ground pine needles 🪡 ✨️ ♥️
Random Fandom, I just bought pure pine needle oil to see how the bees react by adding it to my current mixtures.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I used to work as an apiarist in Florida. We had billions. They'd drink 350gal of syrup a week easy.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping your biggest issue is hopper size, and smoke temp. Too hot, and you'll cook off some bees 🐝, and piss off the hive. Cold smoke is better. I used to smoke 🚬 in my hood. It lead to holes 🕳 😳 😑
@@RandomsFandom Lol, I've had holes in veil before, it's not a fun time. Three stings to face.
awesome! Drill batteries is probably a good choice, make sure you have adapters for the most common used ones!
modular system where individual parts can be replaced.
Please don't over price the oils and coils, this device can prevent so many beekeeping related fires!
i'd buy one, even your prototype to test!
Flashcard guy, love the name. What kind of drill/driver/dremels do you use? What would be your preference?
Regarding the oils and coils, agreed. I may even open-source the oil recipes in the end. I want beekeepers to feel that they can use the device even if I get hit by a bus. 🚌 It probably doesn't make sense from a business perspective, but I just want this device to help the beekeeping community. We're dealing with so much with mites and keeping the bees alive.
Love the idea and the form factor. Could do a higher end model where the additional piece is a heat camera. Would be very nice for those of us crazy enough to do removals to have a smoker and heat camera that could snap onto the belt and not choke me to death in small spaces. Also, hear me out... why not use a Dewalt handle form factor and their battery as your power source? This way you could take several batteries and cartridges (this is where you make your money) into a large apiary or removal and never need to find a plug.
Sam, that's an amazing idea. I'd not thought about the removal angle. I like the thermal camera concept.
I've come to the conclusion that I definitely need a battery that's easily replaceable like a drill/driver/dremel battery.
Man I’m in a very dry forest meaning high inflammation risk, and paranoid the set my island on flames, so you got it, congratulations
Benjamin, that's an aspect of this that I've been learning as I go along. Being from Chicago, we don't have those dangerous dry seasons. Building this device could have a positive affect on the environment and sustainability. I hope that you make the journey with us.
You are amazing
@dsan2910, Thanks! Lovin' the picture of the Hoff. I've listened to "True Survivor" three times this week. 💪
Very smart idea that 👍
Thanks 👍
If it’s priced around 75-100$, I would buy it instantly!
Thanks for feedback, Bidzina.
Would love to get one of these if not too expensive
Hey Jeff, I'll try to keep the costs down as much as I can. If it were aluminum, would you pay more for it, or just stick with rubberized plastic?
Very cool! I still think pipe tobacco and a corn cob pipe will make a comeback.
Rob, lol! 🤣
I saw this corn cob pipe at the Eastern Apicultural Society conference's smoker history exhibit. You blow in it to push smoke on the bees. Who needs a veil?! Yikes! Definitely going to make a come back. 😏
drive.google.com/file/d/1hq0g0o533aeIHt8nxoQjh21nxiBxOOJ3/view?usp=sharing
Oh man, thats an epic lookin tool you have goin on there! So much innovation. Ill be keepin an eye on this! Id like to see something with a Mic and a camera that can scan a QR code on a brood box, and then store all the next pictures / vids in a folder with audio (for note taking). Once you scan the next QR code, starts a new or adds to an existing folder. Id also prob make buttons separate for the camera part, and the smoker part, i can imagine the smoke might mess up the image / too much noise from fan to record audio. But man, just as a smoker without all those bells and whistles, you have peaked my interest! *edit* and the dewalt battery is also a great option, tho unless you make a bunch of dif versions, might limit your customer base unnecessarily in the beginning.
RePetes, thanks for all the ideas! I like that idea, maybe I could push the vids and pics to a Google Drive at first. I was thinking of storing it all on the cloud. So far most people just want a device that replaces the smoker and don't seem super interested in the Smart Device, but I've actually added GPS into the smart device to detect where the beekeeper with the idea of registering it's location so that the QR code wouldn't even be necessary (although still an option). As a solo inventor that's doing all this on my own dime, there's only so much of the elephant that I can eat at one time, but I really think that the potential is limitless and the smoker is the best place to put a smart device. Wouldn't make much sense in a hive tool. ;). Thanks for your comment, it's been a long lonely road developing this, and it really makes me feel like I'm on the right track.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Oh def, focus on the smoker, thats gonna sell itself if it works! then you have all these addons you could sell separately and develop at a later date with or without help once you see some returns. Best of luck on your travels! Ill def be a buyer at some point im betting! Looking forward to the next vid!
@RePetesBees, yes, I originally started with the smart device embedded in the smoker and realized that not only would it add a lot of development time to building it, but some of the people that may want an electric bee smoker may not care about automated inspections (they just want to smoke their bees faster and better). I think that decoupling the smart device from the smoker turned out to be the right call. Thanks again for the great ideas, keep them coming.
Liked, subscribed, and filled out the VIB information. Please let me know when you have the feeders and/or the smokers available for purchase.
Blind Squirrel, love the name, by the way ... Thank you! You'll be the first to know, my friend. 🤝
😮 Take my money!
Lol Kelvin, thank you for the laugh my friend! 💸
QR code on brood box x your smart inspection device would be a great innovation. Could then link photos with that Varroa-spotting app - I can't remember the name of it as we are the only corner of the world without VM at the moment...... but being in Western Australia where we have total fireballs for most of summer your vape-smoker is an awesome idea!!! I bought an Apisolis last year but haven't got around to using it yet but yours looks much more user-friendly. Keep up the thinking!!!
Rachel, I love the QR code idea. Keep the ideas coming. You are right about areas that have severe droughts. I learned about smoker regulations in many parts of the Western US due to the potential of forest dies. I suspect that Australia may be similar in risk.
Regarding the design, yes, I have seen some devices that strap a vape machine onto a bellow or a fan onto a burning chamber, but I feel that they are incremental fixes to the bee smoker. Thanks for your comment!
This is good idea for the QR code! QR code number each box, and when you come around with the smoker+camera, just a quick point at the QR code with the camera and ur good to go! All photos / video linked to a QR code in a nice folder maybe at some point with software, and like you said, wifi/ BT to a phone or PC. Man, this would make my life so much easier. Just thinkin, then if you needed notes, maybe a mic on it for some audio notes. Everything id use in 1 handy device.
RePetesBees, you are on to something here. I was thinking the other day, "What if we had something like a Siri for taking notes while inspecting a hive?!". It seems like when you're in the middle of an inspection with a frame of bees in your hands is the worst time to look for a pen and paper, especially with everything being so sticky. What if you could do the equivalent of a "Hey Siri, colony 5 is in trouble and has American foulbrood, make a note and send a message to the state inspector" or "what should I do?!". What do you think about this idea, or maybe there's an alternative way of doing it, I'd value your opinion on this?
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping The Siri thing sounds really cool! I hate trying to take notes while inspecting hives. Something to record either what you say, or be even cooler to have something that you can interact with! Used to use a gopro but that just became cumbersome to more or less watch a whole video to re-transcribe notes. So needs some way to break up videos. Tho, now for it to replay / play sound your talking speakers too, and idk if siri / google or whatever you choose would charge you to implement such a thing. Might be something for down the road? Start off with something pretty effective but simple, maybe just push a button and it stops vid, push again starts another, with mic creating a folder for each. Then look into either goin the QR code route, or if they dont charge, maybe something fancier with siri or the likes. No matter what you choose tho, your making a unique product that, at its base, I have a feeling will sell well. I hate traditional smokers. If it works, and its not hundreds of dollars (not including all the add ons you could do, talkin base product), id be interested! might also want to look into a patent for the idea, might not save you from other countries scalping your idea and rushing it to market, but would least block American companies from takin advantage of it without paying you royalties (or the likes for where you live? I just used american as example)
Thanks, RePetesBees. I'm pretty sure that you and I will invent a Jarvis for beekeeping one day. 🦾
Regarding the patent, the device is currently patent-pending. I have a ton more work to do on it. 😅 Thanks for the encouragement! We are just getting started.
I am 73 now when I was young you could buy aerosol cans of smoke I loved it very easy to use can’t find them for 40 plus tears
Curtis, They smelled like smoke, right?
I believe that the inventor of it's name was Steward Taylor. I'm currently reading his patent when I saw your comment. Ha!
His main ingredient is hardwood tar oils. As he says in the patent, smoke-odor simulating components are very effective.
Thank you for sharing your extensive beekeeping experience with us; it's great to have someone with such a rich history to remind us of all the brilliant inventors and their inventions.
patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ae/9d/5f/7726a4db2bdc20/US2900300.pdf
Looks great. Love the battery & add on ideas. Do you have a price point in mine yet?
Bryan, Thanks buddy! I'm 100% changing the battery to a drill battery. I've not put together a price point yet. I am doing everything I can to keep the price down, as I know that's a big factor for many beekeepers. I'd love to have you help out with development and give us feedback. Please consider joining the VIB Insider's club.
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
I assume the latest prototype is still using a purchased vape? How long is it safe to use for without overheating the components/battery? Are you concerned about the vape battery exploding while it's in your hand? What precautions have you taken for those scenarios?
Hey Austin, I'm using a mix of off the shelf parts and custom ones. We're still in the early prototyping phase, but regarding safety we're using overheating detection that safely turns off the circuits and we stay within the recommended wattage. Thanks for the questions.
@@TechnicallyBeekeepingMay I suggest to work on adapting a bee smoker with an electrode inside to auto light and a fan blower so you don't have to pump a bellows, use a Milwaukee M12 battery NMhi. Reinventing the wheel from scratch is not practical when the early smoker chamber would serve well, it may be hard to get away from bio fuels. One concern is that the creosote in the not fully combusted bio fuels causes cancer, it's a major concern for health to try and improve it IMO, it would require heaps of scientific testing in laboratory conditions, would cost a lot but worth every cent if it can bring a better product to market. I doubt you'll get people to spend more than 100-150 $ though so it has to be affordable again IMO.
@@livingadamman7994 Regarding creosote, I'll avoid using that like the plague, definitely a toxic substance. You read my mind on the M12 battery, the form factor and weight should be perfect.
This is awesome i would definitely like to try one of these out.When will they be available 😊
Eric, I'm planning to start the Kickstarter for it January. Make sure to follow this channel and if you want to help direct the development of the product, please join our Very Important Beekeeper community.
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
An easy option: Buy a battery operated heat gun with added burn chamber and make a second attachment for OAV vapor. I could send you photos of mine if you want.
Edz Beez
Hey Ed, yes please do send me pics, that'd be awesome to see. Thanks for the idea.
Please keep going.
Will do, Dave! Thanks!
I probably know why the algorithm brought me here, as I’ve been sketching ideas with my dewalt battery and a dud power drill. 😁
I signed up , retired engineer. Hoping I can be of help.
Welcome, Rick. That is awesome, I will 100% accept your help.
I am writing a "why" article for ABJ on honey bees and smoke & I would love to chat with you more about this, if you'd like, for possible inclusion in the article.
Hey Jim, that sounds awesome. Do you mind using the technicallybeekeeping.com/#contact page to send me your email address? Thanks for including me.
I like the idea of the 20 volt Dewalt battery. It is light enough (12 oz) to hook to your belt and strong enough to provide power for a long time. My current Dewalt drill has a hook to clip right to my belt. Personally, the idea of a hook, similar to what is on my current smoker, would be fine. I would just hook the smoker on the side of the bee box. My current smoker weighs 2.5 pounds empty. I can’t hook it to my belt now so, I would not worry if the new one did not have the ability to hook to my belt. Let us know how you progressing. Thanks
Jim, good point about the belt mount. I am thinking about mounting a light smoker to a manikin's belt clip and the electric smoker to another manikin's belt to watch the difference. :) I suspect the first manikin will go up in smoke.
Thanks for the hook idea. I'll check it out. Keep watching and subscribe to the channel so that we can exchange more ideas. Love the feedback!
I would be interested in one with a Milwaukee battery
Danny, I was looking at the Milwaukee M12 battery this weekend. It would fit nicely in the handle and wouldn't add much weight. What do you think?
amzn.to/3XnfOj1
true inventor
Thanks, Qwer! ❤️
Looks very good. Can I ask what fan you are using?
@marian061-v3o I could do an entire video on this question. 🤣 My original designs I used a toy airplane engine, lol. I'd also worked with some drone engines as well. The reason is that there are not many smaller fans that pull air through it and are cylindrical in shape.
I've also looked at Dyson blades. While it would save me space in the barrel, I'd need more space in the handle to accommodate it, so it has all the wrong tradeoffs. It would have looked space-aged cool though. 🚀
To answer your question, I focused on quality of parts and switched to a DC motor.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I tried with a Sunon MF25101V2-1000U-A99 fan. It cannot overcome the resistance through the Vape coils. The air stream returns back. I would be happy if you could make a video on the topic in which you could share your experience.
@marian0061-v3o, honestly, the fan is the easy part, the air flow is the hard part. A fast and easy way to build something similar is using these plans: www.kamuicosplay.com/product/fogmachineguide/
I will tell you that their design won't pump out enough vapor to get the bees attention, however.
Also consider becoming a VIB Insider: vib.technicallybeekeeping.com
I use pine needles. Pine smell?
@lt35phila, yes, I've actually looked at natural pine essential oils as well.
wha is the composition of the vape liquid to be effective on bees ?
Fjeb, I've still experimenting with the best composition, but so far smoke smells are doing really well. I'll have a video on this soon. 👀
using the dewalt batterys would be awesome
Thanks, Fred!
I loved your video, I would buy the smoker, not sure I'd want or need all the extra gadgets, I only have 1 hive and I think those extras are cool, but they would end up making it pretty expensive? I hate my bellows type smoker, I can not keep it lit to save my life, lol.
Lol, yes traditional smokers are easy to learn, but difficult to master. It's why I believe that the electric smoker could help so many to spend more time with their bees and less time playing with their smokers.
I originally started with the gadgets being part of the smoker and then realized that it would make the cost much more and the majority of people would not want to start with them. So I'm thinking about an optional add-on in time. The first smokers will be 100% about being the best smoking experience possible without any extra gadgets. Still a lot of R&D to do, but subscribe and become part to the VIB club to stay tuned.
I think the Apisolis Vaporizer is a similar idea, just not with a fan. Perhaps it's worth looking at their fluid.
The one thing I'd be concerned about is glycerine / oily residue in the wax and honey. That's why you never want to have a "disco" smoke machine in your home ;-).
Vielen Dank, Balu! This is one of the areas that I'm most seriously experimenting with right now is the oil mixtures. I do find that the bees clean the oils off of themselves if sprayed directly which helps with hygiene. I've been trying different oils as the main vaporization agent to discover oils that are not just benign but healthier for bees. With a traditional smoker, there's wood ash, tar and whatever else that the beekeeper puts into their smoker that are particulate matter in the smoke. For example, I've seen some beekeepers use newspaper/printer paper with colored ink to start their smoker, the colored inks are often toxic. I'm hoping to get to a standard and known formula that beekeepers feel excited to use on their bees.
Let me know which oils that you feel more comfortable with for vaporization. I'd love to hear more.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I have not a lot of experience in these matters, but you are right that it definitely is worth looking into.
There are reasons, why us beekeeps try to avoid using smokers with the honey supers on... :)
Absolutely! Let's keep our honey as close to nature as we can. It also makes it taste better (no ash or chemicals in our honey please). 😊🍯
Thats awesome. How can I get one
I'm glad that you like it. 👏
I'm still deep in the prototoyping phase. I'm going to start a kickstarter in January and I have a Very Important Beekeeper Club that gets early updates. I suggest subscribing to this channel and signing up for the VIB Club at:
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
I'm excited to build this device for the community.
Deffently use the dewalt battery, makes a good stand
Mike, the only thing that I'm worried about with the dewalt battery is that it would make the device heavy. Right now, it's really light and well-balanced in the hand and on the holster. I was playing with this battery this weekend and looking at the Makita battery that I mentioned in the earlier comment.
Thanks for the support, my friend!
amzn.to/47jVbsE
Can you please make a basic version that will cost the consumer under $150?
Hey Kevin, I'm doing everything I can to keep the price down on the device, batteries and the fuel. I hope that you sign up for the VIB Insider's club and help with feedback. Thanks for your comment. 🙌
I‘d Love to buy this in Germany
IceBug, Kein Problem. Ich werde sicherstellen, dass es nach Europa kommt, sobald es produktionsbereit ist. Vielen Dank für Ihren Kommentar!
If priced reasonably, I would buy a simple version (no camera). I actually did some of this prototyping with Ryobi batteries. Got it to work on a traditional smoker, but not as good a solution as you are onto. For now, I drill a port into the side of my smoker and light with a torch. Works well, but not as convenient as your solution. Please finish!
@panoramahouse1159, thank you so much for your support on this project, it really means a lot to me! Please check out the followup video to this one for battery updates: ruclips.net/video/4pwRO7pOVYs/видео.html I also looked at some Ryobi battery options. Keep giving me feedback and if you want to be part of the action, please sign up for our VIB club: vib.technicallybeekeeping.com
And I'd love to see your traditional smoker mods, that sounds amazing!
Commercial beekeeper here:
Ditch the hive inspection aspect to keep cost down. Focus on this thing lasting 8-10hrs, being light weight, and convenient to carry while not using.
I totally want one, im tired of breathing in burlap or moldy pine needle smoke all day.
Thanks Zak. Totally agree that it needs to be long lasting and the fuel and batteries need to be easily swapped out. I appreciate your openness to the idea. I wasn't sure if commercial beekeepers may be open to it. I also think that making it rugged and something that you can throw in the back of the truck would be useful. Might also be interesting to put an airtag feature in it for if you lose it in a field. Not sure how well airtags work in rural settings, I'd need to research that. Thanks for the feedback. Very useful to have someone that lives and breaths beekeeping weigh in on the commercial side.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I'll buy a prototype when your ready for trials. I'm in the bees every day basically all year
Thanks, Zak. Have you signed up for the VIB club yet? If not, it's great way to get involved.
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1
Does it work with weed?
Lol. I was thinking that I may double the product as a vape gun. :) It would be a real party favorite. 🤣
Genius, let me know how I can help out.
Thanks, Brad! Make sure to sign up for the VIB Club to help out and subscribe to the channel. I'm excited to have you onboard!
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Yes, signed up for the VIB Club and subscribed to your channel.
I have no idea why the Apisolis smoker is using a bellows. Hopefully this will be a better option.
Darren, thanks. I've used Apisolis and like their smoker. I do agree that a bellowed design is limiting. For example, mounting a camera to a bellow just isn't going to work. Thanks for you comment, and make sure to subscribe so that you don't miss out on whatever comes next.
Hello. I am a beekeeper in Korea. Is the smoker you studied as a prototype commercialized and sold?
Hey Song, wow, I've never talked to a person in Korea that is Beekeeping, it is an honor to meet you. It is not commercialized yet, I have a new smoker video coming out in a couple of days. Stay tuned, my friend!
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping Thanks for your quick reply.. :)
@@songrobert990 Anytime! Let me know if you have any feedback on the smoker for the Korean audience, buddy.
@@TechnicallyBeekeeping I shared your RUclips with my Korean beekeeping friends and they wish that portable (battery-equipped) smokers would be commercialized as soon as possible. :)
@@songrobert990 LOL! Thanks for the share!!! What is the most common drill battery in Korea? DeWalt? Makita? Bosch?
I know exactly how you should use the QR code. Tie it to AI, also to The colony. Print QR codes apply them to the hive. Scan QR, smoke, check hive let AI and the camera do its thing, AI attaches its "observations" back to the unique QR code for that hive. That info/file can be uploaded to the cloud or Phone via 5G/Bluetooth. The AI lives on the Phone as an app. The AI / camera takes a wow nice smoker and makes it into a WOW Hi-Tech beekeeping tool.
Putting a scanning camera device on the smoker is the easy part.... How it connects to the app and how the app processes the AI is where the magic will occur. This has the potential of changing beekeeping as we know it.
Charley, I love it and will be using that idea in the future. I agree, we're just at the beginning of the journey, but it's going to 🐝 a blast, my friend!
I think the usb charger is better because people that don’t have the drill battery’s will most likely have that charger.
Elijah, I like the idea of using a charger for sure. I'm convinced now, that the batteries need to be like drill batteries that can be removed without opening a battery cover. Thanks for your feedback!
I am very interested in your smoker. If I can purchase a prototype and help you with your research let me know!!!
Thanks, Neo. Make sure to sign up for the VIB Club and we can talk:
technicallybeekeeping.activehosted.com/f/1