Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: akwusmc on November 14, 2016, 08:11:54 AM

Title: Smoke from wildfires
Post by: akwusmc on November 14, 2016, 08:11:54 AM
We've been having some wildfires up here on Lookout Mtn and while I'm not in any immediate danger, the smoke is getting thicker by the hour.

Should I be concerned that my bees will be tricked into doing something rash?!

aw
Title: Re: Smoke from wildfires
Post by: Michael Bush on November 14, 2016, 08:21:12 AM
No.  They will not do anything rash.  The line about filling up on honey so they can abscond is not true.  I have tried many times to make them abscond by pumping heavy smoke directly into their nest in trees and houses and have never been able to get any colony to abscond.  So obviously this is a myth started by one of the few things L.L. Langstroth was mistaken on...
Title: Re: Smoke from wildfires
Post by: Spur9 on November 14, 2016, 11:43:16 AM
I'm up on Elder.  I spent most of Saturday outside and fooled around with my bees some.  They were flying and bringing in pollen as if no smoke was evident.  I'm more worried about the smoke alarms in the house going off at 2am!
Title: Re: Smoke from wildfires
Post by: divemaster1963 on November 15, 2016, 02:03:46 PM
I'm here I. Gray Ga. Jones co. Yesterday was bad. Today can. See the wall of smoke off to the. North west. It due in the afternoon when the wind changes. House arlarms went off four times yesterday. Having to change ac filter and wife's o2 machine filter out today.

John
Title: Re: Smoke from wildfires
Post by: GSF on November 23, 2016, 08:10:37 AM
I was in Mentone over the weekend the 2nd weekend of Nov. Sunday was pretty bad. Around 3 pm the smoke was so thick it looked like the sun was just about to set.
Title: Re: Smoke from wildfires
Post by: BeeMaster2 on November 23, 2016, 08:53:13 PM
Gary,
When we had the massive Bugaboo fire within a mile of my farm, there were days where the son, directly over head would turn red and then disappear and it was very dark outside.
Brunt leaves and ashes were dropping on the house and yard.
I filled a bucket with rocks, pushed a Rainbird sprinkler into the lid and placed it on the center of my roof and kept it running until fires calmed down.
Jim