smoker fuel

[jayj200]

for those who live on the coasts

I found that coconut fibers as smoker fuel are less corrosive to my lungs

[Packrat3wires]

I have good luck in Kentucky with pine needles I gather in the fall.    I get them while they are dry and store them in a large trash bag.

[BeeMaster2]

I like the pine needles that you get from a cut or broken branch, after they have turned brown. Easy to pick off the branch and all of the needles are in a nice line.
Jim

[jayj200]

pine needles seams to bother me more than palm producs

[capt44]

I use wood pellets like they use in wood pellet stoves.
I usually have several hives to do at a time and one filling will last 6 hours or so.
I use starter pellets from Mannlakeltd to get it going.

[amun-ra]

cat litter comes in recycled paper pellets easy to start and burns for hours

[texanbelchers]

I recently tried pine shavings originally designed for small animal bedding.  One piece of newspaper and a couple handfuls and it started in 30 seconds.  It was still smoking an hour later.  The smoke was very cool and I could open the top with my bare hands while it was still smoking.

Next time I have to plane down a board for frames, etc. I know I'll hold onto the shavings.

[BeeMaster2]

When a pine needle smoker is packed properly, it blows cool smoke and it will last up to 5 hours.
Jim

[little john]

I recently tried pine shavings originally designed for small animal bedding.  One piece of newspaper and a couple handfuls and it started in 30 seconds.  It was still smoking an hour later.  The smoke was very cool and I could open the top with my bare hands while it was still smoking.

That's pretty-much my choice too, as there are no pine trees in my locality. I keep shavings and coarse sawdust (from ripping) in one bag, and finer sawdust in another. I start the smoker as you do, and then put a couple of handfuls of fine sawdust on top. If it's a little damp (but not wet), so much the better. This then smoulders away for hours, and if needs be can be topped up with another handful of the fine stuff. I use only a little smoke but over a long period of time.
LJ

[Eric Bosworth]

I just use old bailing twine from a local dairy farmer. Once it is done holding hay in bails it works fine in a smoker. It does need to be crammed pretty good.

[Michael Bush]

Next time I see a coconut tree I will know I'm not in Nebraska anymore... :)

[GLOCK]

I use garlic stocks /sumac berry's /and grass . works great will stay lite for hours.
I use the the garlic and sumac for VARROA and it does not work. But smokes well.

[biggraham610]

Someone said Black walnut was good, I have bags of it from where I planed a bunch of lumber. Anyone tried it? G

[gww]

Curiosity question.
Has anyone ever tried corn kernals?  I know some pellet stoves burn it.

Thanks
gww

[Maggiesdad]

nobody's tried hemp???

guess the bees would get too much altitude and drift off... 

[Michael Bush]

>nobody's tried hemp???

It stinks...

[jayj200]

nobody's tried hemp???

guess the bees would get too much altitude and drift off... 

look that up here we got a good chuckle

[CapnChkn]

Wood shavings from my woodworking.  After I flatten a board I usually end up with a feed bag full.

[OldMech]

LOL, good smoker fuel...   No pine trees in Iowa, Kinda like Nebraska, so no palm products either, but I do have horses........  so i go to the farm supply store and buy a bag of Cedar shavings..    I tried the road apples, they worked, but.... ewww...   cedar shavings SMELL GOOD, and make lots of pretty smoke, and I dont have to shovel them!

[Beeboy01]

I break off smalll branches of pine and drape them over the bee fence to dry. That way I alway have some smoker fuel ready to go. Coconut husks work great, just cut them to size on the band saw and light them up.