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Date: | Sat, 8 Apr 1995 23:09:23 -0500 |
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> Regarding smoker fuel discussion:
Dehydrated alfalfa pellets are a useful smoker fuel that I have not
seen mentioned. They take a few minutes to get a good fire going, but
once coals form they will burn for many hours. You need a little
grass above them to keep them from falling out the spout. They glow
like charcoal and produce cool white smoke. Caution - do not dump
them on the ground when finished. They are difficult to extinguish
and can be a fire hazard. They are not suitable for working a few
colonies, but make a good fuel if you plan on working bees all day.
Once started properly, they will not go out on you. They produce
little tar and do not gum up a smoker like many other fuels. A
propane torch works well to get them started.
Another useful fuel is to add green grass to a burning smoker to
produce lots of cool white smoke for moving bees. You must, however,
keep puffing the bellows or it will go out.
A parting thought, if you do not like working with a gummy smoker,
easy-off oven cleaner spray will clean up the outside nicely. Spray
it on, let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse it off with water.
marion ellis [log in to unmask]
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