Michael Moroney <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>A beekeeper near here who runs a bee supply business sells sodium nitrate
>fertilizer for use in smokers (in small quantities in addition to your
>normal smoker fuel)  I also found out (from this list) ammonium nitrate
>fertilizer also works.  I tried this once or twice on a particularly
>ornery hive and it does work.  Don't use too much of these, they're oxidizers
>and accelerate burning, producing LOTS of smoke for a short time, then the
>fuel's gone, or maybe a fire if things get out of control.  Be careful of
>this smoke, while it's largely laughing gas (guess bees like it too!) it
>also contains nasty stuff.
>
>-Mike
>
I would caution against doing this.  Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is made by
reacting red fumming nitric acid with ammonia.  It is an extreem oxidizer and
has a very nasty trait of exploding if burned in a confined space.  Commerical
blasting powder is made from ammonium nitrate fertilizer.  The only difference
between the two products is that the fertilizer product is usually coated with
diatomaesious earth.  If a quantity of this were set on fire and it was
flooded with water an explosion could result.
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                Carl Mueller
                West Palm Beach, Florida USA
                Email: [log in to unmask]
         I think therefore, I am politically incorrect!!
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