<quoting from several authors with heavy editing for brevity>
 
>  He would get a hessian sack, (the type you used to buy potatoes in), cut it
>  into a 6 x 3 inch strip, put it in the smoker and light it.  It would
>  catch on very quickly. (depending if the sack was dry or not). After it was
 
This is the preferred method we have settled on after many years.  My
wife developed it because of my habit of arriving at a yard, jumping out
of the truck, lifting a few lids, and exclaiming 'where is the <deleted>
smoker?
 
We carry the fuel precut in a 5 gallon tin can with a tight lid or else an
old ammo box.  In the can we keep newspaper and many books of paper
matches and a bic lighter.
 
To ensure lighting of the burlap if there is any dampness, we use a square
of paper 6" X 6" crumpled up dropped lit to the bottom of the smoker. It
is essential to empty the previous contents (with due care that they may
still be burning) before starting.
 
The burlap (I assume another name for hessian) scrap is held in over the
flame in the barrel of the smoker while puffing gently.  Once it is
caught - only seconds have elapsed -, the scrap of sack is dropped to the
bottom loosely and hive smoking can begin.  As soon as the smoke gets
good and dense, more fuel is added, a scrap at a time and packed down a bit.
 
>  producing white smoke, he would add either, a eucalypt branch or a
>  cypress branch which would cool the smoke and made it last longer, maybe
>  due to the sap and oils from the branches. He would use it all day without
 
As the day goes on, we add more sacking as required and pack down the
charge to slow burning.  In hot dry weather, we dampen some sack slightly
and pack it on top.  This slows the burning and increases the smoke
density as well as keeping it cool.
 
We use only the large (4X10) stainless steel smokers - Dadant usually. I
sure wish they would improve the construction of their bellows - we use
up two bellows for every one one smoker assembly by the time we throw them
away.
 
>  ind, so we commonly utilise a small piece of 'softboard'( the kind of
>  building material that will absorb fluid rapidly, due to its fibre-rich
>  consistency. This is cut into small rectangles of 10 X 10 cm, and
>  soaked overnight in a [1 + 5 > ] solution of either potassium-nitrate KNO3
>  or natrium-nitrate NaNO3.
 
>  Thre chemical merely assures a smooth glow of the board, I a, mot sure
>  if any laughing gas will emrege from the burning xNO3 as from burning
>  Ammonium nitrate
 
I worry, perhaps unecessarily, about the things I put into my smoker.  I
want to *know* that there are *zero* toxic substances used as either
preservatives or occuring as byproducts of the burning.  Of course, I
realise that creosote occurs from sack burning, when I think about it.
 
The reason for worry is that everything that is in the smoke is in inimate
contact with brood, bees and honey.  We once had a fellow try to sell us
some honey.  We thought it tasted a little odd.  After some rumination, we
decided that he had used one of the 'smoke' spray cans.  We asked him.
Sure enough!
 
Have you tasted honey that seemed a little smokey?
 
Most of us get used to smells and regard them as natural,  Years ago, we
all thought honey smelled like carbolic.  It was used so much it was part
of the beekeeping environment.  I bought some supers the other year that
had been in storage.  At extracting time the honey house smelled of
phenol - even though we hadn't used it for years!
 
I won't even mention butyl anhydride - Yukkk
 
Anything in the smoke can and will get into your honey and someone will
eat it.  Think about it.  Be sure you want it in your food.  Be sure the
FDA will not reject your product if they stumble across it.
 
Even burlap from the wrong source can be contaminated.  I believe
furniture burlap is treated.  I have reasonable confidence in potato
sacks.  I don't imagine that there is anything wrong with dried cow pies,
other than the image. Unless parasites might ride on particles emitted,
which is my next concern. . .
 
Every time I get a new helper, I have to explain that the idea is to
confuse and tranquillize the bees, not to burn their wings off and
bombard the inside of the hive with ash and burning cinders - not to
mention burning up the neighborhood from sparks in dry grass.
 
As a producer of comb honey, we carefully scrutinize the surface of each
comb for dirt, etc.  You would be surprised how much gunk comes out of a
smoker that is not set just right.  It goes right into any open cells,
and its there for keeps!
 
>  put into smoker and add tobacco
 
I guess you must grow your own.  With taxes and all in this country
(Canada), a can of tobacco costs over twenty dollars (it might be thirty
now.  I've given up the habit for the most part).
 
I grew some once and it grows well and yields well. The nicotine content
was *very* high.  So were we when we tried to smoke it.  Maybe I'll grow
some again for bee use.  We'd need about two drums a year full, if burlap
is a good indicator though.
 
. . . for what it's worth
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper
Rural Route One, Swalwell,  Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
Phone/Fax: 403 546 2588      Email: dicka@
 
PS To all my friends who have tried to reach me in the last week.  My
access is thhrough the Calgary Unix Users Group.  This is volunteer
organisation of computer nuts - people who work all day on computers then
go home to work on computers.  If they get a long weekend it's a perfect
chance to work on computers.  There is an shoestring budget and an
experimental aspect to it and sometimes there are glitches.  Don't give
up.  I'm here.  Keep (re)sending those messages and flames.
 
Allen Dick