Dan,
Don't you have plenty of natural pine trees in NC?

I have used only brown, fallen pine needles for years as smoker fuel, and I
think it the best fuel you can possibly use.

Not only is it a real COOL smoke, but pine needles are so easy to light in
your smoker.

Just pack them TIGHT, like a gallon bucket of loose needles packed into one
smoker;
and that is smoke enough to do several colonies or last a couple of hours.

You might need to work off some of those Christmas calories, so go out into
the woods and gather up several big garage bags of dried pine needles.

Have a nice holiday.

George Imirie
Certified EAS Master Beekeeper
Ending my 70th year of beekeeping near Washington DC
Author of George's PINK PAGES at www.beekeeper.org/george_imirie/index.html
Author of Hobbyist Tips in the ABF bi-monthly Newsletter