Hello from Indiana,
 
Keeping a smoker going can indeed be a frustration.  As a small child
watching my father work his bees I remember him using old rags.  They
came from worn out clothing and I am sure that some of it was from jeans.
 
When I started to keep bees I too used rags.  Most clothing was made of
cotton and it worked well as a fuel.  As time went on I experimented
with other fuels primarily because much clothing was starting to be
combined with man made fibers and they did not burn well.
 
The state bee inspector that was in my area used ground corn cob and it
seemed to work well for him.  You have to place a plug of cloth on top
or the cobs will fall out if the smoker is tipped too far up.  I tried
corn cobs but did not care for them all that much.  I finally settled on
burlap and I still prefer it, if it is available.
 
At one time most animal feed was shipped in burlap.  Today feed is sold
in paper or plastic.  Many times you can find burlap at auctions.  Some
times it is chewed up by rats and mice but that makes no difference for
smoker fuel and sometimes it goes for less money because of that reason.
 
The point is, use what you have available.  If you are in areas
where cotton is grown it sounds like gleaning left over cotton from the
field would be an ideal way to get good smoker fuel.  The one caution is
to make sure the material is natural and not man made.  Even with the
burlap I wash it before I use it to make sure that any chemical or
residue is removed before I use it.  Cardboard sounds like a good idea
but some cardboard may be treated or coated with plastic. Just make sure
the material you use is natural or you could possibly damage the bees.
 
Keep you smoker going.
 
Charlie
 
Charles R. Bradley
Marshall County Extension Office
112 W. Jefferson Street  Room 304
Plymouth, IN 46563
Phone:  219-935-8545
Fax:    219-935-8612
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]