Edward Sterling wrote:
> the pine needles (recommended in an earlier post) would leave a
> tar residue over time, esp. under a slow burn.
 
 Funny, never thought about "tar residue". My smokers are all gummy and
tarry-- looking at 100s of hives a day you gum up a smoker quickly. I
often think of woodstove cresote when cleaning the gum out of my smoker.
 Some beekeepers have _one_ fuel they always use, others use whatever is
available. I like to use the local material, but have caught it from
fellow beekeepers/inspectors. " What do have burning in there now?" or
"...  that stinks... I'm working at the other end of the yard."
 Bailing twine is often treated with fungicide, maybe something to keep in
mind, although I know some commercial beekeepers who swear by it.
 
 Adam
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Adam Finkelstein
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