# Smoker fuel?



## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

What do you like to burn in your smoker?
I have a lot of burlap scraps from a friend who landscapes for a living. I like them.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I like sumac berries, cedar chips I recycle from the dogs houses, piner neddles I rake up from under the pine trees.
Bailing twine at one time was easy to get free and worked real well.

But thre favorite is thr sumac berries.

 Al


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## yankeedoodle (Feb 28, 2018)

Ever try canabus?
Just kidding.

Straw works good too.


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

Al. Whats the function of the sumac berries? Do they sharpen the smoke? Or do you just have them around? I also used to use jute bale twine, when it was being used to bale hay. There was a lot of it just hanging around. I can see a handful of cedar chips would help keep your smoker lit.

YD. Do you have to pack straw in really tight, to stop it from burning off too quick?

I roll the strips of burlap up and tie a wire on them. They start easily with a small plumber's torch and one roll that just fits in the hive smoker will last me for about 4 hours.


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## damoc (Jul 14, 2007)

Pine needles,cow dung (dry),burlap not my favorite because normally its treated,pine scraps,wood rot,grass and straw,cardboard tearings, add a little beeswax in there to keep going longer with whatever i use,one I used a lot but was hard to get and keep going was alfalfa pellets good for when you need a lot of smoke over a long period of time kind of smelly though.and finally
dry deer or rabbit turds i would call them close to my favorite when i can get enough.


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## yankeedoodle (Feb 28, 2018)

I also wasen't to sure about burlap bcz it is generally treated with something. 
For moist hay or straw, you can put a piece of cardboard in the bottom and some beeswax and light it and then stuff it full of the afformentioned product. If it is nice and dry you can usually light it right up with a little torch,as you said.But, ya, stuff it full.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Bee Keeping Mag years ago had a article on sumac berries in the smoker helping to control Vorroa mites.
So I started collecting the berries stalks.
I rarely use my smoker just have it ready just in case.

. Al


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

That's the reason that I use the landscaping burlap. It isn't treated. And the jute bale twine for the same reason.
I have one colony that is a little touchy. I will get a frame of brood from an easy going colony and let them raise a new queen. Other than that the smoker is on standby.


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## okjhawk (Mar 15, 2018)

I have burned a lot of things, pine needles, cotton, twine. But I burn burlap from a friend's landscape company now too. It's cost effective cool smoke. Don't change a thing.


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