Stainless Steel Domed Top Bee Smoker with Perforated Heat Shield Beekeeping Smoker Beehive Smoke Emitter Apiculture Equipment

Stainless Steel Domed Top Bee Smoker with Perforated Heat Shield Beekeeping Smoker Beehive Smoke Emitter Apiculture Equipment

Smoke emitter is a tool to subdue bees by emitting smoke.
There are many kinds of fuels used in smoke transmitters.
Any substance that slowly burns and produces large amounts of nontoxic
smoke to bees can be used as fuel for smoke pumps (recommended smoke bombs do no harm to bees).
Smoke transmitters are also known as smoke fumigating machines, which are used to uniform or drive bees.
Bees absorb a lot of honey and avoid it.After a belly full of honey, the bees is not easy to hurt, so the bee sting to make them become meek.

The smoke transmitter consists of two main components: the chimney and the bellows.
The chimney consists of a combustion chamber, a furnace railing and a cylinder head.In use, dry leaves ignite the combustion chamber, cover the cylinder, and then compress the bellows to let the smoke out.
Smoke emitters are mainly used to check colonies, take honey, combine colonies and attract queen bees.

Lighting a Bee Smoker and Keeping it lit

The bee smoker has a simple design and early versions of the smoker were the simplest. The smoker has evolved over the years and the current one comes with bellows attached on top and is used for directing the smoke. The smoker’s simplistic design and way of functioning makes it so easy to light and operate.

You start the fire in the can then pump oxygen through the fire using its bellows which will also push the smoke through its outlet or spout. The main part to be concerned about is how the air flows into the can through the bellows. If the smoker material is packed down too far in place, it blocks airflow and makes it difficult for the smoker to be kept burning.

The bee smoker lighting follows ideally three steps. The beekeeper starts the smoker, kindles it and keeps it lit using smoker fuel. Each of these steps requires its type of fuel. The starter fuel is a kind of smoker fuel that sparks easily and stays lit for long enough for the kindling to catch fire. Some of the smoker fuel that make excellent starter fuel includes: pine cone, sheet of newspaper, and roll of cardboard. Starter fuel is lit then tossed into the can before laying the kindling on its top. Some beekeepers may not use starter fuel but choose to light the kindling directly. However, this tends to be difficult, especially for beginners.

Kindling fuel should be small and thin pieces that can light easily. For instance, pine needles, wood shavings, hamster bedding, dry shredded leaves, straw, and others. You should however avoid any synthetic fabric from used clothing since it melts rather than burn and will generate harmful smoke. The smoker fuel refers to any fuel that smolders slowly and long, and this could be larger kindling fuel or any desirable smoker fuel that lasts long. Small twigs, wood chips, large pine needles, cotton knitted smoking circles, hardwood fuel pellets, and many others are ideal fuel.

How to Light and keep the smoker lit:

• Take the starter fuel and light with a lighter or match stick.

• Place it at the bottom of the smoker. You can use the hive tool to push the burning starter fuel into place.

• Pump the bellows a few times to insure the starter fuel maintains a flame.

• Add some kindling fuel to the smoker until the burner is ¾ full.

• Squeeze the bellows to help keep the kindling burning.

• With the kindling glowing, add the right smoker fuel and keep squeezing the bellows until a cool white smoke is generated.

• Close the top of the smoker and use the smoker on the hive.

How to Smoke a Beehive

The smoker should be used on occasional hive inspection or honey harvesting. Remember it does not really make a difference if you use more smoke on the hive. More does not mean calmer bees. Apply a few puffs of smoke on the beehive then allow at least 20 to 30 seconds before working on the hive. The smoke should be applied from the sides or behind the hive. Do not approach the hive from front.

When undertaking full box inspection on hives, when some of the frames are exposed, apply a few puffs of smoke then give the bees some time to move to the untouched frames. This will ensure you do not injure the bees in the process.

A few brief squeezes in the smoker bellows are usually sufficient to calm the bees. Avoid too much smoke on the hive since this can choke and kill the bees. Always allow the bees some time, say 20 seconds, after smoking before you work on the hive. Remember also never to smoke all sides of the hive. Approach the hive from one of the sides only. If smoked from all sides, the bees will have nowhere to go.

If you are working on docile bees, then it is tempting to work on the hive without using a smoker. Nonetheless, the smoker helps safely drive away the bees from the frames and corners you are working on. It therefore goes without saying that the bee smoker is needed for hive inspection and honey harvesting.

Tips for Using a Bee Smoker

The way you handle smoker will determine your effectiveness in calming your bees. These are helpful tips when using a smoker:

• Know the difference between starter, kindling and smoking fuel. Use the starter fuel to light up the smoker then add the kindle fuel before finally adding the smoking fuel.

• Lighting begins at the bottom of the bee smoker and then the fuel is piled up on top of it as the flame increases.

• Always start out with an empty and clean smoker.

• Bellows are your friend when lighting and keeping the smoker lit. Squeeze in sufficient amount of air whenever you are lighting and adding more fuel. The occasional puff from the bellows will keep the smoker burning.

• Never pack too much or too little fuel within the smoker. Too much will put off the fire and too little will burn too fast and waste the fuel. Put in the right amount of fuel. You should also monitor the smoker from time to time to ensure enough fuel is left.

• The bee smoker gets very hot. Therefore, hold it by the bellows or by its little hook in the front.

• Never place the smoker on top or near anything that melt or prone to scorching.

• Ensure the smoker is well maintained at all times and store it in cool dry and secure place.