Smoke Use

Paul Kelly, research and apiary manager, discusses how to properly use a bee smoker.
Frequently asked questions: hbrc.ca/faq/
A descriptive transcript is available here: www.uoguelph.ca/oac/sites/uog...
For more videos, check out the University of Guelph's Honey Bee Research Centre youtube channel at this link:
/ @uoghoneybeeresearchce...
For more work by David Borish Visuals, check out:
www.davidborishvisuals.com/
We would like to thank Québec beekeepers Marie-Hélène Majeau and Susan Kennerknecht for translating our videos into French. We are very grateful for their help with this project. (To view translation, click on settings then subtitles)
Nous aimerions remercier deux apicultrices du Québec, Marie-Hélène Majeau et Susan Kennerknecht pour la traduction de ces vidéos en français. Nous leur en sommes très reconnaissants. (Pour accéder à la traduction française, sélectionnez paramètres et ensuite sous-titres)

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thank you to everyone for watching and supporting our videos! If you have any questions about our videos, please check out our list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on our website, which can be found at honeybee.uoguelph.ca/videos/frequently-asked-questions/

[@larrypeterson4945]

I really appreciate you folks producing these videos. I am an old man with very poor hearing. I can understand every word you folks are saying. Excellent sound quality!! The material presented is "pure gold." I also appreciate the fine detail and the way it is presented in a clear and logical way. Thanx, LP

[@acer2164]

Brotha u wrote all that

[@nicolasthorpe9385]

I am a novice in the UK and recently came across these videos. I just wish I had found them earlier! They have been very useful and I really appreciate Paul's relaxed but thorough approach. I went out and bought some woodchips today and they work like a dream - thank you.

[@andonymelathopoulos2004]

Great series Paul and all the folks at Guelph. Definitely recommending this series for beekeepers in Oregon.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Adony! Nice to hear you find the videos helpful for your beekeepers in Oregon. Thanks Adony.

[@michaelhumphries44]

Thanks for the educational videos. You explain everything in great detail. I,ll try these methods that you demonstrate when i,m in my bee yard.Thanks Jeff

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

We appreciate your generous comments Jeff. Good luck with your bees!

[@ianhungry1073]

Phil from Australia here. Thanks for your great advice.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Phil way down in Australia! You are most welcome.

[@christopherwharton6022]

Say hi to the Dusty Bogan for me.

[@kellybohling1875]

Thank you for this video! Very to-the-point and informative, making it great to watch as a refresher!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Kelly!

[@TwiceSmittenOnceShy]

Wow, what a fairly involved process! Who would have known? I literally just wondered what this was like while I'm here working on a final project for one of my summer classes. Also, the line: "Once you blow smoke on the guard bees, they go in and eat honey" cracked me up for some reason!

[@knighttimegaming3172]

I always wondered what the smoke was used for. Well explained.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks!

[@ricksiegfried2455]

Wow Great idea! Thank you so much!!!😀

[@lintonmacnamara1469]

Interesting and Informative. Down here in Aus where things can be very dry we have instances of smokers causing bush fires. We use a range of fuels from hessian,eucalyptus bark cardboard etc. one handy gadget I use is a long neck kitchen gas lighter which reaches to the bottom of the smoker when tilted. Can light the shavings at the bottom of the smoker.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

HI Lynton I'll bet you do have to be very careful there. Our crew started a grass fire once that ran to about 5 acres and required a call to the fire department. Very dangerous! I give much better safety instructions now. Thanks for passing on the tip about the long lighter.

[@laurendoninger2693]

this is a terrific video - thanks.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thank you Lauren!

[@zulkarneynification]

Very useful video, Thank you

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks for your kind comment :)

[@derekswift9215]

Ok thank you I will look into that

[@nenzianwari]

Hey, great informative video. A question comes to mind though....WILL it repel the missus?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

It makes you smell like woodsmoke. Some people enjoy that smell!

[@AlfredKarani]

Can I use lavender smoke

[@DawnieGTheBeekeeper]

Great video, I can't keep my smoker going. Also...I love the tool belt, where did you get it

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Dawnie I manufacture the belts. I don't sell them directly but you can find more about them and where to get them in our FAQ. The FAQ link is posted under each of our videos and it's on our website.

[@leahjones2856]

Practicing lighting mine before spring and the arrival of my first bees. I seem to get flames shooting out the air hole at the lower bottom of the canister adjacent to the bellows. I’m starting with newspaper as the video and adding wood smoker chips. What do you think I’m doing wrong?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Leah Always a good idea to practice! I'm wondering if you have a grate in the bottom of your smoker. Look online to make sure your smoker is all set up in the right way. The hole coming in at the bottom has to be below a grate. I really like Dadant smokers. Poorly made smokers are often sold to new beekeepers as part of a kit.

[@nerdy_.rockstar8254]

I'm getting bees tomorrow i'm so excited.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Good luck with your bees. Very exciting indeed!

[@antty3380]

Nice 👍🏻

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks ✌️

[@raterus]

If you're like me, and have no idea what "newspaper" is or how to get it, you can get a box of packing paper wherever you'd buy packing supplies.

[@davidshubin5324]

Hi from California, you said that the guard bees go in and gorge themselves. Why do they do this? An emergency response in case they need to evaluate? And thanks for all the wonderful videos. David

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

HI David As far as I know nobody knows the answer to your question. Your explanation is what we all assume to be true.

[@davidshubin5324]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre are we even sure that is what their doing then? Could that even be an assumption? How can we be sure, or is that even possible?

[@markyoung6284]

Smoke has been used by beekeepers for 1,000+ years to calm bees, so that the beekeeper gets stung less. Do you really need to know why smoke works? UoG did a great job compiling these videos; the best beekeeping videos on KZbin that I have seen so far. We may consider providing comments to encourage more quality videos, rather than picking at theoretical issues.

[@mandyfergie95]

thats so cool I want one

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

They are a wonderful tool! Almost magic!

[@amiraaltikriti3601]

thank you so much but i couldn't get what kind of fule had you used? can you please write its name

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Wood shavings. It's sold for horse bedding here.

[@mellowonfire]

you can as well use pine cones dry leaves ragweed and pine needles

[@Lunchbox_com]

What brand smoker is that? Dadant smoker with a Mann Lake Pro-Bellows?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

I think you are right. I've gone back to Dadant smoker and bellows.

[@gabrielboudreau6701]

I have a friend in China that her family produces honey. I recently noticed that any honey products are at an all time low. She pretty rely on this for her family income. I suggested on making bee wax candles. I was wondering if you guys have any tips or such that I can pass along? Thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Other products and services include pollen, propolis, bee venom, comb honey, creamed honey, mead, royal jelly, queens, bees for sale and bee education.

[@gabrielboudreau6701]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre I thank you all and I'll pass this along to my friend in China

[@henryeccleston7381]

Thoughts on using natural incense in the smoker? I’m thinking for both pure aesthetics and for volume of smoke. Would this be a bad idea? If so, why?

[@derekswift9215]

what if you are allergic to smoke what do you recommend?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Derek That would be a problem. There used to be a liquid smoke spray that apparently worked OK. Not sure if it's still available and it might also cause a reaction.

[@christopherwharton6022]

Don’t move to California.

[@whotube88]

Great video there. I have a massive beehive on the top of my terrace that i want to get rid of. I am planning to call a professional bee handler to remove the hive without hurting them, so they can relocate. However, i was wondering if i could keep the comb to extract honey. He said he would be using smoke to pacify the bees, and i am thinking if the bees engorge themselves with honey when they see smoke, wouldn't that mean there would be no honey in the comb, or at least very less honey than I could get? Then i also see you and almost every professional bee keepers use smoke to subdue them. Or is it considered a normal loss to lose that bit of honey that the bees have on them.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There Smoke gets bees to eat a bit of honey. Not a significant amount though. Go ahead and contract your bee handler. It's a lot of work for them to remove the bees. Be clear about who keeps the honey in your arrangements.

[@seferino]

I love honey.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Me too!

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Interesting, I understood Locust bark was the only safe smoke for bees... Maybe this isn't accurate information I've been given?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Many different fuels work fine and don't harm bees. I like pine shavings because they burn well, are completely naturally sourced, are cheap and are readily available as animal bedding at agriculture supply stores ( or from the planer in my workshop).

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

hmmm pine shavings sound nice! thanks for the info!

[@dt8799]

The hardest part of this now a days is finding a newspaper.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Haha. We are lucky. The University has a student newspaper in tabloid size. They save extras for us. Don't use colorful advertisement flyers. They don't burn well.

[@temtimetadesse9075]

Can i uze sawdust

[@mellowonfire]

yes anything that is flammable such as dry leaves pine cones pine needles

[@summondarkness]

Has anyone tried to smoke em with marijuana see what would happen? Asking for a friend.

[@reptar5124]

"As need bee" was that pun intended??

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

:) It's hard not to make bee puns - intentional or otherwise.

[@ReallyNo.01]

Can you use marajuana?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You could but then the bees would get the munchies and eat all their honey. ;)

[@rorysr.fundell2564]

Nice video??? Uh,no picture!!!

[@HerrenGamingNews]

So you don't use weed?

[@mellowonfire]

no you can

[@stewiegriffin6503]

I would smoke bees every day, just for fun.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

It is fun. Especially blowing smoke rings. I have an employee that can blow a smoke ring through a smoke ring!

[@bigboobmasterbaiter69]

"don't use man made materials" but uses news paper?