Lesson 32: Lighting and Using the Smoker

How to get cool, steady smoke, and how much to use

The smoker is the single most important tool for keeping stings down, even more important than protective clothing (lesson 21). But a smoker that goes out halfway through an inspection, or puffs hot smoke, is worse than useless. This lesson is about getting it right.

How a smoker works

Air from the bellows is pushed into the bottom of the firebox, passes up through the burning fuel, and comes out of the spout at the top. So:

• the fire needs to be at the bottom, below the fuel, not on top;
• the unburned fuel on top cools the smoke and makes it thick.

The goal is cool, dense smoke.

Lighting it, step by step

1. Light a small handful of fuel (pine straw, dry grass, burlap, raw cotton, newspaper or untreated wood pellets) with a lighter or match. Never burn anything with chemicals, plastic, rubber or paint in it. The fumes can harm or kill your bees.
2. Drop the burning fuel into the bottom of the firebox and puff the bellows several times to get a brisk flame going.
3. When that first layer is burning well, pack more fuel on top of it.
4. Keep puffing until the new fuel catches and the smoker is giving off a thick cloud of smoke.
5. Close the lid. Puff a few more times. If the smoke is thin or stops, open it and add a little more lit fuel at the bottom.
6. Keep extra fuel with you and add some before it burns down.

Test the smoke on the back of your hand from a short distance. It should feel cool, not hot. Hot smoke, or sparks and flame out of the spout, can burn bees. Add more fuel on top to cool it.

Using smoke when you open a hive

1. A puff or two at the entrance before you open anything.
2. Crack the lid and direct a puff or two inside. Briefly put the lid back down.
3. Wait a moment, then open the hive.
4. Puff a few times downward between the frames (the top bars) before lifting frames.
5. The bees will buzz loudly as they move away from the smoke. That's normal.

This amount of smoke is often enough for most jobs. If the bees become testy (flying at your veil, lining up along the top bars and staring back at you), give them another few puffs.

Don't overdo it

A little goes a long way. Too much smoke can make bees panic and run all over the combs, which makes the queen harder to find and disrupts the colony. Use the smallest amount that keeps the bees calm.

Safety

• The smoker gets hot. A heat shield protects your hands and legs (lesson 21).
• Don't set a lit smoker on dry grass or leaves, and watch for sparks, especially in dry weather. Keep a bucket of water handy in case a fire gets away from you.
• When you're done, put it out completely. Plug the spout with grass or a cork, or dump the fuel into a metal can or bucket of water. Don't leave it smoldering where it could start a fire.

What to remember

• Fire at the bottom, fuel on top, puff until thick, then close.
• You want cool, dense smoke; test it on your hand.
• Entrance → crack the lid → puff → wait → open → puff between the frames.
• Use as little as works, and always put the smoker out afterward.

Quick check

1. Why should the fire be at the bottom of the smoker, not on top?
2. Your smoke is hot and has sparks in it. What should you do?
3. What's the first place you puff smoke before opening a hive?

Adapted from: UGA Bee Program, Getting Started: How to Light a Smoker; UF/IFAS Extension, Welcome to the Apiary! (4H446); Mississippi State University Extension, Beginning Beekeeping in Mississippi (P3594); Purdue Extension, Learning About Beekeeping (4-H-1057-W).

Adapted from university Extension sources. Experienced Georgia beekeepers are reviewing these lessons. See something that doesn't match your experience? Tell us.