Day #129 I did it!

You may recall that I’ve had some trepidation about lighting my smoker.  In fact, I’ve tried several times (times I didn’t admit to in this blog) and failed miserably.

But Thursday afternoon I dug the slightly-charred remains of my last attempts from the guts of the smoker and started anew out on the back deck.

1.       Tear off some strips of newspaper. Stuff them in the smoker.

2.      Gather your fuel (in my case, pine needles) and stow them nearby.

3.      Tear another strip of newspaper (seven or eight sheets thick) and light one end.

4.      Try not to incinerate your hand as you stuff the burning paper into the smoker.

5.      Give it a few gallant wheezes with the attached bellows, enough to send clouds of smoke into the air.

6.      Finish coughing and move upwind from the contraption.

7.      Now stuff your fuel in on top of the burning paper.

8.   Close the lid.

9.     Pump the bellows like crazy and watch the smoke billow forth.

This time I got it to stay smoking for twenty minutes! That should be long enough to check my hives, right? I hope my bees turn out to be patient with me.

BEEattitude for Day # 129:

       Blessed are those who practice their skills before they need them, for they shall be prepared when the time comes.

One thing Fran is grateful for right now:

       The Maté-dor Chai tea I bought at Aristeacrats in Lawrenceville. It’s so tasty, I decided to mention it in my next book.    

http://www.franstewart.com

Day #91 Bees in Eleven Weeks

Happy 1-11-11  !-!!-!!

After writing yesterday's blog about planning ahead -- just in case, I looked at my calendar and did some counting. I'll be driving to south Georgia in just eleven weeks (or maybe twelve, depending on when H and L Bee Farm has them ready) to pick up my honey bees.

The trouble is -- I don't know what the heck I'm going to do with them when they're here. Oh, I know lots of bee theory. I've read dozens of books and perused multiple internet sites about beekeeping, written by highly knowledgeable beekeepers. Part of me feels prepared. And part of me is scared speechless.

You know what I'm having the most trouble with? Lighting the blinkin' smoker. Smokers can be fancy copper, or utilitarian steel. I'm showing you a picture of each. Mine's the steel one.

A beekeeper uses smoke to calm bees before opening the hive. A smoker is a special gadget that provides a place for the smoke-producing fuel, a spout to funnel that smoke out in a particular direction, a bellows to push air into the fuel chamber to increase the amount of said smoke. That's about it.

Those suckers get hotter than you-know-what, so one is advised to have some handy bricks or a concrete block nearby on which to sit the smoker once the bees are settled down.

It needs to be nearby so the beekeeper can quickly add more smoke as necessary (in case the bees get a bit of an attitude).

Fine.

How the heck do you keep the thing lit?

I've watched videos about it. I've read descriptions of what to do. I even watched an experienced beekeeper light a smoker when I was first getting interested in keeping bees. So, I know how to do it, right?

Tell that to the incalcitrant smoker sitting on the bricks on my back deck. I can't get it to keep burning. I get one or two big poofs of smoke out of it, and then it dies.

I have only eleven weeks (or twelve) to figure this out.

HELP!

BEEattitude for Day # 91:

       Blessed are those who remain calm, for they shall accomplish more. 

One thing Fran is grateful for right now:

       For heaven's sakes, bees, quit telling me to remain calm when I'm in a panic attack ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !  

       Forget I said that. I'm grateful for you preachy old bees, because you're usually right, doggone it.