Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Smoking can be overdone, however, and once you have completely confused
the colony, the disorienting effect is eventually negated, and, in fact, confused bees
will begin flying no matter how much smoke you use.
Many types of fuel are plentiful and free for the taking: Sawdust is one, chipped
wood mulch is another, and pine needles are also wonderful. Dry, rotten wood—called
punk wood
—which is soft enough to crumble in your hands and can be collected during
walks in the woods, is ideal. Small pieces of dry wood left over from a building project
work well, too, as long as they fit into the fire chamber. Untreated jute burlap is good
fuel, but be careful not to use synthetic burlap. Untreated twine from baled hay or straw
also can be used, but beware—both burlap and twine are often treated with fungicides
or other antirot chemicals so they don't disintegrate in wet weather. Make sure you are
burning untreated materials. Don't use petroleum-based fire starters or gasoline. Bees
are sensitive to chemicals, and the fumes from treated materials would kill your bees
and probably cause flare-ups and other fire-safety problems in your smoker.
Frame Assembly
For frame assembly, you may want a nailing jig and a form board and you will need an
embedding tool. Some use a brad driver for the small nails in the wedge.
Supply companies offer an assembly jig, which is designed to help you rapidly as-
semble ten frames at a time.
1. Twenty end bars, ten on each side, are held secure by spring-bound boards.
2. Glue (use a fast drying, reputable wood or all-purpose glue) is daubed on the joints
at the bottom of the end bars, the bottom bars are then laid in and nailed.
3. The device is turned over, glue is daubed on the joints at the top of the end bars,
and the top bars are laid in and nailed. Frames that are both glued and nailed or stapled
last longer and do better in your hives. You can also use a staple gun loaded with long
(usually 1½″ [3.8 cm]) staples that have glue or resin on the sharp ends to secure them
in place.
When lifting a heavy frame full of honey with your hive tool, you will exert several
hundred foot pounds of pressure on the joint that holds the top bar to the end bar. Even
more if the bottom of the frame is stuck to the top bar of the frame below. If the top bar
is only nailed, it is likely to be pulled off. (See the diagram on page 35 for detailed nail
placement.)
