Checking Hives with the Rauchboy Smoker

August 04, 2015

As busy beekeeping equipment suppliers and hive builders, our own beekeeping adventures often happen in the early hours. With the morning sun soaring upwards, two of our staff beekeepers and I packed coffee and breakfast out to our apiary. We wanted to check up on a few hives, and we used the opportunity to field test our new Rauchboy Smokers. The smokers recently arrived from Germany, and we're excited to become one of the only US retailers to offer the Rauchboy. 

Top Bar hives at the bee yard

bee flying into the top bar hive

While any smoker will do the job, the Rauchboy turns an ordinary tool into something a bit more special. The narrow, elegant canister keeps the smoker compact but still offers plenty of volume for numerous hives. The perforated internal burning chamber helped it smoke throughout our long morning of work, without constant puffs on the bellows to keep our burlap scraps alight. After tending to the needs of our bees, the internal cup sped up cleaning and safe disposal of our remaining embers

putting purlap in a Rauchboy smoker

Bee Thinking staff working in a top bar hive

brushing bees off a top bar hive wax comb

We always prefer heirloom-quality tools, made by skilled craftspeople. The Rauchboy perfectly compliments our hand-forged hive tools and cedar hives-- it's quickly become our favorite smoker.

using the Rauchboy smoker

comb from a top bar hive

bees on a top bar hive

 

 


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