Q. What should I use to paint my hive?

A. There are many products suitable to paint your hive with. There are a few things to watch out for when choosing a product. I personally use the coloured Cuprinol fence guard. The product must be water based as the hive needs to breath. The product must not be harmful to insects. Do not use varnish.

Q. Do I paint the inside of my hive as well as the outside?

A. You do not paint the inside of the hive. Only paint the outside and the top and bottom. It is advisable to give your hive at least two coats of paint. The same applies to your queen excluders. Just paint the outside and the top and bottom edges.

Q. How do I light my smoker?

A. Lighting the smoker for the first time can be difficult. Newspaper is the best for lighting a smoker. Slightly scrunch some newspaper (Just enough to fit into your smoker. The newspaper should be loose and not tightly packed) Light the bottom of the paper and loosly place into your smoker. Give a few slow gentle puffs. Push the paper down a bit into the smoker giving the odd puff. Now you can load your fuel loosly on top.

Q. What should I burn in my smoker?

A. There are various fuels suitable for your smoker. The idea is that you should aim for cool smoke. Grass clippings, sawdust, and hessian sacking are all good fuels for smokers.