Use of BeeSmoke smoker pellets during the active beekeeping season

An innovative and sustainable approach to beekeeping involves using commercially available pellet fuels, such as BeeSmoke Forte or BeeSmoke, for daily work in the apiary. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of these pellets, including their impacts on the strength and behaviour of honeybee colonies, their ability to reduce the number of parasitic mites Varroa destructor , and the presence of insecticide/acaricide residues in honey. During the study, the smoke produced by burning BeeSmoke Forte, BeeSmoke, and pure wood pellets in a smoker caused no changes to honeybee behaviour and resulted in no fatalities. BeeSmoke Forte and BeeSmoke pellets increased the number of fallen parasitic mites V. destructor. Furthermore, honey collected before and after the use of pellets and analysed for the presence of insecticide/acaricide residues gave negative results, indicating that the honey extracted during the active beekeeping season when these fuels were used is safe for bees and for human consumption.