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Bee smoker base taken apart for cleaning image.

How to Clean a Bee Smoke with Vinegar and Water

Charlotte Anderson @ Carolina Honeybees, LLC
How to use a good soak to remove fire debris from the inside of a beekeeper's smoker.
5 from 2 votes
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Tools

Supplies
 

  • 1 bottle White Vinegar
  • 1 gallon water

Instructions
 

  • Remove Loose Crud from Smoker Lid
    Dump any left over contents out of the smoker fire chamber and use your hive tool to scrap away material around the lid. Pay special attention to where the lid fits on the base.
    Cleaning bee smoker lid with hive tool image.
  • Remove Bellows from Smoker Base
    Most smokers have removeable bellows. This soak method is easier if you locate the screws holding the bellows on the base and remove them.
    If you can not do this, you can use cord or wire to hang the smoker in the water but keep the bellows (out of the water). We don’t want water to enter the holes in the bellows.
    Back of bee smoker with screws that hold bellows on image.
  • Check Air Flow Hole
    You will find a small hole near the bottom of the bellows back plate. Sometimes this can get clogged with soot – check it and open with a screw driver if needed.
    It’s also a good idea to temporarily store those little nuts on the screws of the bellows until you are ready to reassemble.
    Back of bee smoker bellows with arrow pointing to small air flow hole image.
  • Vinegar Water Soak
    Pour 1 cup of white vinegar in a bucket and add enough water to cover the metal parts of the smoker. Let this soak overnight or at least 6 hours.
    Soaking dirty bee smoker in vinegar and water image.
  • Remove the smoker from the soak and use a rag to wipe away the loosened material. It may not look new but much of the baked on material will wipe off.
    Bee smoker soaked over night in vinegar water bucket ready to wipe clean image.
  • Thoroughly rinse the smoker of all vinegar water and residue and hang it up somewhere to dry.
    Drying bee smoker on a stake in the yard image.
  • Reassemble your smoker and you are ready for a great season of beekeeping.
    Cleaned smoker assembled and ready to use image.
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