Lighting the smoker and keeping it lit seems to be a major problem to many beekeepers. Interestingly, lighting and maintaining a cool smoke in a smoker is all about physics and camp-fire skills, more so than beekeeping! 

Of course, the operation and judicious use of smoke in the hive is a skill in itself, and has quite profound effects on bee behaviour when used correctly (or not!). 

And, once, you have your smoker lit, how best to extinguish it safely, with