Checked on the hives today and have a super soon ready for harvest. This is a frameless set, and the bees have made some crooked comb. If I try to pull a frame, it will tear everything open. That is fine, of course, when I start the crush and strain, but not when there are bees everywhere. Any ideas on how I should get the bees out so that I can get the box back to the house to crush?
Use a fume board and Bee Quick, or Bee Go, or Bee Dun. All the girls will clear out in about 5 minutes.
Frameless means chunk or comb honey and for me it means more $$$$ per pint!
Do you guys mean foundationless? I don't know what frameless is.
Quote from: FRAMEshift on June 29, 2011, 10:44:59 PM
Do you guys mean foundationless? I don't know what frameless is.
Simple top bar?
Sorry folks, I meant foundationless. I have Lang frames with starter strips as a guide. My mistake this time was putting all ten frames in with starter strips. On previous occasions, I have put a fully drawn frame in the midde to serve as a ladder and a guide. I do not have a fume board, but perhaps need one for this situation.
:imsorry: Alzheimer's kicked in.....foundationless.
You can also use the plastic bee escape plugs in the hole in the inner cover and put the inner cover under the super you are wanting to harvest. The bees leave the super and can't get back it. Of course this takes a lot longer than the fume board.
You can also try and blow the girls out of the box with a blower but a bit harder on the girls. I have never done this and don't know if it is 100% effective like the fume boards.
Quote from: ldaxon on June 29, 2011, 10:26:56 PM
Use a fume board and Bee Quick, or Bee Go, or Bee Dun. All the girls will clear out in about 5 minutes.
Use Beequick forget Bee Go, Honey Robber, never heard of BeeDun.
Beequick seems to be a little slower clearing the bees but, Bee Go and Honey Robber smell awful on everything. Using Bee Go and Honey Robber you would be better off jusk pukeing on the frames!!!