I,ve recently read about a guy using a modified shop-vac with boxes he built to catch feral hives,any thoughts?
sure why not, I did the same thing, and it works great..
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=2775
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I built a beevac a few weeks ago, and captured my first bee cutout. The vacuum worked great, 99.9% of the bees were alive and well when I finished. But, as I have learned on here and from first hand experience, ferel (cutouts) will have a tendency to abscound. Unlike natural swarms that are LOOKING for a new home.
My cutout abscounded after about 4 days. All I had left, was brood and comb with honey and pollen, which I successfuly introduced to another hive. and an added bonus, about 30lbs of honey to feed my bees with this winter and spring if needed.
Good Luck
Dennis
I once helped a man use a modified shop vac to get bees out of the side of a house and it worked great untill we opened the vac to remove the bees out of the vac. It was not pretty, most ALL the bees were dead are dying, :cry: what a mess. There has to be a way to get this shop vac to work, but it sure was not the way he had it. best of luck.
The only abscounding for me was a couple of swarms. None of the cutouts.
The suction needs to be weak. The hose needs to be smooth. The landing needs to be easy.
Quote from: JerrymacThe only abscounding for me was a couple of swarms. None of the cutouts.
The suction needs to be weak. The hose needs to be smooth. The landing needs to be easy.
I used small cell bubble wrap lining the box, it worked great for a soft landing for the bees
I find they kill a lot of bees and are often a replacement for good beekeeping. Bees can be brushed, cutout, shaken etc. and it works fine. That said I have two bee vacs. But I haven't used either one in three years.
Thanks for the thoughts.What causes a cutout to abscound anyway,I figured it to be about the same as splitting a hive or swapping hives? I of course am not that keen on beekeeping yet.This will be my second attempt on taking a cutout and trying to transplant it into my hive.For me there's not much choice,because usually if you buy bees you have to go pick them up and I don't feel like driving to CA or NY to get them.Wish I had local people for advice but around here there's no one.I'd like to be able to watch an inspection or help for that matter but the only info I can get is with you guys and gals so thanks again!!!!
Can't you order bees from Taxas? Weaver?
Abscounding? Did you take the brood comb and tie it into frames? If so they could still leave if you didn't get the queen and if you were too close to their old home. If you get the queen you place a queen excluder between her and the exit so she can't get out. That works most of the time.
Earlier I said I never had a cutout abscound but.... They didn't stay in a hive. They stayed out on the leg of my hive stand, close to the ground by a piece of comb from their old hive, even in the rain. In hind sight I would be willing to bet I might have squashed the queen in that comb and they were trying toi stay with her. I left them alone to see what they would do. After a while they finally dispersed.
The cutout was moved 10 miles or so. I did tie the comb into the frames.
and I am sure I did get the queen. In hindsite a queen excluder would have been a good idea. But I am thinking that there may have been a robbing frenzy going on. When I checked the hive the morning before going to work lots of houscleaning going on and part of it was chewed wax cappings. My inexperience did't set off any alarm bells. when I got home they were gone and the hive floor literaly covered with chewed cappings.
A lesson learned in beekeeping
Afew months ago May I think, I read some post on the forum of complaints of hot hive after requeening with queens from Weaver.
Dennis
I have had great luck with my bee-vac. I lined the inside with an old pillow case and that really helped the survival rate. I have had no luck with saving the comb. It is usually so full of SHB it is not worth the effort.
For cutouts a queen excluder between the bottom board and the brood bax goes a long way towards retaining the queen and, hence, the rest of the bees. The only real use I think they have.
I ended up getting into beekeeping in a bizare way. I got the one hive that I have now from a cut-out. We used my mentor's bee vaccum, and it worked great. He has a reostat switch that allows him to adjust the amount of electricity going to the vaccum, thus reducing or increasing the suction as needed. We really did not worry about the softness of the landing, and he has done roughly 35-40 removals this year alone. So I would have to say that a bee vaccum is a must.
Here is a link to the removal that we did. You can see a photo of the vaccume box.
http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l98/NCBeginner/