Vacuuming up swarms!! What do you think about this?

asprince · April 26, 2011, 08:27:26 PM

Quote from: slacker361 on April 26, 2011, 03:07:15 PM
ok i think i was over thinking this, that just sits on top of the super and the gals are just sucked right into their new home?

That is correct. It works great.

Steve

slacker361 · April 26, 2011, 09:49:55 PM

Yeah Sometimes I need things explained like I am 2 years old..... but then I get it LOL

gaucho10 · April 27, 2011, 02:54:38 AM

I have never vacuumed a swarm. I usually don't shake the branch...I just snip it off. So far no one complained about my trimming their trees/bushes. I usually don't charge them for the trimming :-D

Michael Bush · April 27, 2011, 06:07:50 AM

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm#beevacuum

montauk170 · April 27, 2011, 01:09:50 PM

Got a swarm call last night and the guy estimated it was only 14 ft which I have a 12 ft A-frame ladder I can reach them no prob.
Got there and it was 20+ ft!!! I was there anyways so I thought I give it a try. It was a night, a big mistake for the high up tough swarm removals.
Anyways, had to run home to get the bee vac with all the extensions that I have. Sucked up a good amount but I don't like using the bee vac on swarms if I don't have to.
With bushes or trees, I find it difficult to vac them as there are branches and leaves in the way unless you use a small nose nozzle. Plus, I like to catch the queen.

Tommyt · April 27, 2011, 01:33:40 PM

When just out of Reach you need to try this
I did and it works great

just for fun

montauk170 · April 27, 2011, 01:52:39 PM

Yeah, I've seen this and I'm still looking for one of those water jugs!
Might have to just pony up to buy one!

bristopen · April 28, 2011, 03:00:04 PM

This is barbaric, man!

LOL

But real fast and efficient at the same time!

I'll try it as soon as I can!

Thanks JP!

jaseemtp · April 29, 2011, 12:15:06 AM

I have used the vacuum several times this year and it has worked great. There seems to always be a few deaths but not very many.

preston39 · April 29, 2011, 01:40:08 AM

Quote from: slacker361 on April 26, 2011, 03:07:15 PM
ok i think i was over thinking this, that just sits on top of the super and the gals are just sucked right into their new home?

=========
Would there be a benefit of placing a ...oh..1/2 to 1" cotton sheet in the bottom to less'n the impact of landing? Or would the bees get tanglerd up in it adversly because of arriving in all types of configurations?

Tommyt · April 29, 2011, 07:56:33 AM

Quote from: montauk170 on April 27, 2011, 01:52:39 PM
Yeah, I've seen this and I'm still looking for one of those water jugs!
Might have to just pony up to buy one!

The guy I do cutout with has a plumb fitting screwed to the bottom of a 5 gal pail
I think its a 1+1/2 pipe that fits it. The fitting is a female with a strap molded into it
I'll try and get a picture or the type of fitting it is.

Tommyt

Ben Framed · May 26, 2022, 11:55:59 AM

Quote from: JP on April 22, 2011, 10:09:06 AM
If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact. Sometimes more sometimes less. As so with any shake. Any others will be trying to get to the queen at the exhaust of the vacuum. I simply face them as well... I have found this is also a way to know when the queen has been vacuumed..

Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

...JP

> If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact.

I have had some good experiences vacuuming swarms. I haven't had that trouble in my experience but instead had some good success vacuuming swarms, leaving almost 'none' behind. It takes a little bit but any straggles will come right back to the spot where the queen was last. What I do is put the end of the hose at that spot with the vacuum still running, (where the cluster was before vacuuming), for about 5 minutes after the bulk has been vacuumed, and the last few will usually get sucked in as they search for the queen.

> Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

I enjoy doing it the old way as well, but the fun depends on where they are located.. lol

Phillip

Ben Framed · May 27, 2022, 01:28:04 AM

Quote from: Ben Framed on May 26, 2022, 11:55:59 AM
Quote from: JP on April 22, 2011, 10:09:06 AM
If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact. Sometimes more sometimes less. As so with any shake. Any others will be trying to get to the queen at the exhaust of the vacuum. I simply face them as well... I have found this is also a way to know when the queen has been vacuumed..

Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

...JP

> If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact.

I have had some good experiences vacuuming swarms. I haven't had that trouble in my experience but instead had some good success vacuuming swarms, leaving almost 'none' behind. It takes a little bit but any straggles will come right back to the spot where the queen was last. What I do is put the end of the hose at that spot with the vacuum still running, (where the cluster was before vacuuming), for about 5 minutes after the bulk has been vacuumed, and the last few will usually get sucked in as they search for the queen.

> Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

I enjoy doing it the old way as well, but the fun depends on where they are located.. lol

Phillip

Adding:
Something else I leaned about vacuuming swarms. Once the queen has been vacuumed, a few flyers will smell the queen from the 'vac exhaust'. They will fly around, attempting too reach the queen in this turbulence exhaust air. The vac exhaust will toss these too and fro. This is a good way to know the queen has been vacuumed from the cluster and in the vac box. The bees flying at the exhaust area of the vac, are the last ones I vacuum. Job done!!

Phillip