Did I do this wrong . . .

[thomashton]

I tried pulling a honey super on Friday night at dusk and waited until dark to go out and see if the bees had left it so I could extract.

They hadn't.

I waited another 15 minutes. Still there.

Another 30 minutes. Still there.

Another 30 minutes. Still there.

Then I took my uncapping tank, bee brush, and full protective gear out to take the frames by force. I did finally win (somewhat), but they got a few good licks in (including at very swollen arm, a sting through my jeans, and some freaky, nighttime is-there-a-bee-under-my-veil concern).

I don't have any bee escapes or a fume board, and seemed to remember that Michael Bush recommended the proceedure I tried on Friday. I have a MUCH larger extraction to do at the end of the month. Can I adjust the way I did this on Friday, or should I plan on getting some escapes?

[keeper007]

did you just leave the super out?!
u should go with excapes

[Kirk-o]

Hey Buddy
I take one frame at a time out of the super and shake the bees off in front of the hive .Just one or two quck shakes down then I put the frame in a empty box with a lid and a top do this you'll get most of them off
kirk

[Brian D. Bray]

Either the way Kirk-o reports or bee escapes is the least upsetting to the bees.  If harvesting only a few supers the way kirk-o does it works fine.  If harvesting a number I prefer the bee escapes putting them on one day and then returning a day or two later to remove the supers.  The majority of bees have vacated the supers by that time.  
After harvesting The hive is stuffed full even filling both slatted racks but if done a little later in the year (post labor day) the die off going into winter solves the problem.

[Jerrymac]

I think it was too late in the day when you pulled the super off. They were already bedding down.

[jgarzasr]

I also tried this method last week- and it did not work for me.  I figured either I did it too late, because I also did it a little before dark, or because there is not a major flow going right now - which Michael mentions as one of the criteria.  Either way me and my son had a blast trying it - don't think I will try it again.  I ended up waiting for the morning before robbing would start - and brushed off the bees - frame by frame (5 supers).

[thomashton]

I only tried it with one super. There is a big flow going on, but perhaps I pulled it off too late. Probably so.

In any case, I just bought a couple of bee escapes today instead and decided to go that way. I figure it will cause me a lot less jumping up and down and swearing at the hives that I am going to gas them.

[Michael Bush]

Try it about sundown but 30 minutes or more before dark.