Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: beemused on July 10, 2009, 02:49:03 pm
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I just inspected an unusual location for a colony that has to be removed. The colony has chosen a laid rock chimney flue. The home owner tried to start a fire in the fireplace but could not get it to draw. They have built comb near the top ( about 18 inches down) inside the tile liner.
After vacuuming as many bees off the comb as possible I will start removing comb. Having never had to lift comb vertically inside a tile I am thinking of any way to hold and raise the combs without crushing them and the brood. I am going to try a large vac (as opposed to the small one for the bee vac) to lift after cutting the comb free. Also will make a long handled pan with a large lower lip to try if the vac doesn't hold them.
All this will be done on a steep metal roof so a platform is going to have to be made since there is no way to get a scaffold or man lift to the chimney.
If any of you have done a vertical removal in an extremely confined space, 8 X 12, don't hesitate to share.
Bruce
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How in the world did they manage to span that with no "Top Bar"? Which direction does it span? across 8" or 12"?
I would think that once you have one section of comb out you would be able to go under and "hook" the next ones - something like a slanted pan of some sort with a lip across the lower edge to keep it from sliding out. The first section you might use several bent wire hooks to slip past the comb and rotate 90° to get under the comb before cutting it.
Just from a purely mechanical standpoint.
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Dynamite and rebuild the chimney. ;)
-mt
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don't feel bad, I have one of those to do also, three story house with steep roof, bees are about two foot down. I don't know how far down the comb goes and don't want to knock any down the chimney. The comb on these are also solid across the flue.
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Didn't Highlandsfreedom have one awhile back. Seems he posted something about a chimney removal.
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I did one last year but the comb not extended down about 18 inches down into the chimney it also extended up and they attached it to the chimney cap. I removed the top part then just held onto the the top of the comb and cut the sldes. I think maybe using a heavy wire similiar to a coat hanger and forming two hooks at the bottom......envision a triangle with the widest part at the bottom and a hook at each of the lower corners....lower it down "hook " the comb at the bottom edge then cut the sides.
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any chance of pushing a line through it, attaching a chimney brush or something under, and lifting it all up? you'll break a bunch and spill honey, but maybe you can get all the wax out?