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Author Topic: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again  (Read 5859 times)

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

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Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« on: May 20, 2010, 06:10:36 am »
Had a garage turned bedroom, roof cut out I did Wednesday & got 7 brood combs w/ pollen & 1/3 full bucket of honey comb. Kept on sweeping bees in tray & dumping into new deep but toward evening realized workers Nasonoving by adjoining pieces of wood to void inside adobe style/ accented w/ spanish tile flat roof. Probed w/ long BBQ flipper but no comb in there, yet. Only prob was that queen went into void & couldn't reach in time before dark. Heard some where maybe here or beesource that almond extract can be used to spray/fume bees outta voids. If thats the case gotta try or enlarge cut out as no beevac. Sprayed old roof hive area w/ vinegar & left new hive even though seen some workers joining queen. Was hoping she would find cut out brood & pollen & regroup.

This is my 3rd cutout & only had luck w/ one on a to be demoed garage so far. Will post pics & video as soon as my posts increase. Its late & need to get at it Thursday noon/ early eve & possibly Friday noon/ early eve to finish the mayhem I put in motion. Check back in latter morn & evening.

Cheers, David
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2010, 02:43:09 am »
Well went again today taking it slow & noticed not much activity in hive w/ cut out brood comb that left at garage hoping to lure in queen & workers. Opened up hive & nurse bees are still there & a few workers & of course no queen. Looked at the garage hive & so many workers going in side of roof area where wood has old termited action. Tried smoking a bit more in that area but no deterent to bees. Finally tried spraying almond extract to see if it would work but no effect like Fischers Bee Quick which I'm out of. Finally cut wood on side & exposed void where queen is holed up in w/ workers & drones. Tried sweeping out number of times but got only angry workers & no queen, but workers time & again holed up in that void so queen must be there. Again my time was to close to sunset & had to go. Asked home owner if had shop vac & would vacuum up Friday all the bees I can & wrap up as renters are highly alergic.

Hope in this good weather can use brood comb still w/ a merged hive. Need to construct a bee vac or just stick to swarms or trap outs. Have most cut outs folks do here found the queen or doess she many times get lost? Gotta post pics on my album & will hopefully have better news Friday. 
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline G3farms

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2010, 01:25:24 pm »
Don't just use shop vac to suck up the bees, they will surely be dead when you open it up!!

finding the queen in a cut out is a toss up, but if the combs are easy to get to and be looked at I would say a 75% chance of finding the queen. I have sucked up the queen in the bee vac before also and she came out not damaged (at least from what I could tell).
Sometimes she will just pop right up and other times she will never be seen.

Good luck with it ad I hope you get her.

G3
those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your keister is a catchin!!!

Bees will be bees and do as they please!

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2010, 03:24:26 am »
Thanks for words of experience & encouragement G3. What shop vac you using for your bee vac? What plans did you use for your bee vac?

Well in my part time cut out on day 3 was able to break away from my duties to resume. Got there bit before 2pm ready to cut up more of garage & or use my Harbor Freight router speed control hoping to give it a try w/ shop vac. As got up the ladder the colony started filling the sky swarming. Got out my camera & caught some of it then my batteries gave out so shimmed down ladder to place in new batteries. Tried to catch the remainder of swarm but it was already settling in oak tree 30 - 40 ft on branch top of oak tree. Was a bit bigger than a basketball. Busied myself baiting Home Depot box & Lang deep hive w/ drone comb from this garage cut out & lemon grass oil. Strung up HD box 20ft up in neighboring avacado & placed the Lang deep on shed roof hoping bees will find. Might not work but hadda try something before cooler temps & possible rain comes this Sunday & Wednesday.

Sprayed the old garage hive w/ more vinegar & watched the few returning foragers from blooming Privet tree, go to my cut out hive. Toward sunset noticed swarm still in oak tree so covered cut out hive w/ reducer to take away & told owner will bring my Jenny Craig styro swarm trap & check status of swarm Saturday morn & remove my lure boxes if they didn't work. Will merge asap the cut out hive w/ a 5 frame nuc hive out growing it. I'm sure will have better luck next time but was fun while lasted,lol.

Cheers, David   
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline Robo

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2010, 09:25:09 am »
Have most cut outs folks do here found the queen or doess she many times get lost?

I'd say 75-80% of the time I find her as well.   I work my why from the outside comb in, one piece at a time.  I inspect each piece for her and then vacuum the bees off.   If I have not found her by the time I'm to the last comb,  I leave it for 1/2 hour or so while I start to clean up.  This gives her time to return to the comb if she had been chased off into a crevice.   Iddee filled me in on that little tip and it seems to work well.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline G3farms

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2010, 11:29:44 am »
I use a big old craftsman 5 hp shop vac (only thing I got) with a 2 1/2" hose. With the power of the vac I don't have to use as much duct tape  :roll:. My vac design is of the Robo style with a deep and ten frames of foundation for the bees to stand on. You definately need a gate to open and close so the suction in the hose can be regulated. Just enough suction is needed to barely pull them off of the comb.

Patience is a virtue when doing a cut out.

Good luck with them.

G3
those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your keister is a catchin!!!

Bees will be bees and do as they please!

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2010, 02:41:55 pm »
Quote
If I have not found her by the time I'm to the last comb,  I leave it for 1/2 hour or so while I start to clean up.  This gives her time to return to the comb if she had been chased off into a crevice.   Iddee filled me in on that little tip and it seems to work well.

Great tips Robo, Iddee is fountain of them & his postings on trap outs helped me complete 2 lengthy ones so far. Should of left comb for queen to return to instead of hastily removing! Yes G3 patience is needed & my adrenaline being in higher gear made me think should've brought few of those airline vodkas I recently read poster here recommend. Indeed that Craftsman is powerful vac so hope Robo's design has regulator or my Harbor Freight Router speed control would work.

Robo where do I send for the updated plans for your much discussed about bee vac?

Gotta check out round lunch hour to see if absconding swarm (possibly dry) is still in oak tree or in any of the 3 swarm lures & or back in garage void. Renter emailed this morn that still in oak tree 30- 40ft up heres link to pics if BeeMaster will now let me include. Still getting used to BM posting environs (22 pics from end of album):



& here is video(s) of garage roof cut out & subsequent absconding:

Pasadena Garage Hive Cut Out

Waiting out swarm here & wondering what might transpire. Owners hope they don't establish a hive in tree, but 30-40ft up colonies not bothering nobody. Check back later in eve w/ happenings of the day.

Cheers, David in San Gabriel Valley
« Last Edit: May 24, 2010, 10:31:44 pm by Robo »
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline G3farms

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2010, 11:23:00 am »
did you find the robo design?

G3
those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your keister is a catchin!!!

Bees will be bees and do as they please!

Offline Robo

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2010, 11:51:25 am »
Robo where do I send for the updated plans for your much discussed about bee vac?


Oops, missed this one, thanks G3


Detailed drawing plans are in the works but not available yet.  Have too many irons in the fire right now to get it done.   However,  there is plenty of info and pictures here to help you build one -> http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/bee-vac/
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline G3farms

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2010, 04:39:42 pm »
HAHA,........... Robo I thought that was a detailed drawing..........if i can see a good enough pic of something I can usually build it.

I made mine from the pics you had posted last year, good design and works great.

G3
those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your keister is a catchin!!!

Bees will be bees and do as they please!

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2010, 06:42:16 pm »
did you find the robo design?

G3

Yes see industriously creative Robo's cool/ functional clean design series of photo's & descriptions. Will scrutinize & see if can translate to prototype. Was hoping for detailed plans  but guess that is in the works? All the same like the idea of less trauma for the bees as the Beesource design seems like extra work & stress on bees.

Last I seen the garage absconding swarm was in the oak tree more integrated in the same position so not sure if will move along or set up shop w/ a hive. Checking back on Thursday morn to see if swarm lure traps lured in any colonies.

Cheers, David
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2010, 06:46:38 pm »
Robo where do I send for the updated plans for your much discussed about bee vac?


Oops, missed this one, thanks G3


Detailed drawing plans are in the works but not available yet.  Have too many irons in the fire right now to get it done.   However,  there is plenty of info and pictures here to help you build one -> http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/bee-vac/


Thanks Robo. Yes understand bout many irons in the fire. Spread thin w/ demands & opportunities these days. Thanks for the link & your cool design. Your advancing the tools for bee rescue no doubt about it.

Cheers, David
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2010, 01:13:03 pm »
Well Thursday checked my 3 swarm traps that I placed around homeowners yard. I had done a cut out in a garage & queen had gone into a void & having difficulty getting her she decided to swarm to nearby oak tree 30-40ft up. I hastily placed 3 swarm traps & noticed 6 days later queen had taken to my drone comb baited Home Depot box 20ft up in avocado tree. Will merge w/ queens cut out comb I did earlier, ASAP.

Here is my YouTube of the swarm trap & the bees going in & out:

Absconding Swarm Lure
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline montauk170

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2010, 02:36:30 am »
Was wondering, will the queen and bees swarm during a cutout? Is it common especially to a new swarm that moved in maybe a month or so?

Offline JP

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2010, 08:33:55 am »
Was wondering, will the queen and bees swarm during a cutout? Is it common especially to a new swarm that moved in maybe a month or so?

The bees can swarm during a cut out: http://picasaweb.google.com/112138792165178452970/June272007#5477764776326822242

If the queen is mated, she won't go very far, as in your example.


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Offline JP

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Re: Screwed Cut Out but Going at it Again
« Reply #15 on: June 02, 2010, 01:57:22 am »
Was wondering, will the queen and bees swarm during a cutout? Is it common especially to a new swarm that moved in maybe a month or so?

Yes. If a new colony as in your example, she is mated and will not fly very far. If mature colony with mated and multiple virgins anything is possible.

Here's one I did where they swarmed over onto a rubber made box I had combs in: http://picasaweb.google.com/112138792165178452970/June272007#


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anything