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Author Topic: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!  (Read 6169 times)

Offline Lazy W

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One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« on: October 10, 2012, 01:08:44 am »

This is a what I discovered when I went on a bee call today. I will have to scratch my head a bit on this one. The bottom of the chimney is sealed up(some what). The comb starts about 4-5 ft down. Has anyone ever did a removal like this? Any ideas would be appreciated. 


Offline bernsad

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2012, 01:19:19 am »
It shouldn't be too hard to smoke them! :-D After that I don't know. Walk away?

Offline AllenF

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2012, 04:57:14 pm »
Hire you a really skinny beek to help.     :-D    Trap out next spring if they are still in there.   

Offline Hyper.Intelligent.Fish

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2012, 09:47:45 pm »
Put a large box in the bottom of the fireplace, then seal it with plastic to isolate the fireplace from the rest of the house.

Get a long stick or broom and knock the combs/bees down into the box from the top of the chimney.

That's all I've got...

Offline greenbtree

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2012, 12:59:44 am »
If access can be opened up at bottom, I would go with what IntelligentFish said.  Maybe take a piece of conduit and tape a long knife to the end?  If you have to go through a damper, could be a real pain.  See if you can talk them into Spring trapout.  I always stress less bees, less honey, calmer bees, etc.  Good thing this chimney isn't attached to a working, but infrequently used fireplace - can you imagine the chimney fire?! :shock:

JC
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Offline D Semple

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2012, 09:14:52 am »
Becareful with the advice about knocking the colony to the bottom of the flu.

I've found almost all brick chimney flues are not built in a straight shot up and down where you could look up from the bottom of the fireplace and see daylight, but rather have a jog in the flu. They are constructed this way because the firebox itself has to have special bricks that can handle the heat better, so you end up with a jog in the flu.

In other words the honey comb won't fall all the way down the flu to the fireplace itself where you can collect it. You will end up creating a huge monster mess in the bottom of the flu pipe which is out of reach.

JackM from California did one like this last spring and posted about it.

Good luck.

Don

Offline JP

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2012, 09:55:13 am »
Two choices: Trap out or remove bricks and the hive. Believe it or not, I've done one where we removed the hive from a brick chimney. Of course I had my contractor buddy with me who put it back together.

Third choice: Walk away


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Offline Lazy W

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2012, 12:56:15 am »
Well This is kinda what I'm thinking. I'm going to get one of those grabber sticks ( like they use to pick up cans). I will have to adapt it with some sort of claw system (so it will catch and hold the comb). I also have some broken sawmill blades (band saw type). I'm thinking I can use the adapted grabber stick to hold the comb then I will take the saw blade and cut it from the chimney wall. I should be able to lift the comb up and place it into a box. It sounds so simple and that is whit scares me.

Offline JP

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2012, 06:48:31 pm »
If any of it has weight & likely it does, good luck holding onto those comb sections with one of those grabbers. Be afraid, be very afraid.  :shock:


...JP
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Offline AllenF

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2012, 07:24:31 pm »
Drop a rope down the chimney.   Tie a bucket on it and pull it up.   Run when it gets up to the roof.  Then See what you caught,  but only if the bees gotta go.   Soot covered comb.   

Offline duck

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #10 on: October 14, 2012, 09:03:45 pm »
smoke the hell outta it seal up inside with cardboard, suck as many bees will come out of that thing up top.  the rope idea is good, but you got a good possibility of alot of bee death, including the queen.. a big roll of the dice here.  If they arent going to use the fireplace, let them go till spring.

Offline D Coates

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2012, 12:47:18 pm »
I've got no recommendations that haven't already been voiced.  I'm dying to see how skin this cat so whatever you do please get pictures.
Ninja, is not in the dictionary.  Well played Ninja's, well played...

Offline Lazy W

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2012, 10:51:48 pm »
The homeowner wants them moved. My plan is to do this on Saturday. I do plan on getting pics. Hopefully we can do a video. Either way I will let you guys know how it worked out...Good  :) or Bad :?.

Offline D Semple

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2012, 11:35:46 am »


Lazy W, what is your plan going to be to remove the sections of WAX comb that are going to fall to the bottom of the FIREPLACE flu pipe where you probably can't reach them???


"If any of it has weight & likely it does, good luck holding onto those comb sections with one of those grabbers. Be afraid, be very afraid.   :-P


...JP"

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2012, 12:47:17 pm »
How about making up a thin rod with a hook or ring on the end and a loop on top to connect to a rope, push it down through the center of the comb to the bottom of the chimney. Hook a piece of wood or plastic that is the size of the flue to it from inside the bottom of the chimney. Pull it up until it reaches the comb. Then use another stick with a knife with a long blade to cut around the edge of the comb. You would then pull up the rod with the wood and pull up the comb with minimal damage.  You would use the weight of the rod to pull the rope through the comb or push it with a second stick. Be sure to keep smoke in the chimney the whole time.
Jim
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Offline G3farms

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #15 on: November 24, 2012, 07:40:07 am »
I did a trap out back in the summer on a chimney.



This one had two flues coming out so I put boards around the flue that had bees and extended them to the sides of the second flue. Trap cone on a piece of plywood and tacked to the boards and a small amount of silicone. Put a ratchet strap around the brick part of the chimney and another ratchet strap hooked to either side of the first one and over the top of the bait hive. Worked like a charm.

This was the worst built chimney I had ever seen. The flue liners were just stacked on top of each other and nothing supporting them, the top two sections had shifted apart allowing the bees to get between the brick and the flue liner. Had to plug a couple of holes in the mortar joints also. Lost the comb to SHB and it made a whale of a mess in the bottom of the fireplace when the comb overheated and fell. The million maggot march was on their living room floor (thankfully hardwood). Covered the flue opening with #8 hardware cloth to keep any returning bees out.


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 edward

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #16 on: November 24, 2012, 09:07:50 am »
How about an industrial wet and dry vacuum and suck it up  :-D

mvh edward  :-P

Offline G3farms

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Re: One Chimney Santa Won't be Comming Down!
« Reply #17 on: November 24, 2012, 09:47:26 am »
couple of years ago had one like that, not that far down though. the idea I had was a piece of 1" pvc pipe with a piece of sheet metal screwed to it, the sheet metal would have been 6" wide with a 1 1/2" to 2" wide "hook" bent on the end of it (I had even thought of using an old bow rake). Then another piece of pipe with my long bladed knife taped to it. The first couple of combs would have been the trickiest to remove, then you would have some room to work. 

Bee sure to suit up and maybe even tie off with a harness, a box of bees is not worth a trip to the hospital.

This will not be a pretty removal for sure.
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!

 

anything