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Author Topic: Bee vac  (Read 20955 times)

Offline Agility Mom

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Bee vac
« on: March 31, 2004, 01:43:07 pm »
Has anyone ever made a bee vac? I saw plans for one on line but never having seen one it was hard for me to follow. Pictures would sure help.
Judy

Offline Robo

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« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2004, 03:55:11 pm »
Judy,

Funny you should bring this up,  I just decided that my next project was to build a bee vac.  One of the things I want to try this year is bee lining (bee hunting) and figure if I do get lucky, the bee vac will come in handy.

Here is a link to some pictures of a swarm capture using a homemade bee vac.
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tonyking85/album?.dir=/8873

Robo....
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Agility Mom

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Bee vac
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2004, 07:18:19 pm »
That was a very interesting slide show. I think it would be fun to do what those guys did in capturing the feral hive.

I caught a swarm last year (I don't think it was mine) and after reading about a bee vac and that you could make one, it seemed like a handy tool to have around just in case the opportunity came again. Not sure I could do it though.
Judy

Offline Robo

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« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2004, 08:59:49 pm »
Quote from: Judy Frey
Not sure I could do it though.


Judy,

I'm going to try and document it when I build mine (Famous last words I always start out good taking pictures, but then get so involved with the build forget to take pictures along the way.  I'm a good before and after guy :lol: ) so maybe that will help you or at least encourage you to try and build one.

I don't think it will be that difficult to build, it is basically a box inside of a box with a few strategically places holes.  No fancy mitre cuts or anything like that.

Robo...
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Agility Mom

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« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2004, 09:55:44 pm »
I'd enjoy seeing what you build and how you build it (if you get any of those pictures).  From the slide show I could see the boxes for holding the vacuumed bees. The plans I looked at called for two inside boxes so one could be replaced if there were too many bees for just the one box. I just don't understand how the vac itself hooks up. From what I have read, it seems a lot of suction is actually detrimental to getting the bees in the box alive.

I look forward to seeing what you do.
Judy

Offline Robo

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« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2004, 10:16:41 pm »
Just think of it as a normal canister vacuum cleaner and the inner box (with screened sides) is the bag and the outer box is the vacuum housing.
 
The actual vacuum motor is sucking on the outer box, which in turn sucks through the screen of the inner box, but since the surface area of the screen is much greater than the vacuum motor inlet (2 1/2") the velocity of the air through the inner box is much less.  So once the bees are sucked down the hose into the inner box, the speed of the air is drastically reduced and they are not squished against the box.

Here is another analogy that will maybe help.  Say you are in a room with one door and one window.  There is a fan in the door blowing in and the window is open.  If you stand directly in front of the fan (the beevac hose into the inner box) you will feel the air blowing in your face.  Now if you move to the center of the room (the inside of the inner box) you will feel much less air, if any(depending on how big the room is), blowing in your face.  Now if you stand directly in front of the window (the vacuum motor inlet on the outer box) you will feel the air blowing in your face again as it goes out the window.

Robo....
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline lobstafari

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Bee vac
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2004, 11:59:27 pm »
Robo,
  Any luck with the bee vac construction?  I too, am interested in building one.  Its more of just a time thing on this end though!!  Im currently doing searches on bee lining and tools needed, and thought the vac might be a handy one. Im going to try to rig up my power inverter on my ATV, so I can go mobile, if need be, with the vacuum.

Offline Archie

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Bee vac
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2004, 06:54:30 am »
lobstafari

Some of the old time  Vermont beekeepers used to take the bee-vac everywhere they went.  Electricity was not a problem, they would just plug the bee-vac into a current bush.  sic   :roll:

Archie
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Offline Beth Kirkley

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« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2004, 02:13:40 pm »
Ha Ha Ha  :roll:

Took me a minute to get it, but hey, I'm sharp, I caught on.  8)

Beth

Offline Bee Boy

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« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2004, 02:25:42 pm »
I saw some really easy to follow plans for a bee vac in the Bee Culture magazine. It cost like fifty dollars, come to think of it they might even have it on their website;

www.beeculture.com
Bee Boy

Offline Agility Mom

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« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2004, 08:04:23 am »
What issue of Bee Culture? I looked in the archives and didn't find any reference to a bee vac. Maybe I am looking it up the wrong way.
Judy

Offline Robo

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« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2004, 09:07:14 am »
Jeremy,

Well I started to build a modified version of the one on Beesource (added plexiglass windows in the outer box to see the inside box).  It sort of got put on hold when the old shop vac I had planned to use motor thru a brush.  Once I find a vac motor, I will continue.


Judy,

Check here.
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?p=3361&highlight=#3361
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Agility Mom

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Bee vac
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2004, 01:43:22 pm »
Thanks, Rob. I missed that posting. What is in the middle of his water bottle?

Judy
Judy

Offline Bee Boy

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« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2004, 02:26:11 pm »
Ok I found the article, its in the Jan 2004 issue of Bee Culture :lol:
Bee Boy

Offline BigRog

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« Reply #14 on: June 17, 2004, 02:43:19 pm »
What about this




With a couple of modifacations
A spackle buket is almost as usefull as duct tape

I've got one
but with a 5 gal buket some vacuum fittings (easlily found at your mega home stores) some extra hose and some mesh
Ta Da
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline Robo

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« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2004, 03:50:34 pm »
I think the bees would drown :wink:
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline BigRog

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« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2004, 03:02:20 pm »
:lol:
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline BigRog

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« Reply #17 on: June 20, 2004, 03:03:57 pm »
How about if I didn't put water in it and just left it full of air?
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline BigRog

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« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2004, 03:05:03 pm »
I know! With all that air in there there won't be any room for the bees!
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline Robo

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« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2004, 08:41:38 pm »
It COULD work, but you would need to have some type of screen with at least 1 sq. ft of area to prevent the bees for being sucked right thru.  Perhaps a colinder or something similar.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



 

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