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Author Topic: Bee Vac  (Read 4489 times)

Offline SgtMaj

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Bee Vac
« on: August 12, 2008, 10:10:14 pm »
Thought I'd start a new thread for the bee vac I'm making.  I had an extra box that I cut down to a shallow super and drilled a couple holes in for vacuum hoses.  then I used window screening to screen off the suction side.  Here it is so far:



Next I'll cover the top and bottom with solid boards, only the bottom solid board will have a hole in it where the bees can crawl down into the hive body it'll be placed over.

Offline Robo

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2008, 09:57:51 pm »
where the bees can crawl down into the hive body it'll be placed over.

good luck
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Offline SgtMaj

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2008, 10:30:02 am »
I decided to add a window and lights to it so you can see if the bees are piling up the screen... that way you can shut it off long enough for them to go down into the hive body underneath.  Here's a couple pics of the window, which is taped up until the caulk cures...



and lights... for now the wiring is run through the vac hole, but that's just because I haven't finished.


Offline Robo

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2008, 11:22:45 am »
I still have my doubts with the bees going down as their natural tendency is to cluster from the top down.  Now that you have added light, my doubts are even greater as they will be attracted to the light in an effort to escape.

Hope I'm wrong :-P

Have to say, I'm pretty disappointed in you.  Duct tape doesn't seem to be the quality of work I would expect from you :-P
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline 1reb

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2008, 12:39:03 pm »
when you get finish with the Bee vac, let us know how good it work.
Johnny

Offline SgtMaj

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2008, 03:50:20 pm »
The lights will be on a separate switch so they can be turned off... but of course, the light from the window can't really be turned off... unless I make some kind of heavy curtain that covers it.

I'm pretty disappointed in that caulk... it's been close to a day and a half and it hasn't even begun to set up.

For the suction, I'm thinking of scrapping the line to a normal vacuum and installing a fan instead.  That would give me much weaker suction than the vacuum so I wouldn't have to worry about crushed bees, but I have my reservations about if it provides enough suction to pick up the bees in the first place.  The strongest I've found that would fit is a 65 CFM fan.  I'm not really sure that's enough though. 

Offline pdmattox

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2008, 08:25:11 pm »
Stick with the vacuum and loose the fan idea. You can make something to adjust the amount of vacuum by putting a hole in the box with a sliding cover of some sort. The window could have a piece of paneling over it until you wanted to look inside.

Offline asprince

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2008, 08:45:52 pm »
SgtMaj, good luck! I did not have time to experiment so I built one from Robo's design. Has worked great for two huge cutouts. Works so well that others in my club are copying mine.

Steve
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Offline Frantz

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2008, 08:57:51 pm »
Yea, I agree on scraping the fan idea and stick with the vac. I was surprised this year on my first vac job of how much suction it really took to get those girls off the comb. They really hang on. I almost had to knock them around a little with the hose to get them loose. So the fan idea in my mind won't work. It just won't be enough power.
Good luck with everything else though. Hope all works. You sound a lot like me in that you want to see everything. I have hive bodies deeps and mediums made of lexan so I can see. Not very cost effective, but I can see what the girls are up to.
F
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Offline JP

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2008, 10:39:10 pm »
Yea, I agree on scraping the fan idea and stick with the vac. I was surprised this year on my first vac job of how much suction it really took to get those girls off the comb. They really hang on. I almost had to knock them around a little with the hose to get them loose. So the fan idea in my mind won't work. It just won't be enough power.
Good luck with everything else though. Hope all works. You sound a lot like me in that you want to see everything. I have hive bodies deeps and mediums made of lexan so I can see. Not very cost effective, but I can see what the girls are up to.
F

Hey Frantz, vacuum the ones that aren't holding on tight, the bee vac in a cut out for the most part is used to get numbers down to a manageable amount whereby you can see what you're doing.

If the bees are very docile and you can work amongst them removing and transferring combs, just leave them right on the combs.

Its not necessary to get all of the bees in the vac in most cases.


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Offline rdy-b

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2008, 11:42:47 pm »
 :?  :?  :? keep trying -RDY-B

Offline SgtMaj

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2008, 06:25:26 am »
Hmm, good thing I didn't cut the hole for the fan yet... ah well... I have other things I can use the fan for.

Offline Frantz

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2008, 11:07:49 am »
Thanks JP, I will try to be more gentle. Just rookie nerves I guess. I definately need to slow down and take more time.
F
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Offline JP

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Re: Bee Vac
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2008, 01:07:49 pm »
Thanks JP, I will try to be more gentle. Just rookie nerves I guess. I definately need to slow down and take more time.
F

All I'm saying is get 'em outta the way so you can see what you're doing or if they are somewhat aggressive, vacuum until they throw in the towel, then do your transfer.

There's lots to vacuum on the wall, joists, whatever, if they're holding on tight just find other ones to vacuum.

Careful with the nurse bees on the combs also, they are more fragile than the adults and get easily disoriented.


...JP
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

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anything