Bee Vacuum

[Murphy]

Hi,

I built a bee vacuum from the plans on this site.
I am having trouble finding a vacuum to mount on the box. Most of the vacuum's I have seen have a large cowling on them.

Does anyone know what model is used on the bee extraction vacuums?

Thanks,

Kieran

[PA Pete]

Try emailing Matthew Westall, the guy who drew up the plans - his email (from the plans) is fltdeck1@ix.netcom.com. There's also a link to his email on the plan/pix page: farmhoney@msn.com

-Pete

[ April 21, 2006, 12:33 AM: Message edited by: PA Pete ]

[Murphy]

Thanks Pete,

I have emailed him but was just wondering if anyone on here has built one and what model of vacuum di they use.

Kieran

[honeyman46408]

I got one from Wally Wourld about 1 gal is size I think I paid around $20.00 for it, I did some cutting on the bottom and used fome rubber to seal it. I loaned it to a guy and now I think I will have to build another :(

[Curtis]

I use a 5.5 Craftsman and only have the hose attached to the box.
Curtis

[PA Pete]

I went to Wal*mart today just to see what they have. None of the vacs there looked like the model shown in the photos here on BeeSource, and none looked like they would easily mount to a wooden box - all the models I saw looked like they had the cowling Kieran describes. Craftsman vacs also seem to have this cowling.

I have a 2.5hp Craftsman vac I got free that I'll be using. It has the cowling, so it will take some creative modification - I'll try to take some pix and if it turns out ok I'll post them somewhere.

-Pete

[RAlex]

I can send ya a pic of the one my brother built ...I just mount the vac unit on a new box,so I could get a better seal...its not completly finished yet but the motor is mounter to the box ? ...Rick Alexander

[Murphy]

Here is the reply I recieved from Matthew Westall:

Nearly any small wet-vac should work as most share the common hole-size at the suction. The problem is alot/all?/ add plastic vents, attachments, etc to the vacuum motor to make it work as a wet-vac. I've purchased small wetvacs from both Walmart & Home-Depot and both work fine. You simply have to unscrew all the extra gear from the wet-vac motor housing. I may have cut on some plastic on one of them but seem to recall none were difficult. I've generally just left the hole open & 'popped on' the wetvac motor onto the hole when in use. You might find strapping the motor to the top is more practical.

Thanks for your commendation on the plans. Now go save some bees! The season is just warming up to that type of work. You'll find the beevac works well even picking up swarms. They're invaluable pulling bees out of structures.

Regards,
Matthew Westall - EBees - Castle Rock, CO
(where our season is off to a warm start .... 'just' as blooms came out on apples 3 days ago)

[Murphy]

Thanks Guys,
I look forward to seeing some pics.
I was thinking of removing all the covers and just making a cover out of plywood to protect myself from getting shocked.
I was wondering what model the guy who is making them for Kelley is using?

Kieran

[mdotson]

Since you have to put a gate in the system to slow down the flow, why not use a 18 Volt cordless vacuum and adapt it to the box? It would be much more portable. I may try that soon.

[notaclue]

Where can I find a cordless electric vac? I have tried wally world, Kmart, Sears, Home Depot, Lowes and local stores. For this and oxilic acid, and they all look at me like I'm crazy or simple.

I'll agree with the later and just returned from the first.

[mdotson]

I got my Ryobi at Home Depot.

[fhafer]

Instead of a gate to slow down the flow I use a variable speed router controller. They sell them at the local Harbor freight for five bucks. Plug the vac into the router controller and plug the controller into an extension cord. I also use a chip seperator on a five gallon bucket to hold the bees rather than suck them into my vacuum. A piece of window screen on the suction side of the chip seperator keeps them in the bucket.

[ May 08, 2006, 08:27 AM: Message edited by: fhafer ]

[jxbeeman]

This is the one i built last year. i built a second one this spring with a hinged top a and a little different set up. i'll see if i can get some pics of it. they work great for removal jobs and the like.
bee vac back (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/josh_bestle/detail?.dir=2e5a&.dnm=8f76.jpg&.src=ph) bee vac top (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/josh_bestle/detail?.dir=2e5a&.dnm=3212.jpg&.src=ph) bee vac (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/josh_bestle/detail?.dir=2e5a&.dnm=99c9.jpg&.src=ph) bee vac (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/josh_bestle/detail?.dir=2e5a&.dnm=3b76.jpg&.src=ph)

[wayacoyote]

I got a call to remove bees from a chimney today. They are at the top, and I don't like heights. But Man, If I had a bee vac, I would have taken what i could get.

Waya.

[onlygoodSHBisdeadone]

waya--you could borrow mine if you like.

[wayacoyote]

Thanks, OGSHBIDO,
But I'm still in Kentucky and a good 3-hour drive. Now if I were at home (Decatur), I would definately! Then you could show me how to make it.

The pest guy was supposed to come at 11:00 if I didn't get them, so I'm sure they're gone by now.
Waya

[PA Pete]

OK - I said I'd post some pix once I figured out whether the "cowling" type would work - it does, so here are some pix. I got my vacuum off Craigs list for free :D - I believe it's a Sears 2.5HP unit but there's no longer a label on it so I'm not sure.

It was pretty gummed up, so I took it all apart and cleaned it up, which was pretty easy.

The "cowling" had handles and some plastic pieces that stuck out below, so it wouldn't easily mount on top of the bee vac. I tried a couple of things to cut these off, but settled on a coping saw, which did the job easily and neatly. I then cleaned up the rough edges with a utility knife. Here are some photos:

Top View (http://home.comcast.net/~pxbacher/pix/Top_View.jpg)
Bottom View (http://home.comcast.net/~pxbacher/pix/Bottom_View.jpg)
Trimmed Handles (http://home.comcast.net/~pxbacher/pix/Trimmed_Handles.jpg)
Trimmed Plastic (http://home.comcast.net/~pxbacher/pix/Trimmed_Plastic.jpg)

Another couple coats of paint and a half hour more work and it'll be done! :D

[onlygoodSHBisdeadone]

waya--- anytime

[Murphy]

I just did my first vac job on a swarm about 18ft up in a tree in the downtown area. It went totally smooth. I had 20 ft of smooth bore hose and the hole to control suction full closed 1.75HP vac. No dead bees. It was the biggest swarm I have seen in a long time two vaccumn boxes full. I dumped them in a hive and had to run back to a job. When I returned they had absconded. I have done 20+ swarms so far this year and this is the first to abscond. I was wondering if it was the effect of the vacuum.

Anyway was a little bummed as it was the best swarm I got this year. :(

Kieran

[fhafer]

Kieran,
Did you put a queen excluder between your bottom board and the lower hive body? I do that and leave it in place until the queen starts laying....then the bees are anchored. I've never had a hive abscond doing this.

[Murphy]

Hi,
I have never used a queen excluder between the bottom board before. This is my first to abscond to and it made me wonder if it was the effect of the bee vac.

Anyway a neighbor called me to tell me there was a large swarm up in a tree. I guess it was my absconded swarm.

This time they were glad to get into a new home.

Kieran

[jxbeeman]

here is the basic design that i used to make my beevac. you can change it according to the vacume that you are using. also you can change some of the wood to ply in different areas on it. for the vacume hose i bought one of the 2 1/2 inch vac hose with the multi adapter as the connector part that i bolt onto the box. look at the other photos that i've made available for more help or pm me if you have a question. I have used this style for multiple removals and the nice thing about it is that you can leave them in it for a few days (i usually put a frame with honey in it be for the removal for food) and they will be fine. also don't leave it outside without the hose on because they sometimes swarm into it, but sometimes that is a good thing. josh
bee vac design details (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/josh_bestle/detail?.dir=2e5a&.dnm=6237re2.jpg&.src=ph)
bee vac (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/josh_bestle/detail?.dir=2e5a&.dnm=15ccre2.jpg&.src=ph)

[James Shoemaker]

Thank You for the pics. An the basic design. This helps me out alot on how it was made....Will build on over the weekend so that I will have one on the next removeable that I do...Again thank you for thaking the time to post this for all of us....God Bless
James Shoemaker smile.gif

[Murphy]

Yes thanks, great pictures. What did you use to make the drawings with.

Thanks,
Kieran

[jxbeeman]

i used autodesk inventor. works great to do any kind of drawings. josh