beevac users: corded or cordless?

[Ben Brewcat]

I'm researching to make a beevac (any tips appreciated!). In looking at the Beesource plans, threads that come up in the search, etc., I see almost none made with cordless vacuums. Are they not sufficient? How long an extension cord do folks carry?

P.S. I'm going to try to incorporate these accumulated suggestions:

smooth tubing
regulator for flow strength
"crash pad" for bees to impact

[Jim Fischer]

Nothing would suck more than a vacuum cleaner that stopped
sucking before you were done.

Extension cords are cheap.

As for smooth tubing, it really isn't a required item.
I always thought it was a good idea myself, but we
had two different people talking about bee removals
at EAS 2007 (Cindy Bee and Bill Owens) and both
of them use non-smooth tubing. They are strong
advocates of using the minimum amount of suction
required to pull bees off comb, which may be the
big difference.

Crash pads certainly can't hurt, and an adjustable
opening to regulate the airflow is a very good idea.

Another idea would be an extra long hose between
vac and bee chamber, so that the vacuum itself,
just to keep things quiet. Barring that, wear
earplugs. The high-pitched whine of most vacs
can get painful after a while.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

Your on the right track with the smooth hose, be sure to use the two inch hose from Lowes, it comes with a one inch reducer and you can use the short plastic extension tubes that come with the vac.

The in line rheostat is a good idea too. I haven't gotten around to getting one yet, I just adjust the air flow with duct tape.

The 'crash pad' is a must do also.

Take a look at Iddee's vac, It's the one to imitate. The one thing that I do that makes a big difference is to incorporate the vac into the box. It sure makes life easier not having another piece of equipment to deal with.

For a vac, I suggest the one gallon shop vac. If you use a deep for a vac box it will only take up about 1/4 of the space and leave you plenty of room for bugs. They can be a little hard to find sometimes, I went to four places before I found one at Target.

I carry 1oo foot of extension cord on a reel. I tried to run the vac off of a automobile converter but it wasn't big enough to run the vac. A battery vac wouldn't run long enough to do a cut-out, it might be ok for doing swarm work. I never use a vac for swarms.

[suprstakr]

power inverter saves oroblems or camp generator

[bee crazy]

I had always thought that if I made one I would use my leaf blower. The unit I have has an air intake on the bottom so it could sit on the box and just fashion a seal and wala, a vac that runs on gas. It would have to be worked out but it would work.

Swimming pool vac hoses are great for bee vacs as they are smooth inside and fittings are readily available. Now is the time to find them when people throw them out because they leak water but still great for air. Check with a pool service company.

[berkshire bee]

100 ft of heavy duty (12ga?)extension cord. check for power source with customer beforehand. I use modified "package bee boxes" for the inner bee box.

[Ben Brewcat]

Good points. Anyone ever see/try a 5-gallon bucket nested in a 6.5-gallon bucket? I have 5g buckets I've put screens in the sides and part of the lids, maybe I could have the vacuum side enter the larger bucket, and the bee tubing leave the inner bucket? Though I do like playing with the power tools, maybe the box affair would be easier and more durable.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

maybe the box affair would be easier and more durable.

That's my vote. If you put plex on the box you can see the condition of the bees and how many you have.

[Ben Brewcat]

Do vac motors suffer if operated sideways or upside down? I know the pump motors we use in brewing have an orientation that matters. From folk's pics it looks like some of the motors are side-mounted, and some top. Make a difference?

[BULLSEYE BILL]

The shop vac's have a ball that floats up to keep the water from going into the unit. When you take the unit apart to mount in the box leave the ball out.

[GaSteve]

I bought Bill Owens' designed bee vac from Brushy Mtn. It really works very well. It came with a crash pad in the screened box which looks like the green foam piece that goes around the air filter of a large lawn mower engine. Earplugs are a help -- the whine of the vacuum does get old after a while. The only modification I made was to add a hook so you can hang it from a rung of a ladder. For a big cutout it does get heavy to hold after a while. I thought about making a back pack version.

[Ben Brewcat]

I think I'm confused about the dimensions listed on the Beesource plans. It lists the front, back and sides pieces twice. Once under the heading "top" and once under "bottom". I understand the "bottom" versions, as 7 7/8" X 20" and 14.5 X 20" which makes sense for an inner box of 7 1/4" tall plus spacers. But on the "top" parts they're 1 1/8" X 20" and 1 1/8" X 14.5". Additionally, on the diagram, the depth of the front/back/side walled box is (sans top or bottom) listed as 8 3/8"!

What am I missing here... a box only has a front, back, and 2 sides right :o?

[Ben Brewcat]

And about that one-gallon Target vacuum... does it have enough oomph to power a 2" hose?

[BULLSEYE BILL]

It sucks good!

[xC0000005]

And about that one-gallon Target vacuum... does it have enough oomph to power a 2" hose?

It does. I use it to power this one (http://www.voiceofthehive.com/Pictures/BeeVacSmall.jpg)and I've been pretty pleased. I run it with too much ventilation to start with and close it off slowly until I can slurp bees down the hose. Lately though I take the hose off the jug and just suck them into it. Narrow opening makes for good suction, wide expanse in the jug means they billow out into it.

http://www.voiceofthehive.com/Pictures/BeeVacSmall.jpg

[power napper]

One thing to remember is that the vents or regulaters of air flow need screens covering the holes. Make sure that the screen is on the outside of the box so that the bees do not plug up the vent holes creating more vaccuum and killing the bees.

[Ben Brewcat]

Snappy there xC. What's over the intake to keep it from grabbing bees? And is there a seal around that take-off bottom, or is the loss just minimal enough to prevent it from working?

[xC0000005]

An Ikea mesh strainer. I'll snap a few pics tonight. Around the bottom I cut the jug right where it narrows, resulting in a fit so tight I have to pull to get it off. Easy to build, low kill rate, and the jug handle makes it easy to "direct". Removing the bees isn't as nice as Iddee's - you remove the bungy straps and it twists apart. Dump and go.

[Ben Brewcat]

Are those bolts in the pics? Do you need them with the bungees?

[xC0000005]

Ok, Pictures. To make this you take a jug and start with the cutting. At the bottom "ring" where the diameter of the bottle goes in you cut the end off. It doesn't matter which side you place the "narrowing" part of the jug on - either way you'll cut that off next, leaving the bottom able to snap directly onto the jug with a solid fit. This design uses an Ikea mesh strainer that I cut the handle off with a hack saw. I used a 1 1/4/2 inch adapter and drilled it so that I could mount it either way (I sell these some times, and between the 2 inch and 1/14 sides something will fit with the vac). In the bottom I drill out a hole for the adapter plus two 1 inch vent holes (I cover these with tape or just my thumb to increase suction). I use fender washers to hold the mesh strainer over the intake - you'll notice it's spongy and flexible. A foam "crash pad" would be a nice addition. The bungies are simple small bungies that I bend slightly. I used four but it turns out that the bees are not herculean - two would have been fine.

WARNING: DIALUP UNFRIENDLY PICTURES (I'm not bothering to reduce these).
http://www.voiceofthehive.com/Pictures/BeeVacSide.jpg
http://www.voiceofthehive.com/Pictures/BeeVacEnd.jpg
http://www.voiceofthehive.com/Pictures/BeeBottom.jpg

[Ben Brewcat]

Thanks xC! That's super helpful. Looks like a lightweight setup, easy to make for an occasional vacuumer like I am. A guy in a club out here makes jug-vacs also but affixes a long automotive-type funnel to the snout end. Don't know that'd be the way I'll go but thought I'd put it out there.

[yoyo]

I saw a walmart 1 gallon vac for $19.95. It was a wall-mountable unit. Does it look like it would be allright to use? If so, I'll get me one.

[Gene O]

Hi guys was reading all the stuff about making bee vac the Bee Culture mag. sept issue has the plans for one lookes real good my 2 cents