new video: transferring bees to a TBH

[buckbee]

I have just put a new video online, shot a couple of days ago, showing the process of transferring bees from a temporary home in a laundry basket (inside an old WBC shell) to a TBH.

I caught this swarm last summer, after the colony they emerged from had killed a gosling - so I wasn't expecting them to be over-friendly. In fact, they were as good as gold. I only used a water spray and a brush to get them down below the bars - no smoke.

While this video has limited application - unless a lot of people have taken to using laundry baskets to catch swarms - it may be helpful if you need to move bees from, say, a TTBH to a KTBH.

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-5280305518683878361&hl=en-GB

[BeeAnonymous]

Cool Video :cool:
I like the liquid smoke, can you share what your water to vinegar (You said vinegar in the video correct?) ratio is?
Do you worry about spraying into incapped honey cells ? or sparying too much?

What other tips can you share about how to use it.

[buckbee]

Cool Video :cool:
I like the liquid smoke, can you share what your water to vinegar (You said vinegar in the video correct?) ratio is?
Do you worry about spraying into incapped honey cells ? or sparying too much?

What other tips can you share about how to use it.

It's really scientific, so follow me carefully: I put in some water, then I add some organic cider vinegar - less than the water, though. :)

If I gave you exact measurements, that may make it sound like I knew what I was doing, but it wouldn't help you! Honestly - I do it because it seems to work - it gets the bees to duck below the bars - and the acetic acid probably knocks out a few mites, and cider vinegar is so universally useful and beneficial (it has whole web sites devoted to telling you how great it is - check Google) that it may even do them some good!

And it smells a lot better than smoke and it doesn't give you cancer - in fact, according to some, it may even cure it!

And no, I don't worry about a few drops getting into honey cells - I'm sure the bees can deal with it.

[lilmountainlady]

I really enjoyed watching your video. Thanks for sharing it.

Based on what you replied to the previous post I am assuming that you most likely fill your water container about 3/4 full then finish with the vinegar. That's about the normal ratio for many of the things you use when diluting cider vinegar, even when making oil/vinegar dressing.

Thanks for sharing though,
Hugs & warm smiles,

Lilmountainlady

[buckbee]

I really enjoyed watching your video. Thanks for sharing it.

You're welcome!


Based on what you replied to the previous post I am assuming that you most likely fill your water container about 3/4 full then finish with the vinegar.

That's about right. I should probably use litmus paper to check acidity... but then I would need to know what the acidity should be...