2012 Cutouts : Lessons learned

Hi all,
Did about a dozen this year. As much as anything just to see how feral nests were being constructed.

-All Vac'ed colonies lost queens, got weak, SHB, lost most. Better results by hand but still lost queens. Best results-capture/cage queen first.
-Expose entire nest before proceeding.
-Get good work area set up, new hive as close as possible, someone to frame the comb as you cut is a godsend. If not just carefully lean comb in corners of plastic bin. Got to find/cage the queen straight away.
-Your emotional state is as important as any other factor in keeping them placid. Strive for calm assertiveness.
-Go thru quickly but smoothly, light, cool smoke as needed, she will run, cut/pull inspect till u get her.
-Cage her w/ a few workers and include her w/ brood comb.
-I don't transfer honeycomb just feed it back to them, or me :)
-I only save 80%brood comb, install and leave for couple days.

Cheers,
Drew
p.s. I built a simple vac. using a soccer ball bag as vac. bag. Ridges in hose will kill B's, smooth inside better.

Carwash Vacuums use 2" and 1 1/2" hose that should work just fine as it has smooth interior and is VERY durable. A person probably could get a used hose free from the CW guy. I always changed them out when they got bad looking.
For a new piece contact http://www.dultmeier.com/ or shop around.

I too have seen hives struggle for lack of queenrightness after a cut out. This coming year I'll invest in a couple queen cages and work harder at finding her before framing comb into boxes. On the smoke issue- I had a queen run deep into an attic space after using smoke on some very feisty bees, I won't make that mistake again. From now on smoke will only be used outside the hive to quell the alarm smell and keep the bees closer to the comb.

A lot of lessons learned this year, the next will be even better and more prosperous.

Good luck to you!

This has been my best year yet, I did 20 bee removals. I've found that adding a new queen after every cutout is a good insurance policy. Had pretty good survival rates, until the mites got some of them this fall.

Learned it's way easier with two beekeepers.
Each cutout get's simpler.
Smoke drives the queen back.
Install the entire (or as much as possible) cutout hive into the new hive.
Leave a small piece of brood comb (if you can't find the queen) and the queen will be on it the next day.
After completing the cutout and sealing of the entrance, leave new hive for one day and pick it up after dusk. (I hate the "there are still bees here" calls. lol

Great Tip!! I will be sure to try that this year. You don't know how grateful I am for that tip.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr.Beeman

Leave a small piece of brood comb (if you can't find the queen) and the queen will be on it the next day.

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No problem WF. Glad I could help.

I am going to do a cutout for a friend of mine, but I am worried about angry bees stinging neighbors. Any advice?

Talk to them and work around their schedule so they are not around.

I also put up a caution tape barrier at least 30' out.

Typically you will be the only one getting stung. Yeee Haaaa. :D

I only had one void removal where the bees were real pissy. Why? I'm not entirely sure. Those bees would dive bomb us 20 yards away and TRY to sting not just buzz us.
Usually though they are pretty calm even though their entire home is getting ripped apart.
The caution tape is a good idea.

Thanks for the advice.

Great tips. I'll add one of my own. When I collect a swarm or do a cut out, I always give them a frame of brood with hatching eggs from one of my other established hives. If they need a queen, You'll know it if they draw out a new queen cell. If the wild queen is present they won't make a new cell, but will appreciate the frame of brood to tend anyway. At that point you can let them make there own queen or install a new queen with confidence she is really needed.

I used the caution tape a couple times as well, hope I have some eggs to give this year :)

Update :
-Cutout frame design
Obviously one of the tricky parts is framing the comb. A being with 3 hands instead of just the 2 we are limited to would be better suited to the task :) I believe the process could be improved from what I've done/seen, by cutting 2 small slots(vertical, blade width) in each side frame/TB to accept bamboo skewers, inserting comb between skewers, and attaching free ends of skewers w/ cloths pins (which can be slid down against comb to help support from bottom), thus securing comb temporarily in frame/on TB.

maryland,
Do you happen to have a picture? If not can you get one to post? I'd love to see exactly what you're talking about.

I wasn't born with a third hand either, so we came up with this idea.

Imagine this with a foundationless frame with rubber bands installed on both ends of the frame ready to scoot over the comb.

Attachment 3930

Neccessity is the mother of invention.

Thanks for the photo Mr. Beeman, that's one I need to build for when I don't have my wife on standby to rubberband frames for me.

Got a pic, getting from camera to post is still mysterious. Nephew helps with that end, thinks video would be easiest. Stay tuned :)

Another real important factor when performing a cutout or swarm removal is all the proper equipment and materials in one location.
Our trailer is equipped for anything that may be needed and is ready to deploy within minutes of the initial call.
One less thing to worry about!

Attachment 4388

I read about a guy spraying pine-sol in the cavity after the cutout. Does anybody here spray anything in there when you are done?