The awesome Beevac

**blammer** · 07-08-2008, 02:21 PM

So here are a few pics of the bee vac that does not kill bees.

I have let two other people use this and they will concurr that the loss of dead bees from vacuuming them up is practically zero.

I have vacuumed up two queens, unknowingly, and neither were hurt or killed.

I have had up to 6 lbs of bees in one tube at once.

Slam me if you want I don't care.

a pic of the inner tube

a pic of the outer tube

a pic of the bottom of the inner tube (it's upside down now) and how you get the bees out.

a pic of it all together, hose is not connected or in the pic but goes in the top hole.

both tubes full of bees approx 6 lbs in each container

**Curtis** · 07-08-2008, 02:25 PM

Now that is outside the BOX.

Thanks for posting
Curtis

**RayMarler** · 07-08-2008, 02:37 PM

I see you have 2 of them there, you could maybe send the spare to me? I'd put it to good use! Thanks for the post, very nice beevacs!

**Texas Bee** · 07-08-2008, 03:20 PM

I like that model Blammer, How do you hook up the hose ? Need a few more pics with the hose set up.

Nice job !!!!

**danno1800** · 07-09-2008, 04:52 AM

thanks for the pics!!! -Danno

**Curtis** · 07-09-2008, 05:04 AM

I want to know what kind of a blower(vac) that is.
Curtis

**Keith Benson** · 07-09-2008, 06:10 AM

Originally Posted by blammer

Slam me if you want I don't care.

It would be silly to slam success.

Me, I am not particularly familiar with concrete tubes and such, I can see in the photos that the inner tube is 8 inch, how big is the outer tube? And what kind of vacuum is that.

Pretty neat!

Keith

**iddee** · 07-09-2008, 07:57 AM

It looks like it would work well in open areas. I wonder about on ladders, in small attics, or low crawl spaces.

How do you control the vacuum, or is it constant? How long and how big is the pickup hose?

Do you add the bees to the installed brood at the removal site, or when you get home? How do you control the temp. of the bees and the brood, if you combine them at home? When do you go back to retrieve the hive, if you combine them on site?

Will the tubes stay together after a few good washes to get the vacuumed honey and debris off them?

No, I'm not slamming. I am thinking of trying one for the more open spaces, especially where the colony is large enough to stock 2 or more hives, and double especially, "is that correct grammar?" when there are numerous queen cells present.

**BULLSEYE BILL** · 07-09-2008, 09:03 AM

If Iddee is thinking about it, then it must be a good idea. I don't think his design could be beat, time will tell. Different tools for different jobs, and I love tools.

**iddee** · 07-09-2008, 06:27 PM

I love mine, but it is expensive and a lot of work to make them. I just did a cut out that took all 3 boxes I have. His looks like it may be cheaper and easier to make the "refills" when there are 3 or 4 boxes of bees.They would likely be transportable for many miles in an air conditioned vehicle, but I'm afraid they may overheat in the back of a pickup. That and the other questions I asked would need to be answered in one way or the other before I could pass judgment one way or the other.

PS. I will not be retiring mine any time soon. Tom Sawyer made it originally, and who could argue with a man carrying that name?

**notaclue** · 07-10-2008, 12:20 AM

Hey if it sucks 'em up and minumizes or all but eliminates killing the bees, then I don't care what it looks like! I'll like it!

**Ross** · 07-10-2008, 06:31 AM

I can't see anything about it that is significantly different that makes it not kill bees. More information is needed.

**Texas Bee** · 07-13-2008, 08:03 AM

Blammer where ya at Son?.....

**Ben Brewcat** · 07-13-2008, 08:20 AM

As a data point, I made an Iddee-style vac with a slider (dump) tray. If the vacuum control is attended to, the only bees that die are the ones the got soaked in honey during a cutout. I don't have any large losses with either of my vacs, but I won't say a single bee has NEVER perished in them.

The big thing is to have the suction just right. I use the large corrugated vacuum hose with a concentrator nozzle and occasionally have to shake the tube to loosen accumulated bees if there's a low point in the tube.

**bluegrass** · 07-13-2008, 09:08 AM

I just upgraded my vacuum motor from a cheap little one out of a dirt devil to a monster out of a 30 year old electrolux that I found on the side of the road..... I highly recommend the upgrade, I was burning through the little ones every few cutouts.

**BeeCurious** · 07-13-2008, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Ross

I can't see anything about it that is significantly different that makes it not kill bees. More information is needed.

The trip through the vacuum hose must be the same (violent) but the landing may be softer with the larger screened surface. It seems that there would be fewer bees injured by the crush of bees being pulled into the screen.

I'm guessing that a non-corrugated hose is used. Smooth hose would improve air flow and eliminate a lot of impact/injury.

**Ross** · 07-13-2008, 11:41 AM

The larger screened area is actually one of the things that kills bees. They seem to do better when they can get out of the flow somewhere. The hose has nothing to do with the beevac not killing bees. Not said well, it has alot to do with not killing bees, but it's not unique to that beevac. You can put a smooth hose on any of them.

**Curtis** · 07-13-2008, 02:23 PM

I find that any suction hose over 6ft in length kills lots of bees. I have never had a problem with sucking honey into my vac.

**blammer** · 07-13-2008, 03:07 PM

Sorry I've been away! Had a bee removal to do!

To answer a few questions.

Here are the ones that I remember right away.

The hose is 8 feet long. It is SMOOTH in the inside. I have noticed a REAL difference in the "corrigated" or 'bumpy' tubes vs a smooth tube. SMOOTH all the way!

The "control" for suction is on the top. It's a hole with a piece of wood that you can slide open or closed to control the suction. The more the hole is open the less suction.

The motor is from an Old Bissel dry/wet vac. I also have one from an old electrolux, the motor doesn't really matter.

**blammer** · 07-13-2008, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by iddee

It looks like it would work well in open areas. I wonder about on ladders, in small attics, or low crawl spaces.

If you're on a ladder a small stand next to you or someone holding it up works.
Small crawl spaces? I use a longer tube.

Originally Posted by iddee

Do you add the bees to the installed brood at the removal site, or when you get home? How do you control the temp. of the bees and the brood, if you combine them at home? When do you go back to retrieve the hive, if you combine them on site?

I cut out the brood, and put in frames and put in hive. At the job site I will dump all the bees into the new "home" with the brood and cutout comb. I usually leave the new hive at the job site for 2 days to give the bees a chance to find the new home. I also put out some honey that was cut out infront of the hive or inside the hive. This gives em someting to do and gets them to go to the right place to store the honey. When all of the old hive is out and the place is scraped down and painted they will smell the new place and go there. On the second night I'll sneak in, strap together the hive and close off the entrance and move it. Just like you would move a hive for pollination.

I don't controll the temp of the bees they do that themselves.

Originally Posted by iddee

Will the tubes stay together after a few good washes to get the vacuumed honey and debris off them?

don't need to wash the tubes as the bees will clean it if left out. Give it a good brushing down with a dry brush and it's ready to go.