jello everyone! has anyone made the bee vac in the bee source plan area. are there better plans or do the ones you buy at dadant or brushy work better.
thanks
james
Barry- Your vac looks great. Now, if you could build another one and, this time, take step-by-step pics. your pics are the best I've seen yet for this design that shows the detail of how the parts are cut and put together. In fact, the pic of your vac bottom is sufficient. It is the top that I am still fuzzy on. Also, what is this other "insert" that was mentioned. What is it for and where does it go? (I know...I just opened this up to some wisecracks about where to stick that insert but Barry will keep it straight...lol). Thanks. -james
Barry- Your vac looks great. Now, if you could build another one and, this time, take step-by-step pics. your pics are the best I've seen yet for this design that shows the detail of how the parts are cut and put together.
The only thing I will do differently this time is to make the bottom board a smidge bigger than normal so I don't have to shim out the metal corner brackets that hold the hive body.
AFAIC, it's the cat's meow. There is basically no mortality. Any mortality happens at the suction end of the hose by smashing a bee or two. I can't improve on the design.
That's great! I will be building mine next week. I've already ordered a more powerful (and quieter) vacuum, and am looking forward to using this design and not having a bunch of dead bees after a removal.
Thanks a lot for your great pictures and instructions. You made a real beauty, and it's obvious that you have some woodworking skill.
I found this year that swarms in the afternoon that have just landed are loose and easy to vacuum, as are the bees on cutout combs, only one or two layers thick and few casualties. But swarms that have hung out over a cool night are tightly bound and it takes more poking and scraping to get them suckled up, and therefore more casualties. One of these nozzles is helpful for swarms in thickety bushes and blowing bees from honey supers:
For vacuuming swarms, a vac that has the frames inserted is the way to go. For cutouts, a vac that holds just the bees is just the ticket.
Typically in most cutouts, you are framing the comb and for most cutouts you will need about two to three medium supers with frames. It makes more sense to add the bees to the hive from the vac when you get to the yard.
I just remove the top of my vac exposing the screen when finished, flip upside down once the hive is in place at the yard and pull the shim. After a couple of days remove the vac system and install inner cover and top.
In a pinch, I did have roughly 20k of bees in a 5 frame medium vac from a swarm I vac'ed. The frames made it possible to keep air movement and keep the bees cool. Within a half an hour, they were in a ten frame medium with drawn comb.
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