Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

Equipment first cut-out

6K views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  reneal 
#1 ·
Making a list of essential and nice to have for my first cut out.
Log home with bees between foundation and 3 sided logs, looks like a 8 inch tall by ? gap, will find out when we remove the board.
Taking regular clothing, smoker etc.
Made a vac,yet to test it.
Probably need a long sharp knife
buckets
Luck and ?
What do you take?
Wily
 
#5 ·
The parts mentioned in tsmullins comments are easy to obtain, but I am not sure how to use them. I found a hive built on a limb out in the open of a small tree. It is about the size of a basket ball and a half. Looks heavy and to get it down all one need do is cut the limb. However, what to do next. I though about separating the kidney shaped lobes and hanging each on an empty frame with chicken wire and nylon ties. I plan to separate the lobs with dental floss or knife which ever works and does the least damage. However, this is all speculation now. Having never done this before I would be interested in anyone's comments.
 
#6 ·
My cut-out checklist (feel free to modify/add/subtract to what suits you best):
*3' Crowbar
*1' modified prybar/hive tool (I'll try to post a pic of it later, if you want)
*Claw hammers, 1 large & 1 small
*Linoleum Knife (cuts comb nicely)
*Bee-PROOF suit w/veil & gloves
*Drill with 1.5" paddle-bit (helps when you have to tear into a wall, lets you "peek" to find the hive without tearing off several feet of wall unnecessarily)
*Circular Saw
*Reciprocating Saw (Sawzall)
*7-8 Frame deep Nuc/Swarm-trap boxes with solid bottoms and closeable entrances, at least 2 (I drill holes in the lids & screw them down, makes for safer transport)
*Screwdriver
*5gal buckets for honey comb & ruined comb, at least 2
*"Feral comb capture frames" (there's one pattern for these posted in the "BIY" section of www.beesource.com), MINIMUM 2 per nuc
*1.5gal pump-sprayer full of 1:20 (or stronger) soapy water to "take care of" all the stragglers that I can't coax into the hive boxes
*Lots of extra soap (dish soap or liquid laundry soap both work well...buy the cheap stuff), "just in case"
*Small spray bottle of homemade bee repellant (I use Almond, Tea Tree, Jojoba, Orange, Citronella, Cinnamon, and Pennyroyal oils, listed in no particular order)
*Stapler
*Flashlights (Both with, and without red, diffuse light filters...if you work after twilight w/red diffuse light, the bees can't see to fly very well)
*Camera (I take pictures to post here, and to keep for "legal records")

Items I don't personally use often, but probably should:
*Smoker
*Bee Vac

This was from an earlier post.
 
#9 ·
Thing to add to the list.
Sawsaw skill saw Drill
And n
My most important tool is my bee vac. In fact I have work up both a frame vac box. And one to work with a package cage. The frame one I use for the Main cut out. I like to go back after dark and vac up the ones I missed doing the cut out.
David
 
#10 ·
The question from willyC was about equipment, and now there is a pretty good list of what one may find useful for a cut-out from a building. Still, how does one put the bees in a wooden hive body once they are removed from where they were found? I understand the bees go into a hive body, but how is it done. Has anyone tried fastening sections of the comb on frames? I am looking at removing a hive hanging on a limb exposed to the weather. They would most likely die during a southern Illinois winter, especially if it is a cold year. So, there is no choice of waiting until spring. The size of the exposed hive is larger than a standard hive body. Cutting away comb must happen to get them in the hive body. I am thinking of using chicken wire and nylon ties to hang the lobes of comb from top bars. Those with experience with cut-out must have put the bees in hive bodies someway. Would anyone care to share their experiences on doing that?
 
#12 ·
#13 ·
Well, this reply is for woopie. I'm not sure of your conditions there, but this time of year I would try to collect the colony still on the limb, and put them into a box of some sort without cutting the combs off. Then in the spring you can slice the combs off & put them into frames. Its getting pretty late in the season to be tearing up a colony & expecting them get everything back into shape for the winter. For a box you might try building something out of 1" foam insulation, or using an old plastic storage container. Something to keep them dry, & there Warm?? When you do cut the comb off, keep in mind that the top edge remains up.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top