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2012 Cutouts : Lessons learned

9K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  delber 
#1 ·
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.
 
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#3 ·
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!
 
#5 ·
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
 
#12 ·
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.
 
#14 ·
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.
 
#21 ·
Based upon the research that I have done people fill the cavity with something and block any entrances. I've watched you-tube videos where they paint the interior of the cavity, then fill it, then close it all up. Seemes overkill, but if the customer is paying for it then that's the "best and safest way" to insure there are no more bees in this spot.
 
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