Just went to scope-out hive underneath a mobile home for soon-to-be cut-out

**PatBeek** · 02-11-2013, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Mr.Beeman

Where's the pics and video of the intitial removal? I'm jonesing here already.

Thank god you don't have much to laugh at with what would have been horribly incriminating photos. Thankfully I didn't really document this cut-out. It was too chaotic and borderline dangerous. Plus, No one else could get close enough to film and my hands were too honey-fied.

I just have this short video clip of my top bar hive I left there the day I did the cut-out that's chocked full of brood comb.

It pains me to even watch this stuff:

Oh well, youtube isn't showing the video yet. I'll post it later.

**Lburou** · 02-11-2013, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by PatBeek

Well, I'm not sure if you saw the photos of the vacuum I made, but the bottom bucket fits around the top bucket with holes that line up. As you twist the two buckets, those holes either restrict or expand in size.....so yes, there is a way to reduce and/or intensify the air flow. I'll just have to experiment to see the sweet-spot setting.

Glad to hear that! Sorry, I missed it in the picture. Good luck!

**PatBeek** · 02-11-2013, 07:58 PM

.

My hive has a much prettier roof than this. This was an improvised roof because the other roof would have been too big to fit in my wife's trunk and wouldn't have been a good enough seal anyhow.

Top bar hives aren't too great for cut-outs....................but SMALL price to pay for all the joy they bring.

**nathan-D** · 02-13-2013, 06:32 PM

Thanks for the honesty of doccumenting what you did wrong, I think it is so much more educational seeing what works AND what doesn't work. I'm brand new myself and learned a ton about trapouts from viewing this thread. I haven't done a cut out yet, but I'll definately enlist some help for the first one. I do like the bee vac it seems cheap and easy to make. I'd like some more info on the bee vac if you could.

**PatBeek** · 02-15-2013, 05:18 PM

.

Early Sat morning I'll be finishing up this botched cut-out.

My plan-of-attack is vacuum, vacuum a bit more, and then keep vaccuuming.

Then I'm going to spray down the whole underside area that has bee-residue with soapy water.

I'm not using a smoker because (a), I don't have one yet, and (b), these Florida bees chew up smokers and spit them out.

I'm going to be bundled-up like the Michelin-Man® again for protection, but it's going to be MUCH cooler here in Florida.......60 degrees or so in the morning......CHILLING !!!

On a side-note, my wife witnessed me doing an inspection of the hive that's thriving in my backyard that's from the SUCCESSFUL trap-out I did several months ago. Anyhow, those bees are extremely mean and were all over me. She now wants me to invest in a smoker, although with bees like this, I doubt it will knock a dent in them, however, I do agree I need one. I plan on re-queening these batches-of-bees that I am getting from these cut-outs as soon as I can. I realize they are pretty-much unworkable. Plus, I don't want these bees stinging my kids who may be playing 50 feet away.

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**odfrank** · 02-15-2013, 05:46 PM

If you don't have a smoker, how did you get the experience with one to feel that they are valueless?

**PatBeek** · 02-15-2013, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by odfrank

If you don't have a smoker, how did you get the experience with one to feel that they are valueless?

LOL, I didn't say they were value-less. It's just that I find it hard to believe in the extreme situation of probable Africanized bees, it most-likely won't make much of a difference.

I COULD BE WRONG !!!!

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**Ramona** · 02-15-2013, 06:17 PM

You absolutely need to get a smoker and learn to use it properly. It is extremely ignorant to be working bees in the proximity of others without a smoker.

If you haven't been using smoke you have no idea what the temperament of any of the bees you have worked with really is.

You are lucky your wife hasn't pulled the plug on your bee ventures by now.

Ramona

**PatBeek** · 02-15-2013, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by Ramona

You absolutely need to get a smoker and learn to use it properly. It is extremely ignorant to be working bees in the proximity of others without a smoker.

If you haven't been using smoke you have no idea what the temperament of any of the bees you have worked with really is.

You are lucky your wife hasn't pulled the plug on your bee ventures by now.

Ramona

Ramona - I wear the pants around my house - and the stings..

Anyhow, you have no argument from me. I am going to invest in a smoker.

I hope a smoker DOES make a big difference with these types of bees.

Look at them trying to kill me:

And please don't worry - my kid is well protected in the screened-in porch. Please no one report me to CPS.

I don't want drones bombing my house. (Hahaha, no pun intended)

**PatBeek** · 02-16-2013, 01:45 PM

.
So I went to finish the cut-out today at the mobile home. The new vacuum I made worked GREAT as far as having a low kill-rate. However, I had to completely abandon using my bee vac because it would have taken me 18 hours to vacuum those bees. I had the holes closed-up all the way for FULL vac-force and many of the bees were able to fly back out of the nozzle.

What I ended up doing is requesting from the maintenance guy who was on hand the usage of one of his shop vacs.

Now THAT thing had some pulling-power, but the kill-rate was much higher, obviously.

I'm not sure how many of you have been bundled-up under the bottom of a mobile home with bees trying to kill you and not much room to work while laying on your back - but a vac with almost no suction ain't gonna cut it, folks.

After I was done vacuuming, I doused the whole area where the hive was with soapy water.

I then brought the bees home that survived the vacuuming and let them go near my existing backyard hive and allowed them to assimilate into their new community.

It all seemed to go very well.

A lot of action for awhile - but I didn't really see any fighting.

I believe that an existing hive can sense whether bees are there to rob vs if they are homeless and can be taken in to lend a hand.

Here is a short video of them assimilating into my hive.

**Mtedcarr4** · 02-16-2013, 09:14 PM

I am sorry pat I should have made myself available for you I am down in Bartow & didn't reply until after you did the cutout . A cut out is still a good way to start any hive . I attend the Tampa Bay Beekeepers Association & the Ridge Beekeepers Association . TBBA has more members but Ridge is closer .

**PatBeek** · 02-17-2013, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by Mtedcarr4

I am sorry pat I should have made myself available for you I am down in Bartow & didn't reply until after you did the cutout . A cut out is still a good way to start any hive . I attend the Tampa Bay Beekeepers Association & the Ridge Beekeepers Association . TBBA has more members but Ridge is closer .

I went to a Ridge meeting once last year. I know there is a lot to learn from these folks, but it just seems like the whole industrial/treating way of doing things. I may go back when I get back from Texas, but I may attempt to start a top-bar axis to combat them.

(Tongue in cheek, folks)

But would love to meet with you at some point and perhaps stomp around each others' hives.

**shannonswyatt** · 02-17-2013, 09:30 AM

Sit back and soak it up. Learn what you can. Just because folks are doing some things you don't want to do does't mean you can't learn a lot by being around them. Some of these guys have probably been beeks for a long, long time. You are not going to be successful as a beek commercially if you didn't learn a thing or two along the way. Once you have been at it for a few years you may be able to return the favor by showing them the way that you keep your bees. Just a thought.