bee escape not working

3339 Views 11 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Rader Sidetrack, Mar 22, 2014

doug reed

Discussion Starter · Mar 22, 2014

I bought one of the bee escape boards that uses a triangle shaped wire cover over the hole in the center. Dadant sells it. It worked the first time I used it on a honey super, but the last time I found quite a few residents not wanting to go. I'm trying it again today, but I was curious if anyone has had a similar problem. I did get some of the plastic ones that fit into the innercover slot, but I wanted to give "The Triangle" one more try.

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honeymoney

· #2 · Mar 22, 2014

if the box you are trying to empty has any brood, they will not leave

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doug reed

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 22, 2014

honeymoney said:
if the box you are trying to empty has any brood, they will not leave

No brood in the last super. Ended up brushing off each frame.

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Rader Sidetrack

· #4 · Mar 22, 2014

You didn't mention anything about using "Bee-Go" or one of its competitors. Have you considered that?

Honey-B-Gone is a Beesource sponsor and seems to be currently offering a discount. More here:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?326-Honey-B-Gone

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doug reed

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 22, 2014

We haven't as yet used the repellant approach. I'll look into it. Thank you.

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homesteader824

· #6 · Mar 22, 2014

I used to use that style of bee escape, usually with good results, sometimes not. If it is fairly warm there, the bees won't feel the need to go back down overnight to the brood chamber like if it was cooler. That could be it. Of course you want to make sure it is facing the right way. I switched to Honey Bandit and a fume board and had excellent results with that.

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Bear Creek Steve

· #7 · Mar 22, 2014

I have built many of the triangular or "vortex" bee escapes and find that they work quite well for me. Bee sure that it is installed on the hive with the screened side down and no exit/entrance at or above the super you are trying to clear.

Steve

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doug reed

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 22, 2014

Thanks Steve
Yes, I make sure the screened side is down, and as yet I haven't started using upper entrances. Perhaps my problem is I'm not waiting long enough? I see some people wait 48hrs. Also I may be expecting too much performance. How many bees do you find in the super when you pull it?

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Acebird

· #9 · Mar 22, 2014

I bought one and used it once with poor results. I found out later that it works the best when there is a heavy flow and not so much in a dearth.

Since I harvest in the fall I was thinking of spilling some honey or cappings on an inner cover and setting the super over it with the escape underneath to see if it would perform better. Haven't tried it yet.

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WBVC

· #10 · Mar 22, 2014

Bear Creek Steve said:
I have built many of the triangular or "vortex" bee escapes and find that they work quite well for me. Bee sure that it is installed on the hive with the screened side down and no exit/entrance at or above the super you are trying to clear.

Steve

Are there plans on line? We were thinking of trying them but prefer to build stuff if we can.

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Michael B

· #11 · Mar 22, 2014

I always had better success when leaving them for 48 hours or so. The catalogs tell you not more than 24 hours. With these boards the supers go from a few thousand bees to a hundred or two.

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Rader Sidetrack

· #12 · Mar 22, 2014

> Are there plans on line? We were thinking of trying them but prefer to build stuff if we can

More designs for bee escapes than you can shake a stick at here:

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/clearerboards.html

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