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I did a cutout of a massive africanized hive - solid 4x8' wall of comb. They were so aggressive they covered my veil so I couldn't see. I went home and got my big shop vac to exterminate the aggressive guards as they left and entered the hive, and a sprayer of dishwashing water to take on the airborne attackers. Finally got the bees under control to start the cutout. 5 hours later got all the comb removed, large numbers of nicer nurse bees vacuumed and dumped in the hive, four 5 gallon buckets of mashed down capped honey, but no queen.
Came back this am to vacuum up clusters, and the biggest one was on the top of my killer shop vac. I bee vacuumed up all the bees I could, but more kept coming. Finally took the top of the shop vac apart down to the plastic motor housing. Smoked the motor housing like crazy and drove lots of bees out, but not the queen. Bees kept coming to the motor housing and fanning. Finally gave up and put the whole motor housing in the hive. The bees started fanning above the housing, so hopefully they will all be moved into the hive tonight. And hopefully the queen will move from her motor fortress onto the combs.
Will update tomorrow.
Came back this am to vacuum up clusters, and the biggest one was on the top of my killer shop vac. I bee vacuumed up all the bees I could, but more kept coming. Finally took the top of the shop vac apart down to the plastic motor housing. Smoked the motor housing like crazy and drove lots of bees out, but not the queen. Bees kept coming to the motor housing and fanning. Finally gave up and put the whole motor housing in the hive. The bees started fanning above the housing, so hopefully they will all be moved into the hive tonight. And hopefully the queen will move from her motor fortress onto the combs.
Will update tomorrow.