[txbeek]

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.

 

[BeeMoose]

That is a very interesting story. Please keep us updated on this story.

Hope you don't have comb in your vac motor lol

 

[gone2seed]

My question,and I don't mean this to be smart&ss,why are you keeping Africanized bees?

 

[mathesonequip]

sounds like a mess I would get into. did you consider running over a deer on the way home?

 

[Tenbears]

My question,and I don't mean this to be smart&ss,why are you keeping Africanized bees?

Africanized bees are no different than any cross bred bee. if you requeen with a bred queen then the hive becomes calm. In the interim you have a producing hive. The degree of africanization plays a roll in the aggression and time often tells the whole story. At least that is what I have experienced.

 

[e-spice]

sounds like a mess I would get into. did you consider running over a deer on the way home?

:lpf:

 

[txbeek]

6/4/2014 update: Putting the motor with the queen in it seems to have worked. The bees are flying in and out of the hive hauling out dead bees and cleaning up the mess in the cutout wall. I took the motor out with only a few bees still in it, but no attraction to it anymore! Hopefully I can transport the hive to their new home tonight

 

[txbeek]

I plan to requeen them. But I also have an outyard where people are safe and I can work the hive with protection. In South Texas most of the feral bees seem to have some level of Africanization. But they don't get messed with as much by wild hogs, skunks, and *****. The cattle also avoid them.

 

[WilMorris]

This just happened to me yesterday. I must've vacuum ed up the queen. Never saw her. Gave the hive to another beek. Got home and there was a cluster of bees in and around the vac motor exhaust. Turns out there was no queen in there. Just her scent from vacuuming her up