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Author Topic: First cutout  (Read 3583 times)

Offline Psparr

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First cutout
« on: April 24, 2016, 10:52:27 pm »
Did my first cutout today in the soffit of an old stone house. Owner says the hive has been there at least ten years.
Not easy to get the comb out in the space I had to work with. Hoisted my bee vac up on a pulley attached to the ladder. Got hit right away in the face so put the veil on. Got two five gallon buckets of honey out. Probably fifteen pounds of bees in the vac. And a medium super full of brood comb. Still some more brood comb to remove tomorrow but is difficult to salvage any more. It's some really old tough comb. Can't access the numerals on my phone or the comma. Think it got a good bath of honey. Speaking of honey I was literally covered head to toe in it. Gravity is some crappy stuff.
All in all I think it went well. Quit counting stings at about forty. Homeowner was happy the bees were being saved comma and I even got a beer out of it.

Offline KeyLargoBees

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Re: First cutout
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2016, 08:57:01 am »
Yep the honey bath you get when removing over head is always "fun" ;-)
Jeff Wingate

Changes in Latitudes...Changes in Attitudes....are Florida Keys bees more laid back than the rest of the country...only time will tell!!!
piratehatapiary@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/piratehatapiary

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: First cutout
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2016, 12:26:32 pm »
Congratulations Psparr on your first cutout. Older comb is harder to cut but easier to handle. Every week I am cutting swarms out of my deep nucs. They build wax below the medium frames. New wax is so soft it is constantly crushing under your fingers. Old wax holds tight.
What you need are some cut out tools. Divemaster makes them. Maybe you can get him to sell you a set.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Dmrauch

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  • 2016. Year 1. Hives 1
Re: First cutout
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2016, 12:34:57 pm »
I have never done or even seen a cut out but I must say, your pictures are super impressive.

Offline Psparr

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Re: First cutout
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2016, 12:46:58 pm »
I've heard about a knife with the tip bent over about an inch. Would have come in handy. The combs were really tall and getting them to break off at the top didn't work.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: First cutout
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2016, 12:56:05 pm »
Here is Divemaster's forum name: divemaster1963.
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Psparr

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First cutout
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2016, 08:32:24 pm »
Thanks sawdstmkr.

Here's a not so good quality short video of me vacuuming the bees. Vacuum worked well only maybe fifty dead bees when I was done.
https://youtu.be/wcx8ujZYcg8

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: First cutout
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2016, 01:04:13 pm »
Thanks for sharing. Looks like you had the vacuum setting set just right, just enough to barely pull them in. Good job.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Psparr

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Re: First cutout
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2016, 03:25:28 pm »
An update on the cutout.

Got a call this morning that there was a swarm in a nearby maple about 40-50' up. Was planning to finish the cut out tomorrow because they were calling for rain and I wanted to vote before going in to work. I drove over with a swarm trap, some old comb and LGO. Set the trap on their deck and had scouts within seconds. They must have absconded this morning. Just a little robbing activity in the original hive. Hope to get a call by this evening that they accepted the trap. Supposed to storm pretty bad here later.

Offline Psparr

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Re: First cutout
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2016, 06:21:18 pm »
Second update. Homeowner just sent me this picture.