Author Topic: getting bees out of super (Read 4141 times)

doak · « **on:** May 19, 2007, 08:42:52 pm »

When harvesting honey, I just wanted to hear some input on some different ways to get the bees out of the super. Right now I am using the fume board. Like to hear some different ways and how they work.
:)doak

Robo · « **Reply #1 on:** May 19, 2007, 08:48:14 pm »

bee brush
leaf blower
escape board

Mici · « **Reply #2 on:** May 19, 2007, 08:56:48 pm »

propane torch

Mici · « **Reply #3 on:** May 19, 2007, 08:57:45 pm »

just kiddin, don't worry :-D
only a bee-brush or a feather-brush,a regular brush is somewhat rough

Moonshae · « **Reply #4 on:** May 19, 2007, 11:16:51 pm »

When I did this in the past, I used an bee escape above the excluder, gave it 3 days, and had no bees in there. I've come to understand that the fume boards work in a few hours, so depending on how much of a rush it is, and you don't overdo the scent (driving the bees out of the whole hive), the fume board could be more ideal.

pdmattox · « **Reply #5 on:** May 20, 2007, 12:11:18 am »

myself and my mentor use fume boards.

Kathyp · « **Reply #6 on:** May 20, 2007, 12:46:52 am »

i liked the fume board. i pulled the honey supers off first and set them with a cover, next to hive on extra super and BB. it only took a few min. and bees exited the bottom and went back home. i learned that it takes very little stuff on the fume board to make them leave. to much seems to make them move slower.

heaflaw · « **Reply #7 on:** May 20, 2007, 01:17:11 am »

I use a fume board which seems to get 80% of them out and then I take one frame out at a time & brush the rest off. I have tried escapes & blower, but didn't like either as well.

KathyP: your quote is fantastic! I believe that strongly. It should be part of the swearing in ceremony for all political office holders. Where does it come from?

Understudy · « **Reply #8 on:** May 20, 2007, 01:33:23 am »

I take the hive body off, and then tap against a pair of upright 2x4s next to the hive. I brush off the rest.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

doak · « **Reply #9 on:** May 20, 2007, 01:44:03 am »

Thanks all.
Kathyp, I havent thought about taking the super off like you said. It doesn't take long the way I was doing, but I always have a doz. or so left inside.

I have to be careful, My Wife is "HOSPITAL" responsive to any kind of insect sting.
I have to watch when I start extracting. Slung out one and1/2 5 gal. bucket tonight.
doak

Robo · « **Reply #10 on:** May 20, 2007, 07:57:12 am »

I lean them against the side of the hive and use the leaf blower. If they are really packed with bees you may have to pull a few frames to blow them out. No nasty fumes for my honey :-D

Kathyp · « **Reply #11 on:** May 20, 2007, 12:15:52 pm »

heaflaw,

it comes from the "wheel of time" series of books written by Robert Jordan. an absolutely fantastic fantasy/adventure/legend, type of story. currently 12 book long if you count the prequel. one more to go. it's on CD as well, which is good because they are very long books :-).

in fiction, for the type of story, i have not been so taken with a series since i was a little kid and picked up my first wizard of oz book.

SOT series is good too.

doak, i still end up with a few. i just found that this worked a little faster and didn't disturb the entire hive. i ended up with fewer bees pee'd off.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #12 on:** May 20, 2007, 07:30:33 pm »

Abandonment method.
Triangular escape.
Brushing them off the combs.

tillie · « **Reply #13 on:** May 20, 2007, 08:54:00 pm »

I only have a couple of hives, but I take an empty super out to the hives and set it on a sheet. I take the super which I am robbing and take one frame off, stand in front of the hive and give it a vigorous shake - most bees fall off on the landing. Then I take the bee brush and vigorously brush the rest off of the frame and when it is bee-free, I put it in the empty super and cover with a sheet. Then I move to the next frame. The whole thing takes only a few minutes.

When all the frames are in the super, it is then covered with the sheet on all sides and I can take it in to the house without gathering bees as I go.

Linda T in Atlanta

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #14 on:** May 20, 2007, 09:17:47 pm »

I use the one way escape with the inner tops. I only have a few hives and the few extra days of waiting will the bees move down is no problem. If I had more bees I might be moreinterested in using a fume board or some other method of clearing the hives from the supers.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #15 on:** May 20, 2007, 10:00:36 pm »

Didn't someone show a picture where they took the supers off the hives and stood them on the sides?

doak · « **Reply #16 on:** May 20, 2007, 10:05:43 pm »

I think standing them on the sides is for the blower.
doak

Michael Bush · « **Reply #17 on:** May 20, 2007, 10:32:09 pm »

>I think standing them on the sides is for the blower.

It also works with the abandonment method.

tillie · « **Reply #18 on:** May 20, 2007, 10:50:52 pm »

Michael, I just did an "advanced search" for abandonment method on your site and it didn't come up. Can you describe what that method is?

OOps - I just searched this site instead of bushfarms and found that what you mean is something you described on this site last year - taking the super off at dusk and leaving it behind the hive until dark and then moving it into the house - few stragglers because since the super was "abandoned" most if not all of the bees will have returned to the hive.

Thanks anyway,

Linda T

Michael Bush · « **Reply #19 on:** May 21, 2007, 08:07:18 am »

>taking the super off at dusk and leaving it behind the hive until dark and then moving it into the house

That's it.