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Author Topic: Bushkill Bee Vac  (Read 105345 times)

Offline Rex Smith

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #80 on: August 12, 2012, 05:28:33 pm »
I am one of those unfortunate souls who must have sucked up way too much honey along with the bees on my last two cutouts.  I wound up with about 3.5" of dead bees in the bottom of the collection box from yesterdays' cutout job.  (shaking my head)

A quick question, though on the cutout shim...  My current top screen is made from #8 hardware cloth.  When I got home, some of the poor bees had stuck their eyes/heads through the mesh, and could not retract from the mesh of the hardware cloth.  Is this a sign that I had too much suction?  Or should I change over to aluminum screen window mesh that has smaller openings?   What sized hardware cloth is generally (and successfully) used for the removable cutout shim?

Offline David McLeod

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #81 on: August 12, 2012, 06:42:59 pm »
They got to hot. Try misting them with water or give them a drawn frame with water.
I changed the hardware cloth out for a trimmed propolis trap.
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Offline Rex Smith

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #82 on: August 12, 2012, 06:59:24 pm »
Thanks David - I'll do that on the next one....   (plus I've got my hose soaking in a tub of water to clean out the sticky from the inside of it)


They got to hot. Try misting them with water or give them a drawn frame with water.
I changed the hardware cloth out for a trimmed propolis trap.

Offline G3farms

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #83 on: October 03, 2012, 09:18:41 am »
If the inside of your hose is sticky you were sucking up honey and nectar. I try hard not to vac too much on the face of unsealed honey comb, you will pull out the honey and nectar. Once the bees are cover in the sticky mess they will drown in it.

When they over heat they will be a black looking greasy mess from where they have puked up what was in their stomachs.

Number 8 hardware cloth (1/8" opening) works good for the cut out shim. Sounds like the openings are a bit larger than 1/8".

You only need enough suction to keep the bees in the hose, if they sound like a hand full of gravels going down the hose you will have dead bees in the bottom of the bee vac, mostly broken in half.
those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your keister is a catchin!!!

Bees will be bees and do as they please!

Offline Rex Smith

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #84 on: October 04, 2012, 01:55:44 am »
My last 3-4 uses of the vac have been 100% successful.  I had indeed sucked up honey from a cutout - so the inside of the hose was sticky.  Once that was taken care of - I reduced the suction, and have had great success with the vac.

Offline PLAN-B

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #85 on: May 30, 2013, 01:42:20 pm »
I haven't played with the vac described in this blog, but made a bucket vac that took all of an hour and a half to throw together and I am pleased with it so far... Not saying its better, but for someone who might have limited woodworking tools it's a runner-up....




I know it's not your design but thanks for posting the idea Moots
Marshall

Offline ScooterTrash

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #86 on: June 23, 2013, 11:37:15 am »
my 8 frame bushkill vac is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow, I have 2 cut-outs scheduled this week. Been looking forward to this for a while.
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Offline Robo

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #87 on: June 23, 2013, 11:44:14 am »
my 8 frame bushkill vac is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow, I have 2 cut-outs scheduled this week. Been looking forward to this for a while.

Good Luck!   My advice would be to start with very little suction and increase it until you find it working sufficiently.   On the first one, stop often and slide the top cover open and inspect the bees. You will be much better off spending a little longer the first time and getting use to the vac.   As much as I talk about not using too much suction,  I still get too many people with a lot of dead bees their first time because they used too much suction.   The efficiencies of the BBV does not include sucking them up fast than other bee vacs,  it is the less stress and manipulations after they are sucked up.

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Leather Jim

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #88 on: June 23, 2013, 11:55:59 am »
Works great!!

Offline OldMech

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #89 on: August 20, 2013, 04:39:33 pm »
There I go, thinking I was original again...
   I made mine with all the vac parts in the top so I can use the hive body AND the bottom board. pop the top/vac assembly off, drop the inner cover and lid on. Remove the entrance board and the hive is set. Put the board on the entrance of another empty hive, drop the vac onto it and its ready for the next cutout/swarm..

   I have found in trying to perfect this, that I do not get a lot of debris on top of the frames when the Suction is adjusted correctly so that I do not kill bees. Light debris, like leaves may go in, but heavier stuff, wax, sticks etc do not. The six inch chamber above the frames allows the vacuum to dissipate. Everything that goes into the chamber falls on top of the frames, including the bees, and as a bonus, I can carry it with one hand. (empty)
   I also use a simple ratchet strap to bind mine together. I am all about simplicity..  after a hard day of sweating, I really appreciate the simplicity of the design. Once I get the bees home, it takes five minutes to remove the vac from the hive, drop the cover on, and unscrew the entrance board. It really saves time and allows me to get to that rum and diet cherry coke that's waiting for me beside my chair, overlooking the pond, in front of my house, with my fishing pole laying beside that.
39 Hives and growing.  Havent found the end of the comfort zone yet.

Offline trapperbob

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #90 on: September 19, 2013, 10:07:17 pm »
My last cutout convinced me I should have one of your vacs . I'm really excited lol it arrives tomorrow . Afraid I won't get to use it till next year but I can't wait.

Offline mdax

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #91 on: September 19, 2013, 11:20:51 pm »
I dig my BushKill vac


I was thinking how awesome it could be as a "non lethal" tool for law enforcement; put the vac into blow mode, stick the hose through a window and flood a room with angry bees.   

Offline Robo

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #92 on: September 19, 2013, 11:35:08 pm »
mdax,

Nice 8-framer.  Ilike the paint job.   How long is that hose, and where did you get it?
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline trapperbob

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #93 on: September 21, 2013, 01:16:52 am »
I see in the pic of your vac Robo the vac has the muffler on it does it really dampen the sound very much or was it a waste of money?

Offline mpickard

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #94 on: November 14, 2015, 01:31:24 pm »
Robo - Ridgid Tools has a 2-1/2" x 20ft locking Hose kit - VT2522, which is what it looks like mdax is using.  I bought one myself just for the bee-vac I'm building based on Bushkill's Bee Vac design.

*DISCLAIMER* I work for Emerson (don't know if I necessarily need to disclose that, but since Ridgid is an Emerson company... even though I am not involved with that division) comments are my own personal comments and not related to my employer.

Offline Robo

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #95 on: November 14, 2015, 02:03:02 pm »
Robo - Ridgid Tools has a 2-1/2" x 20ft locking Hose kit - VT2522, which is what it looks like mdax is using.  I bought one myself just for the bee-vac I'm building based on Bushkill's Bee Vac design.

*DISCLAIMER* I work for Emerson (don't know if I necessarily need to disclose that, but since Ridgid is an Emerson company... even though I am not involved with that division) comments are my own personal comments and not related to my employer.

Thanks for the insight on the 20ft hose,  that will be ideal for most.  I'll add a link to it from my website.   Personally I have been very happy with the Ridgid vacs, and although we support Shop Vac as well,  I always recommend the Ridgid when asked.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #96 on: November 18, 2015, 12:11:27 pm »
I built one have been using it for 5 years . Great design .I have made 100 bottoms for mine. Now that what I use for bottoms for all my hives. Bees seem to love just rhw hole for a entrance. I made slide flaps so I can adjust entrance size but they do sell the round entrance wheel for them.

John

Offline superbee

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #97 on: December 29, 2015, 12:10:13 pm »
Robo,

I wanted to thank you for your bee vac.  I am currently have 6 of them used for removals.  I figure I get a good 25 large cutouts before I have to fix something.  The design and build is great.  I have tested the bee vac on hundreds of cut outs and it helps me save more bees faster.  Thanks again Nick from Super Bee Rescue and Removal.

Offline LKBruns

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #98 on: December 29, 2015, 06:07:46 pm »
I built a similar design this summer.  I am looking forward to trying it out this spring.  I plan on trying it with wasp first, until I figure out how much suction I need

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Bushkill Bee Vac
« Reply #99 on: December 29, 2015, 10:08:39 pm »
LK,
Set it so that it just barely sucks in the bees. Much more than that and you will have problems.
Jim
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