Author Topic: Vacuuming up swarms!! What do you think about this? (Read 37368 times)

annette · « **on:** April 21, 2011, 05:09:19 pm »

There is a beekeeper around here that told me he is getting lots of swarm calls and he vacuums them up. Makes the job very easy.

It sounded strange to me because I know they have their belly's full of honey.

Anyone have any feelings about this??

Scadsobees · « **Reply #1 on:** April 21, 2011, 05:35:21 pm »

It must not be too big of a deal because if he came home with a mass of soggy dead bees, he'd stop vacuuming them, right? :)

A good vacuum calibrated correctly will not harm any more bees than a shake down will. Even with full bellies.

I vacuumed one last year that I couldn't get to move into a box (freezing nights, stupid bees?), and they came home just fine, I didn't notice any dead ones.

Rick

slacker361 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 21, 2011, 07:32:06 pm »

http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/bee-vac/

Grandpa Jim · « **Reply #3 on:** April 21, 2011, 08:07:23 pm »

I made one of Robo's Vacs. It has worked great when I have used it(small vac, does not draw too hard). But I did have one swarm way up on a pine, no way to get it but to put every bit of hose and tubing together to reach it. They came home honey soaked and I lost them(that long ride through the hose did them in). So use as little hose as possible and they do seem to work well when other methods will not.

asprince · « **Reply #4 on:** April 21, 2011, 09:00:42 pm »

I have hived hundreds of swarms with a Robo designed bee vac. I use it for 99% of my swarms. It is fast and I can get nearly all the bees without having to come back later to pick up the hive.

Steve

BjornBee · « **Reply #5 on:** April 21, 2011, 09:09:31 pm »

Test any bee vac with a can of fresh peas. If you can suck up the peas without smashing them, you will not harm bees. ;)

annette · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2011, 12:49:02 am »

OK thanks for the info. Now at least I know he is not crazy :-D :-D

BjornBee · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2011, 08:05:05 am »

Quote from: annette on April 22, 2011, 12:49:02 am

OK thanks for the info. Now at least I know he is not crazy :-D :-D

That may be true.

It's you that the jury is still out..... :-D

Sorry....another rain day here. ;)

JP · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2011, 10:09:06 am »

If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact. Sometimes more sometimes less. As so with any shake.

Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

...JP

sean · « **Reply #9 on:** April 22, 2011, 11:59:16 am »

i have done swarms in the day and have captured them all. However once they get too hot they will die. I use a battery powered vaccum

bristopen · « **Reply #10 on:** April 23, 2011, 12:19:09 pm »

Quote from: JP on April 22, 2011, 10:09:06 am

If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact. Sometimes more sometimes less. As so with any shake.

Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

...JP

I don't think I'm gonna find special bee vacuums in my place. Do you think I can tinker with the regular kind of vacuums to do the job? And what do you think is the capacity of a small vacuum?

asprince · « **Reply #11 on:** April 23, 2011, 03:52:09 pm »

Quote from: bristopen on April 23, 2011, 12:19:09 pm

Quote from: JP on April 22, 2011, 10:09:06 am
If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact. Sometimes more sometimes less. As so with any shake.

Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

...JP

I don't think I'm gonna find special bee vacuums in my place. Do you think I can tinker with the regular kind of vacuums to do the job? And what do you think is the capacity of a small vacuum?

You can make your own by following the direction in the following link:

http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/bee-vac/

You can adapt your vacuum vacuum motor. They work great.

Steve

greenbtree · « **Reply #12 on:** April 23, 2011, 07:12:25 pm »

I've vacuumed up a few swarms without any issue. I try to shake them into a box first to get the queen then vacuum any stragglers that won't go into the box before leaving. But sometimes they are on a main trunk section, often at a crotch of the tree, and there the vacuum is invaluable. Trying to brush bees off a big tree crotch into a bucket ten feet in the air on a ladder is for the birds.

JC

GWDawg1 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 23, 2011, 10:52:48 pm »

Built a bee vac today for a cutout next week!

VolunteerK9 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 23, 2011, 11:25:47 pm »

Quote from: BjornBee on April 21, 2011, 09:09:31 pm

Test any bee vac with a can of fresh peas. If you can suck up the peas without smashing them, you will not harm bees. ;)

Would that be organic peas or some of those GMO Monsanto poisoned peas?

Sorry man...couldnt resist :lol:

bristopen · « **Reply #15 on:** April 25, 2011, 11:59:11 am »

Quote

You can make your own by following the direction in the following link:

http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/bee-vac/

You can adapt your vacuum vacuum motor. They work great.

Steve

But I'll have to have a bee vac to begin with!

I wanna tinker with my own dust vacuum!

jgaito · « **Reply #16 on:** April 25, 2011, 05:21:41 pm »

this one is pretty easy to build. haven't had a chance to try it on bees yet but it's adjustable to near zero pull.

Tommyt · « **Reply #17 on:** April 25, 2011, 07:34:27 pm »

Quote

Posted by: jgaito
this one is pretty easy to build. haven't had a chance to try it on bees yet but it's adjustable to near zero pull

A little more on this would be nice? :-D

Tommyt

jgaito · « **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2011, 11:28:41 pm »

Quote from: Tommyt on April 25, 2011, 07:34:27 pm

Quote
Posted by: jgaito
this one is pretty easy to build. haven't had a chance to try it on bees yet but it's adjustable to near zero pull
A little more on this would be nice? :-D

Tommyt

sure. a little tech info. it started as a mighty mite canister vac. i hacked the front cover off and screwed and glued it to one end. the back half was gasketed with some split fuel line and attached by the hinge pin for the front and two turnbuckles. in front of the intake it has an angled piece of fiberglass screen to break the impact. an adjustable vent limits the pull. the bottom has a slide panel fitted to an eight frame deep to make the release easy. the top is plexiglass to monitor and has a hinged and screened vent door. all OSB and scrap materials for the build, painted white for visibility.

slacker361 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 26, 2011, 03:07:15 pm »

ok i think i was over thinking this, that just sits on top of the super and the gals are just sucked right into their new home?

asprince · « **Reply #20 on:** April 26, 2011, 08:27:26 pm »

Quote from: slacker361 on April 26, 2011, 03:07:15 pm

ok i think i was over thinking this, that just sits on top of the super and the gals are just sucked right into their new home?

That is correct. It works great.

Steve

slacker361 · « **Reply #21 on:** April 26, 2011, 09:49:55 pm »

Yeah Sometimes I need things explained like I am 2 years old..... but then I get it LOL

gaucho10 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 27, 2011, 02:54:38 am »

I have never vacuumed a swarm. I usually don't shake the branch...I just snip it off. So far no one complained about my trimming their trees/bushes. I usually don't charge them for the trimming :-D

Michael Bush · « **Reply #23 on:** April 27, 2011, 06:07:50 am »

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm#beevacuum

montauk170 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 27, 2011, 01:09:50 pm »

Got a swarm call last night and the guy estimated it was only 14 ft which I have a 12 ft A-frame ladder I can reach them no prob.
Got there and it was 20+ ft!!! I was there anyways so I thought I give it a try. It was a night, a big mistake for the high up tough swarm removals.
Anyways, had to run home to get the bee vac with all the extensions that I have. Sucked up a good amount but I don't like using the bee vac on swarms if I don't have to.
With bushes or trees, I find it difficult to vac them as there are branches and leaves in the way unless you use a small nose nozzle. Plus, I like to catch the queen.

Tommyt · « **Reply #25 on:** April 27, 2011, 01:33:40 pm »

When just out of Reach you need to try this
I did and it works great

just for fun

montauk170 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 27, 2011, 01:52:39 pm »

Yeah, I've seen this and I'm still looking for one of those water jugs!
Might have to just pony up to buy one!

bristopen · « **Reply #27 on:** April 28, 2011, 03:00:04 pm »

This is barbaric, man!

LOL

But real fast and efficient at the same time!

I'll try it as soon as I can!

Thanks JP!

jaseemtp · « **Reply #28 on:** April 29, 2011, 12:15:06 am »

I have used the vacuum several times this year and it has worked great. There seems to always be a few deaths but not very many.

preston39 · « **Reply #29 on:** April 29, 2011, 01:40:08 am »

Quote from: slacker361 on April 26, 2011, 03:07:15 pm

ok i think i was over thinking this, that just sits on top of the super and the gals are just sucked right into their new home?

=========
Would there be a benefit of placing a ...oh..1/2 to 1" cotton sheet in the bottom to less'n the impact of landing? Or would the bees get tanglerd up in it adversly because of arriving in all types of configurations?

Tommyt · « **Reply #30 on:** April 29, 2011, 07:56:33 am »

Quote from: montauk170 on April 27, 2011, 01:52:39 pm

Yeah, I've seen this and I'm still looking for one of those water jugs!
Might have to just pony up to buy one!

The guy I do cutout with has a plumb fitting screwed to the bottom of a 5 gal pail
I think its a 1+1/2 pipe that fits it. The fitting is a female with a strap molded into it
I'll try and get a picture or the type of fitting it is.

Tommyt

Ben Framed · « **Reply #31 on:** May 26, 2022, 11:55:59 am »

Quote from: JP on April 22, 2011, 10:09:06 am

If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact. Sometimes more sometimes less. As so with any shake. Any others will be trying to get to the queen at the exhaust of the vacuum. I simply face them as well... I have found this is also a way to know when the queen has been vacuumed..

Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

...JP

> If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact.

I have had some good experiences vacuuming swarms. I haven't had that trouble in my experience but instead had some good success vacuuming swarms, leaving almost 'none' behind. It takes a little bit but any straggles will come right back to the spot where the queen was last. What I do is put the end of the hose at that spot with the vacuum still running, (where the cluster was before vacuuming), for about 5 minutes after the bulk has been vacuumed, and the last few will usually get sucked in as they search for the queen.

> Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

I enjoy doing it the old way as well, but the fun depends on where they are located.. lol

Phillip

Ben Framed · « **Reply #32 on:** May 27, 2022, 01:28:04 am »

Quote from: Ben Framed on May 26, 2022, 11:55:59 am

Quote from: JP on April 22, 2011, 10:09:06 am
If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact. Sometimes more sometimes less. As so with any shake. Any others will be trying to get to the queen at the exhaust of the vacuum. I simply face them as well... I have found this is also a way to know when the queen has been vacuumed..

Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

...JP

> If they are vacuumed in the daytime there will be bees left behind. That is a fact.

I have had some good experiences vacuuming swarms. I haven't had that trouble in my experience but instead had some good success vacuuming swarms, leaving almost 'none' behind. It takes a little bit but any straggles will come right back to the spot where the queen was last. What I do is put the end of the hose at that spot with the vacuum still running, (where the cluster was before vacuuming), for about 5 minutes after the bulk has been vacuumed, and the last few will usually get sucked in as they search for the queen.

> Vacuuming may be quicker but certainly not as much fun.

I enjoy doing it the old way as well, but the fun depends on where they are located.. lol

Phillip

Adding:
Something else I leaned about vacuuming swarms. Once the queen has been vacuumed, a few flyers will smell the queen from the 'vac exhaust'. They will fly around, attempting too reach the queen in this turbulence exhaust air. The vac exhaust will toss these too and fro. This is a good way to know the queen has been vacuumed from the cluster and in the vac box. The bees flying at the exhaust area of the vac, are the last ones I vacuum. Job done!!

Phillip