Author Topic: Vacuuming up swarms!! What do you think about this? (Read 37613 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?