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Author Topic: first vac attempt  (Read 3501 times)

Offline Blacksheep

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  • william e smith
first vac attempt
« on: May 23, 2014, 09:48:42 pm »
Hi :Well I had a first this week as I hastly made a Bee vac and then went to this house on the lake where the owner was wanting the bees gone!!They were in between the rock and block foundation in a house with a basement.He didn't want to do any damage to the house and said get them or I will spray them.
Well all I could catch was the forager bees and I guess that was about 500 or so and it took so long to get even them I thing the long vac period killed 100 of the ones I caught of course I didn't get the queen.
I am trying the newspaper unite with a small swarm I caught earlier and hope to save some that way.
The swarm has a queen so maybe that small colony will accept a few cousins to help them out.
I did learn a lot and I wouldn't attemp another unless I felt I could get the queen.My Vac worked ok but I need to make some modfications to it before attempting any more vac jobs.
I nevr got stunk and I was suited up and did a little smoke as well.
Maybe the next one will be in a better place!!
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Offline Bobcat

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2014, 12:58:43 pm »
Sounds like you might have too much suction on your vac if you killed a lot of bees !
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Offline Blacksheep

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2014, 08:45:35 pm »
I think the length of time I was running the vac had a lot to do with killing the bees I guess the air gets to cold and maybe vac to strong for them.
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Offline capt44

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2014, 09:58:22 am »
I set the suction on my bee vac to where it will just lift them into the hose.
Another thing is if it is a swarm sometimes they are so full of honey that they will wind up a blob of gooey bees in the cage.
If they get too hot or get roughed up they will throw up and cause a mess in the vac.
I usually use the vac for a while and change cages giving the bees fresh air.
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Offline Intheswamp

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2014, 10:26:39 am »
You said "I hastly made a Bee vac and then went to this house"...what type of vac was this?

If you can't get to the comb and brood of the colony then about the only way to remove them is a regular trapout or a Cleo Hogan one.  Killing them inside the wall (spraying) is problematical in that unless you use something *really* deadly to them you won't kill them all but rather just make them sickly which may result in them dieing a slow death.  The problem afterwards, whether they're quick killed or slowly killed, is that if you have 15 pounds of bees, brood, honey, pollen, wax, etc., in the wall...well, it's going to be something kind of like a 15 pound dead dog hanging in there.   25 pounds....ditto and so forth and so on...  It can make a mess.

Ed
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Offline Blacksheep

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2014, 09:03:07 pm »
Hi Guys:I didn't have a chance to get the main hive due to the location.This was in a rental vacation house on the lake and renters were comming in shortly.Owner wanted them gone  before they arrived which was impossible.All I caught was the foragers which are the older bees.
I wasn't going to tear into a Mountain stone wall foundation for a few bees as owner was not paying anything.I guess he sprayed them as I haven't been back to the site.
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Offline greenbtree

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2014, 11:01:29 pm »
A fellow beekeeper who showed up at my very first successful swarm call (owner called multiple people and didn't tell anyone) gave me some very good advice - "you have to know when to walk away".


JC
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Offline NotactJack

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2014, 02:01:04 am »
That's why you should charge for a swarm call. Homeowners always lie. Why bother heading to a cutout if he won't let you cut anything out let alone pay you for the work you're going to do. Walk away from jobs like that.
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Offline Sour Kraut

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2014, 11:50:13 am »
'owner wouldn't let me'

this is when you walk away

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Offline OldMech

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2014, 01:23:10 am »

   Indeed.. rotting bees/larvae/pollen and fermenting honey will probably deter a renter faster than a few bees flying back and forth.
   I did not see it mentioned how "ANGRY" bees that have been sprayed will get...  If the hive is back in a stone/concrete wall, the chances of the spray killing them all will be minimal, and the survivors are going to be looking for ANY target to vent their anger upon, and this can last for days with people two or three hundred yards from the hive being stung..
   When told I cant cut in, and there is not enough time for a trap out.. I tell them the consequences of attempting to spray, then I say good luck and walk away.   I would say that I have about a 60% return rate to remove the now VERY angry bees after they have been sprayed, and naturally, the price is double because the bees are now worthless.
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Offline G3farms

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Re: first vac attempt
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2014, 05:28:24 am »
I tell then that I have to physically get my hands on the bees and comb to be successful in the removal. If they will not allow me to cut out then I suggest a trap out. Best to just leave them with the owner.
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