Salty, I couldn't find the tutorial about the multi-bucket bee vac. I did recall this statement:
I made a sort of hybrid. Since I hardly need any suction, why use a vac that needs an extension cord? Battery power runs this "dustbuster" at least 40 mins, and I have a couple of these batteries since my tools system is this brand.
Yep, that's a fancy custom-made hole in the bucket lid, haha. When I pull off the lid, the screen below lets me mist water, or peek in at the bees. No bees can get close to the vac intake and clog it up, because the intake hose is in the chamber below. The lid is a sheet of 1/4" plywood with a big circle cut in it, and screened. The screen is stapled on the outside.
The 1/3-of-a-bucket is glued to the screened plywood. I carry the vac with the bucket's handle. E-6000 is the best adhesive ever but it's highly carcinogenic until it cures. OSHA approved masks necessary and 24 hrs dry time. Hot glue is not toxic but not entirely reliable. All raw & sharp edges are sealed with hot glue for safety. And plenty of duct tape - is there anything it can't do?
The plywood lid is the size on a hive body. Mine is made of two ekes made of 1x4s. To be able to clean it after use, I put latches so it can open. There's weather stripping to stop air gaps. Suction can be controlled by popping the edge of bucket's lid.
I can just use the top eke on a hive body. Or, use both ekes, then pull away the lexan panel underneath when I get them to a hive body. The foam inside makes it a bouncy castle for bees.
