bee escape devices

[nagabee]

hi all trying to figure out why we have bee escape devices on the hives? which one is good to use? any input will be great thanks

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

The Health and Safety Executive demand them, in case of fire or other emergencies. There should be lighted signs on the inside of the hive and tiny ladders for the outside, though these often get lost.


Only kidding!


I guess you're talking about WBC hives?
Bees get trapped between the inner boxes and the outer lifts.
The escapes allow them to get out, to return via the hive entrance.

The same would be true of escapes in the roof above the crown board of a National hive.

Dusty

 

[enrico]

Or.... We use them to clear bees out of a box so that we can lift it off the hive with no bees left in it.

 

[nagabee]

The Health and Safety Executive demand them, in case of fire or other emergencies. There should be lighted signs on the inside of the hive and tiny ladders for the outside, though these often get lost.

Do we have to provide oxygen and fire extinguisher as well?

Only kidding!


I guess you're talking about WBC hives?
Bees get trapped between the inner boxes and the outer lifts.
The escapes allow them to get out, to return via the hive entrance.

The same would be true of escapes in the roof above the crown board of a National hive.

Dusty

thanks thats makes senses.

so we can install bee escapes and leave them in all the time?

 

[nagabee]

Or.... We use them to clear bees out of a box so that we can lift it off the hive with no bees left in it.

hi enrico

bit puzzled by this, how can we clear the bees out of the box through the bee escape?

sorry if i sound naive, that because i am

 

[Cussword]

The Health and Safety Executive demand them, in case of fire or other emergencies. There should be lighted signs on the inside of the hive. Dusty

I had a devil of a job wiring them in.

 

[nagabee]

just wondering how many fire alarms do we need to install?

try batteries no wiring needed

 

[BeeJayBee]

Or.... We use them to clear bees out of a box so that we can lift it off the hive with no bees left in it.

bit puzzled by this, how can we clear the bees out of the box through the bee escape?

The bee escape is fitted onto a board that is placed beneath the super or other box that needs to be cleared of bees.

Some are more efficient than others and can 'clear' bees in a few hours, others such as the Porter escapes need to be left in place overnight because they only let one bee through at a time. Porter escapes - the ones with a pair of sprung wire - can also jam, and stop working completely.

I prefer to use the rhombus escape, quick and efficient, and cheap!

so we can install bee escapes and leave them in all the time?

No, because bees are clever little insects and would soon work out how to move upwards and return through the 'escape' into the supers.

Read more about clearer boards and bee escapes on Dave Cushman's site http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/clearerboards.html Check the menu on the left of the page for more information about the various types available.

 

[nagabee]

thanks Beejeybee, now i understand

will check out the link,

 

[Erichalfbee]

Here are mine negate, in case you are interested.
They work very well and leave not a single bee usually if left on overnight.

 

[user 6228]

I had a devil of a job wiring them in.

thats nothing, because they are flying insects we now have to fit ejector seats or parachutes

 

[user 6228]

I had a devil of a job wiring them in.

thats nothing, because they are flying insects we now have to fit ejector seats

 

[user 6228]

I had a devil of a job wiring them in.

or parachutes

 

[nagabee]

Here are mine negate, in case you are interested.
They work very well and leave not a single bee usually if left on overnight.

thanks Erichalfbee

been looking and there seems to lots of different ones around. a simple hole in would do the job am sure.

 

[BeeJayBee]

a simple hole in would do the job am sure.

No, because they would use that to go in either direction.

A bee escape is designed to stop bees returning to the box you want to clear them from. Some are designed like a maze, making it harder for the bees to work out the return route.

The ones with metal gauze provide plenty of opportunity to scent other bees, but finding the entrance isn't so easy. It's the same with the perforated plastic lozenge escape - the exit/entrances are at the extreme points of the lozenge, well away from the hole through to the upper box, which is the last place they will look.

 

[nagabee]

ok so i get it, a hole is not a hole,
but a bee escape is one way system,

what types of escape holes are recommended? [please do not say "Tom dick or harry"]

 

[Gilberdyke John]

ok so i get it, a hole is not a hole,
but a bee escape is one way system,

what types of escape holes are recommended? [please do not say "Tom dick or harry"]

A rhombus escape with a deep eke space to accommodate the bees that leave the super. See picture of underside.

 

[nagabee]

thanks Gilberdyke John,
beginning to get the idea.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Picture have sadly gone from this thread describing a modified rhombus

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11959


This was my sorry (but extremely effective) attempt

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12929

 

[BeeJayBee]

what types of escape holes are recommended? [please do not say "Tom dick or harry"]

If you give yourself ten minutes or so to look at the link to Dave Cushman's site you'll be able to read his opinion about almost all types of escape. He's probably the only beekeeper who actually tried them all, and then took the time to write down his opinion.

The links to the different-named designs are on the left of this page
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/clearerboards.html