Bee escapes

[Monsieur Abeille]

Hi everyone

Can you tell me what bee escapes you think best to use to clear the super pre-honey harvest? I used the porter ones this year and put them in for a week.
When I came to remove them they were still full of bees. Please tell me:

1. Is this the best escape and 2. Did I leave the escapes in for long enough?

Thanks.

Susan - strongly recommend building a DIY clearer with a sawn in half rhombus piece as per Polys previous post. It is so easy even a total DIY moron can do it (I was that moron). Cheap and very effective

 

[terry jones]

Is bee keeping expensive

I started 18 months ago after a colleague got me interested. I started with 1 x budget hive, this year I split the hive to sytop it swarming bought another hive to accomadate. I have just finished making a neucleus for this yaer and bought anoth brood box and 2 x supers + numerouse frames.
I would estimate I have spent £800/£900.
I do not intend to expand any more next year unless the wife finds out how much I have spent and then I may have a bit more time on my hands.

 

[itma]

...
I do not intend to expand any more next year unless the wife finds out how much I have spent and then I may have a bit more time on my hands.

I was a bit slow, but I eventually worked out why this was in the 'escapes' thread ...

 

[Nic Rhodes]

does anyone use the 'circular 8 way' escapes like this one

http://www.beehivesupplies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=141

I have some but haven't used any yet

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes. Cut it into four and make two boards with it.

2" hole in opposite corners and mount your quarter piece over each hole.

KISS

PH

 

[winmag270]

A bee brush and a spare super with two bits of ply (top and bottom) work for me......

take a frame out of the top super on the hive, shake / brush any bees back into that super, place frame into new empty super which is sitting on one piece of ply, place second piece of ply on top to stop bees landing on cleared frame, repeat till top super on hive is empty, remove this empty super, shake / brush any bees into the super below and this then becomes your next empty super, ready to fill with cleared frames....

repeat procedure for all supers / hives you wish to remove honey from.

very cheap, very easy, plus i can go from one apiary to the next, removing all required supers in a single visit.

"simples"

 

[Poly Hive]

Err yes simple.

And if the bees get annoyed it can get very painful indeed.

PH

 

[mbc]

I was a bit slow, but I eventually worked out why this was in the 'escapes' thread ...

lmao

 

[richardbees]

Nic Rhodes

Yes, I use this and can't imagine anything could be better - they're all gone by the next day.

http://www.beehivesupplies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=141

 

[winmag270]

Err yes simple.

And if the bees get annoyed it can get very painful indeed.

PH

true, but it's the method i use and have done for a number of years with no problems.

have tried fume pads, clearer boards, escapes, etc but the method i described works for me and i always feel it worth sharing methods for others to think about and then either use or dismiss as they feel inclined....

 

[Poly Hive]

If it suits you well and good.

It is a method I found to be messy difficult, slow and hellish on the bees.

Which is why I was delighted to find a simple inexpensive way of doing it which does not stress the bees.

PH

 

[fatshark]

does anyone use the 'circular 8 way' escapes like this one

http://www.beehivesupplies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=141

I have some but haven't used any yet

Yes, they work OK ... but I've just bought two rhombus escapes to build a couple of "PH-specials".

And as for beekeeping being expensive? Try yachting ... "Like standing in a cold shower tearing up fivers" as Ted Heath once said.

 

[Elaine]

We tried clearing a super using 2 porter escapes - and I walked passed the hive about an hour later, and thre was a tremendous buzzing noise - the bees sounded really distressed - so I immediately suited up and removed the clearer board, as the super was still full of bees. I checked teh escapes - and they appeared to be OK, but I won't use them again. This year I ended up only taking a few frames, and I jsut shook the bees off, and brushed off the few that were determined to hang on. Apparently mush less distress to the bees. Next year I will try using 2 rhombus escapes cut in half, and put in the corners of the clearer board, as recommended somewhere in this forum.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The vortex board as described on the forum here worked a treat

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Used porter escapes this year - all but a few bees cleared in less than a day

 

[VEG]

I used porter escapes for the first time this year. I will use them again next year but will blow out any stragglers with leaf blower instead of bringing them home.