Bee Vac

[Jeff Buzz]

At last I have found time to take some photos of my bee vac for those that may be interested.
Starting from the suction end

Standard Vac pipe connected to a large hose this decreases the velocity as soon as the bees enter the pipe so they do not get bashed as they enter the box If they are easy to get to I just use the large diameter pipe with reducing nozzle on the end to increase the suction at entrance to pipe.

Also I use brood box with castellated spacers so frames don't moved when box get bumped around travelling

Bees get taken into the box and can move up into the frames. At the end of the process I have the bees in a standard brood box with a lid on ready to either be combined with a swarm or set up on there own. It works well if I have to have a newly collected swarm with a queen to join the vac bees to just drop the box on over some newspaper and treat them with oxalic acid a few days later.

Top box has a sheet of varroa mesh to stop the bees going through into the vacuum also a hole with a cover over that you adjust the suction in the bee pipe

Where boxes join I have put some draught tape to seal the joins on top and bottom box.

If you had a monster swarm you could put two brood boxes together for extra room

I also use a powerful shop vac to supply the vacuum power as this can be regulated down to no flow with the vent hole on the lid. Full power is use just to clear the main pipe and allow you to remove the vac pipe and tape up hole when vac pipe is remove at the end of the job.

I took a large prime swarm that had just moved into a roof a few weeks ago with queen and only found about 20 dead bees in the bottom of the box and they were probably squished in the removal.

Puppy is not part of the system....

 

[alanf]

Thanks for the photos, that's a really neat bit of kit.

 

[Shabro]

I've been looking at building one, this has given me some good ideas, thanks, nice looking pup too!

 

[Mike a]

arr its lovely, the beevac looks good to

I was looking at one made by a guy in the States and he used smooth bore tubing which he said prevents lots of bee deaths or damage as they rattle down the tube into the inner box.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

The large diameter pipe is smooth bore.

I tried ordinary ridged stuff but it killed lots of bees. I only use the black extension hose when needed I try to just use the big pipe with the reducer this give good suction at the entrance the bees quickly lose velocity and pile up in the big pipe and I just shake them down into the box every so often when vacuuming.

Seems to work well

 

[beebopalula]

Looks a very durable system. With a powerful vac. like that and a long rigid pipe, could you collect one from high in a tree?

 

[Jeff Buzz]

Looks a very durable system. With a powerful vac. like that and a long rigid pipe, could you collect one from high in a tree?

That's an idea I had not thought of I do have a 9m 50mm long pipe that I use sometimes.

 

[user 6228]

...
Standard Vac pipe connected to a large hose this decreases the velocity as soon as the bees enter the pipe so they do not get bashed as they enter the box If they are easy to get to I just use the large diameter pipe with reducing nozzle on the end to increase the suction at entrance to pipe.

...

This is an excellent approach to the problem, as the only need for high velocity is to overcome the bees grip and get them inside the tube entrance.

Well done


Derek

 

[rockdoc]

Never mind the vac, how do you make the puppy
Seriously, well done with this bit of kit. I suspect I like many on here have had need of something like this this season. By the way, am I right in assuming the top panel with the hose attachment hole comes off during transport to allow for ventilation?

 

[jimbeekeeper]

how do you power it when not near a power source?

 

[Jeff Buzz]

Never mind the vac, how do you make the puppy
Seriously, well done with this bit of kit. I suspect I like many on here have had need of something like this this season. By the way, am I right in assuming the top panel with the hose attachment hole comes off during transport to allow for ventilation?

I have made the panel that takes the vac hose slide out for transport leaving the full area of the top box open to the mesh.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

how do you power it when not near a power source?

I have a little tread mill wired up to a generator.

Pop the puppy in and 240v were ever I go

 

[youngyoungs]

Having collected a swarm from the bottom of a lilac bush (?X!?X - ouch and double ouch). I talked to an experienced swarm collector and thought he was joking when he mentioned using a bee vacuum in those circumstances. Now I understand. These are great pictures. Thanks for enlightening me.

 

[merylvingien]

Think i posted mine up last year or the year before, but for the sake of looking, here is mine, well when i get it back "rosecottage" LOL