Clearing not working

[beepig]

Ok, so i bought a rhombus clearing board and fitted to a crown board. And then fitted it underneath the super i wanted clearing.
Went in this morning and all bees still on super, to make it worse i got bees trying to get in through lid....
What have i done wrong here.....?
Help!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is it the right way up, Escape UNDER the board?
Have you left it in too long......bees will find their way back sometimes overnight. I leave mine on for five hours,tops.
Have you left them anywhere to go...ie another super under the clearer board or plenty of room in the brood box?

 

[beepig]

Oh ----...... ive put the thing on upside down, better go sort that out now....thanks

 

[Arfermo]

I never bother now with clearing boards as didn't find they worked as well as just brushing bees off frames you want to extract, stick 'em in empty super and bung a lid on to stop others getting in. Then put a few yards away from hives until evening and any bees under lid will come out and go home. Works best in home apiary of course. Different situation perhaps if you are removing supers for storage over winter and/or before treating with, say, Apiguard or similar thymol based stuff.

PS. Your latest post preceded my button press so question now answered. Still prefer my method though - can be much quicker than waiting for the hoard to go back where they belong enabling one to move on to the next stage of what one has planned.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ok, so i bought a rhombus clearing board and fitted to a crown board. And then fitted it underneath the super i wanted clearing.

Did you buy a clearer board or just the rhombus shaped plastic attachment. It sounds like you bought only the rhombus - in which case if you just fitted it to a standard crown board there would be no beespace under the rhombus bit - you need a board with a minimum 19mm rim (all mine are between 19 and 25 mm) for it to work properly. You do need space for them to move into as with any clearer board - as long as your hive isn't chock a block with bees you should get away with not putting another super on (unless you're clearing three or more supers) I left some on this week for two days, and none had gone back in to the cleared super

 

[Dishmop]

Ok, so i bought a rhombus clearing board and fitted to a crown board.

Do you mean a rhombus clearer fitted to a crown board? or you fitted a clearer board to a crown board?

Eke?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Do you mean a rhombus clearer fitted to a crown board? or you fitted a clearer board to a crown board?

Eke?

Indeed - I was thinking the same

 

[Swarm]

Then put a few yards away from hives until evening and any bees under lid will come out and go home.

Along with all the others who have robbed it?

 

[Dishmop]

Then put a few yards away from hives until evening and any bees under lid will come out and go home.

and if they cant get out they die very happy.

I put my frames for extraction in a plastic box with fitted lid........then when they are extracted they go back into the box ready to put back in hive when I take some more out......Remove one frame...put in box at same time as taking a wet frame out to take its place in the hive.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you mean a rhombus clearer fitted to a crown board? or you fitted a clearer board to a crown board?

Eke?

Or there is a crown board under the clearer board?

 

[beepig]

ok just been back to Apiary, and yes i had fitted a rhombus clearer to a standard crown board. Im pretty sure now i fitted it on the wrong side. the top side not the lip side. So have removed and put in another crown board with two rectangular slots to which are fixed two porter bee escapes.
Now i have never done this before and only bought the porter and rhombus escapes yesterday. I hope i have done it correctly this time.
Else im back to brushing the bees off and making a run for it.

 

[beepig]

ok just been back to Apiary, and yes i had fitted a rhombus clearer to a standard crown board. Im pretty sure now i fitted it on the wrong side. the top side not the lip side. So have removed and put in another crown board with two rectangular slots to which are fixed two porter bee escapes.
Now i have never done this before and only bought the porter and rhombus escapes yesterday. I hope i have done it correctly this time.
Else im back to brushing the bees off and making a run for it.

1. Should i have put an empty super under the bee escape for the bees to empty into. currently it is on top of another super which is also quite full. under that is queen excluder

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I never bother now with clearing boards as didn't find they worked as well as just brushing bees off frames you want to extract, stick 'em in empty super and bung a lid on to stop others getting in. Then put a few yards away from hives until evening and any bees under lid will come out and go home.

Try doing that it the rain - with a hundred frames

 

[Dishmop]

Why not just unscrew and fit them underneath the board?

 

[Erichalfbee]

1. Should i have put an empty super under the bee escape for the bees to empty into. currently it is on top of another super which is also quite full. under that is queen excluder

Rhombus clearer boards: a lot of us make our own, some with one escape fitted under a central hole, some with half escapes over a hole in each corner. The important bit is to make sure there is some sort of eke underneath for the bees to escape into an apiguard eke would do at a pinch, two even better. An even better solution is to make the contraption permanent by making the underneath of the clearer deeper. I have 7-10 cms under the three I have made. As for needing another super....maybe not if forage is low and you are waiting for the other one to be capped.

 

[Dishmop]

1. Should i have put an empty super under the bee escape for the bees to empty into. currently it is on top of another super which is also quite full. under that is queen excluder

I'm lost.

No you dont need an empty super for the bees to empty into..They just go thro the escape and into the hive.

What is on top of another super?

 

[madasafish]

I don't use an eke.. temporarily extend the height of the board with cardboard...but I'm mean.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

. I have 7-10 cms under the three I have made.

I find 25mm ample, hasn't failed yet even when clearing three packed supers. as long as there's enough room in the remaining hive you should be fine.

have a look at this thread for rhombus clearing boards

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

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm lost.

I think that's my fault. In my first reply I wanted to know what was under the super being cleared. I didn't mean to suggest that an empty super go underneath the clearer board.It shouldn't.

 

[Swarm]

If fitting the rhombus to an ordinary, double slot hole type of board, you must add some depth or it will not sit correctly, the rhombus being deeper than the rim of the board. Rhombus clearer boards have a deeper rim on the rhombus side.
Mine vary from 25mm to 50mm, the rhombus cut in half to cover two holes in opposite corners.