Shaking bees from Top Bar Frames

[Coldwater]

I nee to do a shake-out of my bees from a Warre (top bar hive) on the advice of a bee inspector. Does anyone have a clever way of shaking bees from top-bar frames without them falling apart?

 

[madasafish]

i have successfully done so with old comb(1 year +) by holding one end of the top bar with one hand with the comb vertical and sharply hitting the other end with the flat of my hand. This requires a firm grip .. One year old comb is harder. Do it in a cool period of the day when the comb will be less warm and likely to break.

Otherwise brush them off with a turkey feather. Or a handful of grass. But bees hate being brushed.

I have a frame stand (two verticals mounted on a horizontal piece of wood.. ) to place TBH frames when queen marking, brushing bees off etc. I suppose I must make a stand for warre frames now I have two full warre hives... will take at least 10 mins

 

[user 6228]

i have successfully done so with old comb(1 year +) by holding one end of the top bar with one hand with the comb vertical and sharply hitting the other end with the flat of my hand. This requires a firm grip .. One year old comb is harder. Do it in a cool period of the day when the comb will be less warm and likely to break.

Otherwise brush them off with a turkey feather. Or a handful of grass. But bees hate being brushed.

I have a frame stand (two verticals mounted on a horizontal piece of wood.. ) to place TBH frames when queen marking, brushing bees off etc. I suppose I must make a stand for warre frames now I have two full warre hives... will take at least 10 mins

soft emulsion brush

 

[Cie]

I nee to do a shake-out of my bees from a Warre (top bar hive) on the advice of a bee inspector.

Could you let us know why you need to do a shake out? New Warre beeks like me need to know

 

[Coldwater]

That's for your ideas guys, I'll be gentle.

Sadly it looks like a case of chronic bee paralysis in a weak colony. Started from a package only 4 - 5 weeks ago, I have fed them continuously but they are just dwindling away with lots of black, shiny, shaking crawling bees in front of the hive. Not much that can be done by all accounts apart from possibly shaking all bees (with the queen safely in a cage) out on the ground 6 - 10 feet away from the cage. Only the healthy bees should make it back to the hive and it may give them a small chance to save themselves. Of course the queen herself might be affected (she doesn’t seem to be laying very prodigiously).

Any other advice gladly welcomed.

 

[Mike a]

I can't promise it will work but grip the center of the bar with one hand very firmly then thump the top of your other hand. The quick jarring motion should dislodge the bees but shouldn't effect the combs.

However:

• If the comb has a good arc of honey there is a risk it will simply rip itself off the bar.
• Best to avoid doing this when the temps are high, the combs will be too soft.

I do this every time when shaking bees off my frames when holding the side bar, 99.9% of the time all the bees fall straight down back into the hive and none of them end up being flicked sideways which is common when I watch others shaking their frames with two hands above the hive.

 

[Bob Bee]

Use a brush.