Talking to my friend Tom J last week and he asked if I had plans for a bee vac. I had thought I had posted the ones on my build here some years back but couldn't find it so will do it now.
If you start retrieving swarms you will find times you wished you could reach 25 to 30 feet up a tree, or even had a way to get the ones wrapped around limbs.
Well with a bee vac you can do most of that.
They are also handy when removing bees from a building where you can remove things to get to the comb.
Here is a box in a box design. It works but you have to dump the bees from the box to empty it and you should have more than one catch box if the swarm is a large one.
http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/bee-vac/
Here is one that I like a lot. The bees go right into the hive where they are going to stay.
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/bee-vac/
My vac is a box in a box. The 3 pound package boxes modified are what I use the most. Once you transport the bees to the new home you open the box just like installing a 3 pound package. See my post the gentile install. I still plan on doing the robo one this fall or winter.
Now you want to know how to reach up to 30 feet in a tree.
Using a extension ladder of at least 20 feet you can add enough suction hose to the bee vac which you fasten to one of those telescoping painters poles that extent to well over 10 feet. I believe mine goes over 18 feet.
A belt with a pocket like a fishing fighting belt would be nice to help hold that pole and hose.
Al
If you start retrieving swarms you will find times you wished you could reach 25 to 30 feet up a tree, or even had a way to get the ones wrapped around limbs.
Well with a bee vac you can do most of that.
They are also handy when removing bees from a building where you can remove things to get to the comb.
Here is a box in a box design. It works but you have to dump the bees from the box to empty it and you should have more than one catch box if the swarm is a large one.
http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/bee-vac/
Here is one that I like a lot. The bees go right into the hive where they are going to stay.
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/bee-vac/
My vac is a box in a box. The 3 pound package boxes modified are what I use the most. Once you transport the bees to the new home you open the box just like installing a 3 pound package. See my post the gentile install. I still plan on doing the robo one this fall or winter.
Now you want to know how to reach up to 30 feet in a tree.
Using a extension ladder of at least 20 feet you can add enough suction hose to the bee vac which you fasten to one of those telescoping painters poles that extent to well over 10 feet. I believe mine goes over 18 feet.
A belt with a pocket like a fishing fighting belt would be nice to help hold that pole and hose.
Al