Ah, I didn't talk about that. After you put the bee vacuum on the hive and remove the bottom slide, there's a slot where the bottom slid into the bee vacuum. That slot is small but bees can get through it. I made that piece of wood to fit into the slot and block it. Note that when I put the bee vacuum on the hive box, I put an excluder between the brood box and the bottom board. This blocks the queen from leaving the hive. If the queen can't leave, the hive won't abscond. Before I started doing that, occasionally the bees would leave the hive - I suppose they just didn't like the hive. But I have to make sure there are no other ways for the queen to get out of the hive, and one thing I was concerned about is the slot where the bottom slid into. That piece on the side blocks the slot and guarantees that the queen is trapped in the hive. If you put an excluder between your brood box and bottom board, make sure you remove it once the queen starts laying in the hive. Eventually the hive will produce drones and they will be trapped in the hive. Once there's brood in the hive the bees will not abscond - they almost never abandon brood. If you don't have a piece to block the slot, just don't pull the bottom all the way out. - that will work, also.
mmm thank you again I am sure am looking a making a bee vacuum to I think I would make a couple of the boxes to take along if the swarm is too big always have the other one handle wail the bee are being pushed down from the other box too if have another person working with you
Beautiful work! Where did you get the vacuum port fittings that you attached to the end of the box? I could not find them around here at the blue or orange store. I improvised.
Thank you for your kind comment. I bought the at Rockler. It's been awhile but I think their part number is 42137 . Woodcraft probably has the same thing but I don't know their part number. I tried other approaches but sticking a glove (or a rag) in that port has worked best for me. Stick the glove or rag far enough into the port that bees can't congregate in the port behind the glove or rag. When you go to transfer the bees, and push them down with the interior slide, you can pull the glove out if interferes with interior slide. Other approaches I used allowed bees to congregate on the interior side of the port and when you push the majority of the bees down, there's a bunch of bees in the port that you can't push down and then you have to deal with that.
@@michaelhenderson8281 I've just taken up beekeeping and I'm gearing up. I'm building a bee vac from a hive super. I couldn't find vacuum connector fittings at any of the local hardware stores so I improvised. Wish I'd seen your video sooner. Thanks for sharing!
When I use a rag or a glove to block the intake port I push it far enough in so that bees can't congregate at the port. I recently changed the port to a blast gate and, with that, I do have problems with bees congregating on the inside of the blast gate. Because of that, I may go back to stuffing a rag or a glove in the port. But what I do - today - is push the interior slide down. That leaves bees in the blast gate. So I open the blast gate to allow those bees to come out the blast gate and go down to the hive opening. Another thing I could do - if I remembered - is to open the blast gate before pushing the slide down and stuff a rag in the blast gate to push the bees out of that area. Then push the interior slide down. But when I used to put a rag or glove in the port I didn't have any problems with bees congregating there. If the rag or glove was pushed too far in so that it interfered with the interior slide (when it was pushed down) I'd just pull the rag out as I pushed the slide down. I really never had a problem with bees in that area until I put in the blast gate. That's an insightful question. I didn't consider it before I converted the box to a blast gate.
On my early bee vacuums, I put a slide port in the top so that the amount of vacuum could be decreased, if necessary. Experience proved that it was never used - the battery powered vacuum apparently had a low enough suction that the bees were not injured by being sucked through the hose. I left it off later builds and never missed it. If you decide to build from my design, you can put a slide port in the top to bleed off some of the vacuum. This would be necessary if you use a shop vac and don't use any control on the motor speed of the shop vac. I'd probably prefer to use the motor control (a "router speed control", for example) rather than the bleed port, however.
I'm afraid I don't understand your comment. When I transport bees in the bee vacuum, I leave the top off and I've never had a problem with overheated bees.
Wow, my bad, I am totally off base with my last comment. Sorry. I never finished watching all of the video. I stopped at about 11:40. Just before you added the port on the top. I was distracted by the amount of time dedicated to the "art" of your woodwork. Most of us are just looking for an effective and safe way to capture the bees not advanced woodworking skills.
Thanks for your note. Yes, I realize that not everyone who keeps bees is also a woodworker. I tried to speed through some of the woodworking because of that. One thing you can do is use a deep instead of making a box. Just make sure the deep is square. That will eliminate a number of woodworking processes.
As you can see from the video of the construction, it's a labor intensive process so I'd have to charge a decent price. And then, since it's fairly large, shipping costs might be high. But if you were willing to pay, I'd make one. I'm located in California just below Los Angeles if you want to do a shipping estimate. Another option would be for you to contact a woodworker in your area and ask him/her to build you one after looking at the videos. I'd be happy to correspond with that woodworker to answer questions.
Very good system. Looks simple and efficient. I have the same portable Dewalt shop vac. Thanks!!
Thank you for sharing your talents!
It's been some time how is everything working out did you make a modifications or a new design thanks for sharing 👍
No, no modifications. I went through three versions before getting to this one but this one has worked well for me.
So. Magically this thing appears on the side you never talked about. What is it for??? Its on the long edge and has a knob holding it in place
Ah, I didn't talk about that. After you put the bee vacuum on the hive and remove the bottom slide, there's a slot where the bottom slid into the bee vacuum. That slot is small but bees can get through it. I made that piece of wood to fit into the slot and block it.
Note that when I put the bee vacuum on the hive box, I put an excluder between the brood box and the bottom board. This blocks the queen from leaving the hive. If the queen can't leave, the hive won't abscond. Before I started doing that, occasionally the bees would leave the hive - I suppose they just didn't like the hive.
But I have to make sure there are no other ways for the queen to get out of the hive, and one thing I was concerned about is the slot where the bottom slid into. That piece on the side blocks the slot and guarantees that the queen is trapped in the hive.
If you put an excluder between your brood box and bottom board, make sure you remove it once the queen starts laying in the hive. Eventually the hive will produce drones and they will be trapped in the hive. Once there's brood in the hive the bees will not abscond - they almost never abandon brood.
If you don't have a piece to block the slot, just don't pull the bottom all the way out. - that will work, also.
mmm thank you again I am sure am looking a making a bee vacuum to I think I would make a couple of the boxes to take along if the swarm is too big always have the other one handle wail the bee are being pushed down from the other box too if have another person working with you
Beautiful work!
Where did you get the vacuum port fittings that you attached to the end of the box?
I could not find them around here at the blue or orange store. I improvised.
Thank you for your kind comment. I bought the at Rockler. It's been awhile but I think their part number is 42137
. Woodcraft probably has the same thing but I don't know their part number. I tried other approaches but sticking a glove (or a rag) in that port has worked best for me. Stick the glove or rag far enough into the port that bees can't congregate in the port behind the glove or rag. When you go to transfer the bees, and push them down with the interior slide, you can pull the glove out if interferes with interior slide.
Other approaches I used allowed bees to congregate on the interior side of the port and when you push the majority of the bees down, there's a bunch of bees in the port that you can't push down and then you have to deal with that.
@@michaelhenderson8281 I've just taken up beekeeping and I'm gearing up. I'm building a bee vac from a hive super. I couldn't find vacuum connector fittings at any of the local hardware stores so I improvised. Wish I'd seen your video sooner.
Thanks for sharing!
What do you do with the bees that will be in the intake due to you can't push the rag to the end of the box?
When I use a rag or a glove to block the intake port I push it far enough in so that bees can't congregate at the port. I recently changed the port to a blast gate and, with that, I do have problems with bees congregating on the inside of the blast gate. Because of that, I may go back to stuffing a rag or a glove in the port.
But what I do - today - is push the interior slide down. That leaves bees in the blast gate. So I open the blast gate to allow those bees to come out the blast gate and go down to the hive opening.
Another thing I could do - if I remembered - is to open the blast gate before pushing the slide down and stuff a rag in the blast gate to push the bees out of that area. Then push the interior slide down.
But when I used to put a rag or glove in the port I didn't have any problems with bees congregating there. If the rag or glove was pushed too far in so that it interfered with the interior slide (when it was pushed down) I'd just pull the rag out as I pushed the slide down. I really never had a problem with bees in that area until I put in the blast gate.
That's an insightful question. I didn't consider it before I converted the box to a blast gate.
Need a sucksun control so u don’t kill bees
On my early bee vacuums, I put a slide port in the top so that the amount of vacuum could be decreased, if necessary. Experience proved that it was never used - the battery powered vacuum apparently had a low enough suction that the bees were not injured by being sucked through the hose. I left it off later builds and never missed it.
If you decide to build from my design, you can put a slide port in the top to bleed off some of the vacuum. This would be necessary if you use a shop vac and don't use any control on the motor speed of the shop vac. I'd probably prefer to use the motor control (a "router speed control", for example) rather than the bleed port, however.
Too tight, the bees r going to need air that time of yr screen in bottom vents on top
I'm afraid I don't understand your comment. When I transport bees in the bee vacuum, I leave the top off and I've never had a problem with overheated bees.
Wow, my bad, I am totally off base with my last comment. Sorry. I never finished watching all of the video. I stopped at about 11:40. Just before you added the port on the top. I was distracted by the amount of time dedicated to the "art" of your woodwork. Most of us are just looking for an effective and safe way to capture the bees not advanced woodworking skills.
Thanks for your note. Yes, I realize that not everyone who keeps bees is also a woodworker. I tried to speed through some of the woodworking because of that.
One thing you can do is use a deep instead of making a box. Just make sure the deep is square. That will eliminate a number of woodworking processes.
hello
do you sell one?
As you can see from the video of the construction, it's a labor intensive process so I'd have to charge a decent price. And then, since it's fairly large, shipping costs might be high. But if you were willing to pay, I'd make one. I'm located in California just below Los Angeles if you want to do a shipping estimate.
Another option would be for you to contact a woodworker in your area and ask him/her to build you one after looking at the videos. I'd be happy to correspond with that woodworker to answer questions.