DIY Honeybee Vacuum for Bee Removal
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- I built a bee vacuum to help with honeybee removals. This is an overview of how it's built and why a bee vac is a better option than just using a shop vac for honey bees.
Links to some of the parts I used for this build can be found in the Sodbuster Shop: suburbansodbuster.com/product...
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
02:04 - About the Boxes Used
03:43 - The Vacuum Head and How it's Attached
05:42 - About the Vacuum Hose and Air Velocity
08:22 - The Top Box (Vacuum Chamber)
10:32 - The Lower Box (Honeybee Containment)
12:10 - Blast Gate and Hose Attachment
13:19 - Additional Fittings
15:27 - Conclusion
#honeybees #honeybeeremoval #beekeeping #beevacuum #beevac #honeybeerescue - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
Oh, I’ve looked this over carefully and scrutinized it the best I can. It is near perfect as it is. You even have snubber rubber feet on the bottom, but you didn’t mention that. I am sure you have other features that are not mentioned. Here is my bullet list of additional items that would help, and I would be happy to pay for.
* a cut list
* a bill of materials used in the project
* a list of material suppliers
* ideally this would be a battery powered vacuum, but for a plug in - perfect
* boxes sized to capture the bees, then place the lower chamber beneath the new hive to allow the bees to clamber up into the replacement hive after the comb is transferred. Later, swap out the bottom. Less handling overall
* just a small piece of foam where the bees enter the vacuum chamber to soften the stop.
And I had to really brainstorm to be able to share anything. You did such a very nice job.
All the very best
Again, awesome job
VERY NICE SET UP AND IT GAVE ME IDEAS 💡
Very nice. Great choice for the hose. Thanks for sharing.
Good design, it will do the job. Thanks for sharing.
To save more bees during a removal, the bee vacuum seems such a game-changing tool. Your design is great: the one thing which I see to improve is to substitute a smooth-bore hose for the much more flexible corrugated hose. Imagine being sucked down a long long way, bumping into all those hard "corners." There are some air hoses and RV sewer hoses (search on Smooth-Bor C2 3" x 10' Hose) for options...my other thought here is that Fred Dunn uses, to collect and set aside small amounts of bees, a Shark dust-cup handheld vacuum. The bees are sucked directly into the plastic cup at the tip of the tool, having traveled no distance at all, and you can see every bee you have in the cup. Very handy and it seems not damaging to the bees... Thanks for showing and explaining your great tool so well. Happy beekeeping!
Despite the coiled wire for flexibility, the hose that I use has a smooth interior - which is specifically why I chose it. You're correct that a corrugated hose, like a typical shop-vac hose, could be rough on the bees.
@@SuburbanSodbuster Oh, thanks for explaining, and respect for your effective and kind bee vacuum!
That’s really cool. I think I a non ribbed hose would be less abrasive on the bees too as long as it doesn’t collapse.
Tip :
You also need a Box with Frames in it to let the Bees 'collect and settle on' eg during the Transit Home. AND it needs a Sloping Floor from the Vac In Hose (where the Bees enter) allowing them to Walk and Crawl up onto the Frames right above them. The Vortex (Suction) is only within the Hose, so the Bees need a place to settle up in !
Being a Cluster on Mass 'makes' a lot of Heat : so do ensure any Bee Vac has a Upper and Lower Screening in Situ, so they remain Cool. Even Mist them with a Plant Spray Bottle before travelling Home. Just saying. 😎
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Happy Beekeeping 2024
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Tip :
Here in Scotland 🏴 we can't get those fancy Shop Bucket Vacs. So had to do my "Bee Vac" using : a basic Wet & Dry Vac (£40) Item was a Black and Yellow Cheapie ! Bee Coloured of course. 😆 DIY Store 'bargin' what's not to like.
Used it's Hose to 'Connect' into a purchased "Thin Plyboard" 'Swarm Nuc Transport Box' sold by a Bee Supplier here in the UK (£30)
This nice 'Light Weight' 👍 'Swarm Nuc' ideal if on top of a Ladder etc.
Transporting the Bees (keep cool) via an upper inner Screen Top and a Screened Floor.
By cutting and 'adapting' some Ply Sheeting into a Upper and Under 'Solid' Lid and Floor with 'draught proof' foam Trim : Means the Nuc Box becomes 'Airtight' re Vacuum status !
Once the Bees are sucked up and your done. Remove the upper and lower solid 'panels' so the Air flows freely on taking them Home. 😉
You also need to cut a Rear Hole to take the Vacuum Hose. And insert a Inner Sloping Floor : lowest at the Front and higher at the back.
Re Swarm Nuc :
Plug is provided for 'closing up' prior to transporting them. But you need a 2nd one for that rear Hose cut Hole you made.
Bee Vac (process.)
The bees come in from the front (Hose you use to suck them up with) and then they 'walk up that Sloping Floor within the Nuc Box.
To then Collect and Gather on the Frames provided !
Suggestion:
Semi 'Fit' (not Fix !) Say x3 Frames into pre 'allotted' Channels : Use evenly spaced Screws or tiny Blocks. [This stops any Frames from Bashing together and possibly 'Crushing Bees' in Transit !]
Ideally : Frames should be :
x1 with Old Comb, x1 with a Bit Foundation & Strung tight with x3 linear Wires.
And a Frame with a Starter Strip. Bees can 'start' making Comb, rather than crazy 'Brace Comb' if left to their own devices.
All this setup : 'Allows' there to be enough 'Empty Space' where the 4th & 5th Frame (would be) to let those Bees come into that Nuc : to Collect and Hang / Move on Up : onto the awaiting Frames provided.*
Important Tip :
The Tubing from the 'Swarm' to the Box, ideally must be internally smooth : I use a Clear Pipe Hose (like they use in Beer making etc) as the 'Collection Hose.' Nice to see the process as it happens !
Finally you also need a 'Baffle'
(A Small x1 Inch 'Hole' and a Cover : Screwed in one Corner, so this 'Flap can be moved over more or less) : Therefore to "Increase or Decrease" Tube Suction ! This is ESSENTIAL !
(Otherwise Bees could get sucked up and 'splatted' if the Suction in that Hose is to Strong ! Hole (uncovered 30%) is nicer on the Bees than 100% closed ! Get the idea. . . 🙃
(*)
Having Frames means the Bees can stay calm and settled inside the Nuc. AND can stay in that Nuc safely, if required...
While you arrange all that
"Cut Comb" into more Brood Frames 'held in place' with Criss Crossed cornered Rubber Bands.'
The Colony (of Bees) can have somewhere to 'settle,' then transfer them : into a Hive already prepared to take their 'own' drawn Comb, and you move the "Bees" over calmly on those 'Nuc Frames' in the Hive needing x3 more Frames : to complete a x10 Frame Brood Box. Simples. . .😎
Atta boy! Great video.
Where did you purchase the clips that hold the boxes together? I cannot find any at the local stores where I live.
I believe a screen fixed for a washer machine hose would be great for the little round hole
TY for the information! Just a thought. The hole to reduce air flow could be put in the lower box. You'd simply have to put a grill over the hole to stop the bee's escaping once the power is turned off :)
One of the cool things about this design is that the hole is in the top box. This will reduce the vacuum in the top and bottom to a safe level Saving bees and evening out the pressure across the two chambers
I would use 1/4" ply to make it lighter and then beef it up with two internal cubic frameworks to make it lighter.
Thanks.
Great design. Thank you for sharing. I wonder if you could build the bottom box only and put the intake and exhaust ports there. The intake at the top and the exhaust on the side. I realize that the exhaust port could accumulate several bees given the vacuum pressure. My solution to that would be to remove the frame that's closest to that side, and put in it's place a screen structure (box) in its place--the size of the removed frame--creating space between the vacuum's hole and the bees.
If that rectangle edge turns ot to be too large you could mold the end of an extender with a heat gun.
This is great information. I hope to make one of these for myself at some point. How long have you been taking care of bees?
After a year of study and preparation, I'm now in my second year with bees. I started with a trap out last spring and am up to 10 colonies now (a little more than I planned for my backyard, TBH).
You were saying the weight of the unit and climbing up or coming down, esp with bees in the unit. Could you not use extra hose?If loss of suction could be an issue (don't think it would, but i could bee wrong), with another blast gate, you could attach a more powerful shop vac to the added blast gate and if needed, open the relief a little more and now you have 40 ft of hose and the extra 3 ft of attachment tube/pipe.
Yes, you could absolutely use extra hose. I don't know the physics of how much suction pressure might be reduced over greater distance - maybe only slightly or not at all as long as the hose has no leaks. But if that did occur then a reducer could be used for a smaller diameter hose which would increase air velocity without requiring a stronger shop vac. Plus a smaller hose would be less unwieldy for longer distances. I have seen some people who collected high swarms using an extended pole and long bee vac hose.
illtake 2 buckets of chicken !! sodbuster and seriously thats a ok lookin vac
Nice clean design I like it, they are all similar but nice job on the little details.👍 Question what about having the bee collection chamber constructed so that it is able to hold a few frames of drawn comb? Maybe on the sides so they are not ran into by the bees coming in. Do you just remove the vacuum head to allow venting for long travel?
I'm thinking about working on a version that will use unmodified hive bodies so that frames can be added after the fact without having to move the bees to another box. I don't know if there'd be a benefit to having frames in the box during extraction, though.
For transport the top box can be removed, leaving the bottom box with the bees and a screen over the top - so no problem with ventilation. It's also easier to carry the vacuum in two parts, anyway.
@@SuburbanSodbuster I would be really interested in seeing that build series. Seems like if you have a design that matches what equipment ya are using, it would make things so simple and convenient.👍
If you covered the vacuum inlet and attach hose to bottom, how is it providing suction 🤔🤨🧐. I wished you would have started it up and let us see it run. Purhaps suck up a bean for demo
The vacuum head draws air through the bottom; the inlet is just a passage directly into the container (bucket or, in this case, stacked boxes). I'm just replacing the top inlet on the head with a bottom inlet to my boxes. The screens in between allow air, but not bees, to pass from the bottom box to the top and out through the vacuum head.
Curious about how you mounted your blast gate. Did you glue it in place, or were you able to disassemble it and screw it to the bottom box and then reassemble it?
I glued it in place and sealed it with silicone caulk.
Hey,where can i find/buy these clamps?
Do you mean the clamps I use to connect the boxes? I think I got those at my local Ace Hardware, but I don't have the specifics about them at hand.
Ok thanks very muck.i would to kmow if you can buy me a couple of them,and how much for one?
Just wondering how do you release the bees into a new deep box
Easiest is to shake the bees either directly into the box or just in front of the box. It's best, but not critical, to find the queen and have her in the box already.
Unclipped the screen
Did you plug the inlet side and use the outlet side to pull vacuum through the bottom box
I did plug the inlet on the vacuum head. The vacuum head draws air from underneath so with the regular inlet blocked it pulls air through the blast gate and the bottom box into the top box and out the regular outflow.
@@SuburbanSodbuster thanks I just wanted to make sure I was thinking right, by the way great video very helpful
Hi which end of the vacuum you block?
You block the intake so that air will be drawn through the boxes, instead.
Parts link not working
I'll look into it, but this has happened before and then cleared up. I think it's probably maintenance at the host. I apologize for the inconvenience; please try back later.
I went to the website editor to check for any issues and got the following message, which seems to confirm my suspicion: "Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute."
Sorry for the rapid-fire responses, but the link seems to be working now. I do appreciate your notification of the (potential) issue. Here's a direct link to the beekeeping equipment page in the shop: suburbansodbuster.com/product-category/equipment