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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 26 Aug 2002 10:17:47 -0600
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> I recalled that once or twice in my back yard I used my vacuum cleaner
and hooked up the hose to
> the exhaust to operate it as a blower

I've done that too, but we must be aware that 1.) the volume of air is
quite low, and 2.) that dirt and dust can come out the back end of a vacuum
cleaner, no matter how good the filter.

> Now to go to the out apiary where I have the comb honey super on the mean
hive.  A bee brush is about useless in a situation like that.  With the
help of my new gas powered leaf blower though, it should be a blast! (of
air, of course).

Don't forget to try smoking down, box thumping and abandonment while-u-wait
first.  These techniques work well on shallow boxes, such as comb supers,
but not on deeps.

Abandonment, done right under ideal conditions, can go quickly -- 1/2
hour -- and will additionally permit the evacuating bees to clean the honey
out of any open cells as they leave.  That prevents the runny drips that
can come out of those open cells.  Moreover, if the bees clean up the burr
comb before you blow (see Llloyd's previous post) , you'll avoid having
honey streaks on your comb that a blower can cause.

> he has a cannister of compressed air he said he would try and let me know
how it worked.

A good blower needs lots of volume to move the bees.  A thin stream such as
provided by a canister of compressed air will work, but not well.

allen
http://www.internode.net/honeybee/diary/

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