Hi all!  It's been awhile since I've had the chance to add to Bee-L.

Plans somewhere on the net?  Barry & I took alot of time to place the info on
his website - so PLEASE visit it if you're looking for BeeVac info:
(http://www.beesource.com/plans/beevac/index.htm).

Douglas, you're "going the long way around the barn".  Just rip open the hive(s)
and brush/shake all the bees into your hive - comb by comb.  Watch carefully for
the queen before brushing.  Of course a beevac keeps the bees from flying back
but the idea is to get the queen and you can find her without a Beevac.  Once
you've removed the brood and the queen, cage the queen and leave it outside
between frames of your new hive placed near the old entrance.  End of old hive.
Take the new one home(3+ miles away) as soon as the workers find their queen and
finish robbing out the mess.

Can't find the queen?  Overnight the bees will likely cover the queen as if in a
swarm since they can't tend to the comb you just removed.  Return at dawn and
shake/brush the 'swarm' into your box.  Be warned the queen will easily scare
into the farthest darkest place adjacent to where you were working once the comb
is gone.
Without a Beevac, 'most' bees torn into in this manner will sting everything in
sight - just so you know.  Your smoker will be your friend until you get the
queen.

For those that are complaining of varroasis and lack of spending cash, take a
closer look at removing feral hives.  An average hive nets me $200-$300
(+honey+wax+SAVE genetic favor with bees) and usually takes 1-3 hours.  Think
there aren't any in your area?  Try calling a local exterminator.  Feral bees
ARE surviving mites (at least long enough to swarm) but how would you know
unless you asked people that run into those ~rare calls?  You'll need to build a
Beevac but the plans are free and the design idea easily modified to suit your
budget/opinion.

E-mail me for other help with feral hives.  I'll help if I have the time.
Matthew Westall
     //        Earthling Bees
 >8(())))-     "Take me to your feeder"
     \\        Castle Rock, CO,  USA



> <From: "dgaroutte">queenless.  I rigged up a shop vacum and fed it into a box
> for the bees.(there are directions for it on the net somewhere) Anyway it
> worked reallyslick and we ended up with several good hives, lots of honey and
> wax.  We

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Douglas Gibbs <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: bees in wall
> > A local farmer asked me to help him remove the bees between the inner and
> outer walls of his barn.