# Bee Vac Question



## MichaelShantz (May 9, 2010)

Wow, 4.5 hp is 3357 watts, divided by 115 volts means you would need a 30 amp fuse if you plug it into 115V line. Off hand that seems like way more than you should need. Is it gasoline engine powered? Something must be cutting down on the suction. Maybe if you use a big hose up until the input end you would lose less in friction.


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## TIMER (Apr 17, 2011)

Horsepower rating on a shop vacuum is a complete marketing gimmick.
They are based on the in rush current at start up not normal operating current.
The in rush only lasts 8 to 12 milliseconds, the mfg gets away with this by saying (peak horsepower). However in general the higher the rating the better the suction.
Just don't install a new 50 amp circuit to run it.


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## Steven Ogborn (Jun 3, 2011)

Are y'all talking horse power or amps? Because I have a vac that reads it's a 1.5hp. Big vac. It'll pull
the carpet loose from the floor. I was thinking of making a bee-vac with a home depot bucket head
vac. It seems like it would pull more than enough for bees. Don't you just want to pull them loose 
and be able to move them down the hose? I haven't been able to do a cut-out yet so I really don't
have practical experiance. I'm still in planning stages.


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## Bsweet (Apr 9, 2010)

You want to just be able to pull the bees into the hose and into the holding chamber, you don't want to rattle them down the hose . I like to adjust the suction so I can vac. a bee in flight but not pull one off the comb. The bees holding onto the comb I brush gently to break their grip.I have used vents to adjust the suction but now use a household light dimmer switch(reostat) wired into the power cord. Jim


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## mlknigh2 (May 9, 2010)

The 4.5 was jut enough suction to get the bees down the hose. I was wondering if somebody had a suggestion on what might be cutting down the airflow. I made the box as tight as possible but still wound up taping up all the vents to get as much suction as possible. I am going back to the 6.5. I thought it was horsepower but it could be amps. The other thing I notice is that the more bees that you pull in the box the less suction you have so you need extra when you start. The 6.5 was a home depot vac but as I stated I don't think I was getting all the suction that it had when it was new.


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

I used a little 6.5 bucket head to make my bee vac. Works like a champ until it gets all plugged up with comb (then you have to clean it). One thing I do recommend... TAPE the vac onto the top bucket when you use it. It really sucks to drop the vac and have the bees fly all over the place forcing you to re-vac them. Those little plastic bucket locks are only on there for looks it seems.


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## MichaelShantz (May 9, 2010)

If the sucking tip is smaller, the air velocity at the tip is higher of course. My vac is 1.5 hp (per TIMER that may not mean anything) and the input nozzle is only 3/4 inch. I can't recommend this because it hasn't really been given a decent test, but it will suck in bees just fine. How many at a time, or clumps, I don't know. It seemed to me that you want the hose velocity to be low (big hose) so you don't kill the bees, but you want the tip velocity to be high enough to pull them off the comb. With the 1.5 hp vac I had to add some adjustable holes to reduce the vacuum so the bees didn't get slammed into the bucket too hard. Air leaks may be the culprit, or take the dust bag off.....
https://picasaweb.google.com/MichaelJShantz/BeeHive4302010#5618492356089282370


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## TIMER (Apr 17, 2011)

Try putting some cushioning material in your bucket or box.
I used some soft packing foam and it seemed to save a lot of bees


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