# Cut-out successful under mobile home - got lucky and found the queen (video)



## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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First of all, I love top bar hives, but one thing I find that's a huge downfall with them vs Langs is the ease of doing cut-outs. If I do more of these in the future, or on a more consistent basis, I may have to consider having a batch of Langs dedicated to cut-outs. Someone may have tips on how to make it more easy with top bar hives - especially sealing them up after the fact. Please chime-in if so.

Now, for this cut-out I'm about to show, it was a situation where a the lady originally called a man who was going to come poison them. He told the lady, quote, "these bees can't be saved because they spread viruses to other bees". He also added that the lady should be prepared for a loud roar under her home from when he applies the poison. * ISN'T THAT SWEET !?!?!?!?!* 

Anyhow, he never got back to her for several weeks. So she then called me because I was next on the list at the police dept or animal control.

The video pretty much speaks for itself. I'm very, very happy with how everything went - especially since I'm still fairly new at this:


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## Cub (Feb 14, 2013)

PatBeek,

Congrats on the successful cutout. I am doing my tenth cutout this evening. Check out the photo attached. These are kind of a pain to make, but you won't need many of them, and they have worked great.

John


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

John, thanks.

I have seen Out Of A Blue Sky make those on his channel. That seems like a good option, indeed.

What I used this time was the half-inch hardware cloth bent into an L - kinda like sticking the comb on a pitchfork. I like it ok, except it seems weird that the hardware cloth will be embedded in the comb for however long that comb is around. 

I think my biggest issue is sealing the top after it's all done. I'll just have to come up with a cover to place on the entrance that's quick and efficient and also a cover to go over it that will keep the top bars down completely sealed.

What do you all do when you come back at night and the bees are all in the hive, but there are about 20 of them hanging-out on the front porch? I had to tape a screen over the area very fast and then shore-up any possible leaks immediately. It's not easy when they have been somewhat alarmed - even at night. It all went well last night, but I need to have a better system.


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## Cub (Feb 14, 2013)

My method for solving that issue is using a piece of 3/8" plywood that is slightly warped. Sounds strange, but you can put 1" x 1" strips on each side to cap the end of the top bars, and the slight bow in the plywood with kind of clamps the ends of the bars once in place. If that makes no sense, I'll post a photo of how it works.


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## Bill91143 (Jun 7, 2013)

Looks like you had fun. Good job!


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Nice cut out Pat. I learned a while back that langs are just the ticket for cutouts. 
I had a real nice TBH that I built. Traded it for 80 frames and eight supers for the cutouts. lol


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

Cub said:


> My method for solving that issue is using a piece of 3/8" plywood that is slightly warped. Sounds strange, but you can put 1" x 1" strips on each side to cap the end of the top bars, and the slight bow in the plywood with kind of clamps the ends of the bars once in place. If that makes no sense, I'll post a photo of how it works.


Yes, please post a photo. 

Very much appreciated.


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

Mr.Beeman said:


> Nice cut out Pat. I learned a while back that langs are just the ticket for cutouts.
> I had a real nice TBH that I built. Traded it for 80 frames and eight supers for the cutouts. lol


Thanks, and yes, I may have to consider that.

Nothing wrong with having two types of hives. In fact, some of my top bar hives are totally different bar lengths and really aren't interchangeable anyhow. My barrel hives have top bars that are 2 feet total. Normal ones are only about 17 inches.

Maybe I should get a bunch of British National Hives while I'm at it......then throw in some Perrones and Warre's.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Dont forget the horizontal lang too!


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## bevy's honeybees (Apr 21, 2011)

Great cut out PatBeek! On the second cut out I ever did (with my friend's help who is not a beekeeper) we had the same deal where the queen was in the grass in a bundle of bees. My friend is the one who noticed, and found her. I didn't know at that time how tricky it can be to find the queen in a cut out. 

How were the honey stores on your cutout? My country bees are in a bad situation--with rain and dearth, it's only mid July and my new colonies were bone dry. I just found out today as it's the first chance I had to get out there since I got back from vacation. It was strange, I could smell their distress as soon as I walked into the yard. I took honey frames from the hives I left real strong with stores. I stopped though because all the hives were getting pretty stirred up and I didn't want to create a big robbing problem. I've not seen it this bad and this is my 4th summer. Back yard bees doing ok, it's the country bees I'm very concerned about.

Not to hijack your thread, I just wondered how it is where you are.
Are you getting all the rain like we are here in SWFL? Naples got over 6" in one day on Sunday. 
Thanks.


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

bevy's honeybees said:


> Great cut out PatBeek!


Thanks so much. I really needed the success on that one. I was starting to get bummed about my bee cut-out sKiLz.



bevy's honeybees said:


> On the second cut out I ever did (with my friend's help who is not a beekeeper) we had the same deal where the queen was in the grass in a bundle of bees. My friend is the one who noticed, and found her. I didn't know at that time how tricky it can be to find the queen in a cut out.


I think techniques on how to spot and catch the queen are THE MOST important aspects of doing a cut-out, IMHO. I guess it depends on if you have no problem leaving a few stragglers and can't come back at night to retrieve the hive and if you have extra queens laying around.



bevy's honeybees said:


> How were the honey stores on your cutout?


It was excellent stores. Plenty for me and plenty to feed back to them. I even gave a few comb-slices to my neighbor and in-laws.



bevy's honeybees said:


> Not to hijack your thread, I just wondered how it is where you are.
> Are you getting all the rain like we are here in SWFL? Naples got over 6" in one day on Sunday.
> Thanks.


We've been having a ton of rain also, but not THAT much. We really need the rain so we can catch-up from the drought we had in 2007.

.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I would have left the bees in the buckets and taken them and the brood home and dump it all together there. That way no bees would go back to the original location. Once I have them contained I don't want them loose again until they are on their final site. One beauty of a Bushkill vac into a lang is that you can merge the bees with the brood and still keep them enclosed. You stay long enough sucking up returning field bees and keep all the bees contained. No need to go back at night to pick them up.


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

odfrank, thanks for that suggestion. I'll have to build up to having such a nice setup as you just mentioned. I just love the idea of watching them all march into the box once the queen has been caught. If coming back to the location at night isn't an option, and/or the queen wasn't captured, then what you said would be the best route to go for sure.


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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Speaking of capturing the queen, here's a compilation JP The Beeman put together of catching queens:


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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Also, watch this one where he's confident a swarm will march into a nuc he has on a ladder next to a tree where a swarm has landed, even though the queen is still outside the box with the swarm:







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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

At 1:21 the queen walks into the hive. That is so cool!


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

Mr.Beeman said:


> At 1:21 the queen walks into the hive. That is so cool!


Yes, and it was briefly airborn before that.

I would have a heart attack.

I guess he has so many hives and has seen so much, that he can afford to play around and experiment like that.

I just can't believe he predicted the queen would go in.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

PatBeek - could you post some photos of your bee vac. I like the idea of the 5 gallon bucket as bee containers. 

Interested in seeing how you are sucking the bees into the bucket.

Thanks for sharing the video. Way to go.


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

marshmasterpat said:


> PatBeek - could you post some photos of your bee vac. I like the idea of the 5 gallon bucket as bee containers.
> 
> Interested in seeing how you are sucking the bees into the bucket.
> 
> Thanks for sharing the video. Way to go.


Thanks for the kind words. 

Yes, I'll try to find the pdf on how to make those vacs. It doesn't have the most sucking power in the world, but it keeps me honest by not trying to hurry and then start killing a bunch of bees in the process. There was very minimal bee loss (if any) in that vac, I can assure you.


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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I guess these forums won't allow attachments any longer other than photos?

I found the attachment button, but it won't work. I even enabled pop-ups.

Oh well, if anyone wants the directions to the bee vac, PM me with your email address and I'll get it out ASAP.


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