# Bee Blower



## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

My old Dadant blower is on its last legs and I am thinking about buying a had held blower with a reduced nozzle in its place. I've always had pretty good luck with Stihl power tools and am leaning towards that. Does anyone use a similar blower that has enough air volume to remove the bees easily from medium honey supers. Almost everything we use is 9 frame spaced. Some 8's. Air volume rating? MPH specs etc. I don't want anything too big or bulky. Thanks


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## gezellig (Jun 11, 2014)

I use the home depot brand, works just great.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

gezellig said:


> I use the home depot brand, works just great.


home depot has a brand of blower?


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## gezellig (Jun 11, 2014)

They did three years ago, I assume they still do


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

I'm in need of one and see the "normal" brand names in HD. Haven't seen a HD brand but who knows, maybe they own one of the brands I see in there. It wouldn't surprise me.


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## funwithbees (Mar 27, 2010)

we use a Husqvarna commercial backpack blower (lowes) with a dadant hose and nozzle assembly. sits on the ground and the 10ft hose reaches a few hives at a time. the handhelds get too heavy by the end of doing a yard with 100 supers or more.
nick
gridleyhollow.com


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

funwithbees>> thanks. do you recall the model?


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

I use a Stihl BR600 Magnum. No complaints, works great.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I have used various gas leaf blowers with a shop vac hose and crevice nozzle. I like electric better, quieter and easier to turn on and off. I am currently using the Blower Vac recommended for the Bushkill Bee vac, it is *RIDGID 16 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac w/ Detachable Blower Models # WD1665 /WD1680.

Gas blower:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C3iJwh3lAI

Electric:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72-wgA3BA-Q


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## funwithbees (Mar 27, 2010)

clyderoad said:


> funwithbees>> thanks. do you recall the model?


Hi. It is a Husqvarna 350BT commercial. We have used it for a number of years with good success. It has more than sufficient air speed and volume to blow the bees out of deep supers fast. We run all 8 frames in 10 frame boxes. It is not quiet! DO NOT use it on your back. the bees attack the black straps and you will take many stings around the area where the straps are tight on your beesuit. :doh:
Nick
gridleyhollow.com


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I have owned several Solo leaf blowers, and two Echos, but surprisingly one of the best was a Craftsman.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Is anyone concerned that the exhaust on most blowers is directed forward (towards the supers)?


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

The Stihl blower exhaust out the back. One of the reasons I bought the BR600 is that it is quieter than a lot of them at 75dB, but still moves a lot of air. It moves enough air that I don't bother reducing down to a crevasse nozzle.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Thanks zhiv9


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

We currently use a gifted John Deere blower. Just for grins, I dug out the first prototype blower, pictured in ABJ in 1965?, and got it running. WOW! Modern blowers are wimps. Obvious difference in air delivery. As a reference, the production blowers sold by Dadant in the late 60's had a 5 hp chrysler 2 stroke and Blower Application (brand) fan.

Crazy Roland


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## bentonbee (Jan 31, 2007)

Roland it would be neat to see a video of those old Dadant blowers! Are you talking a squirrel type fan?


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

This year I brought my supers to the barn and blew them out with the air compressor. That made quick work out of removing the bees. 

Ain't a leaf blower made that can hang with 90 psi.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Benton - no, more like a large vacuum cleaner fan, radial blades enclosed between two discs.

Brad, actually an air hose was tried initially, and did not work as well as the first blowers. The air hose has more velocity, but not more volume. 

Crazy Roland


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Here's a photo of mine using a bee blower.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Hi Brad

When blowing bees air volume is needed not high pressure. High pressure blasts tear the bees apart 



Brad Bee said:


> This year I brought my supers to the barn and blew them out with the air compressor. That made quick work out of removing the bees.
> 
> Ain't a leaf blower made that can hang with 90 psi.


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## Flewster (Nov 3, 2003)

Barry said:


> Here's a photo of mine using a bee blower.


I just bought an exact one just like that at an auction a few weeks ago. I paid 20 bucks for it and it needs a hose. Had the nozzel and fittings but no hose. I am hoping it works great but have to do some carb work as it wont stay running. but its a briggs motor so I know it will be easy. Just got to find the time to fix it.


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## Constance (Sep 11, 2008)

Riskybizz said:


> ... Stihl power tools and am leaning towards that. .


We're running two Stihl BR 450 (without reducers). They aren't new but work well and start at the first or second try - even after winter. 

The only issue (for beekeepers  ):
The carrying strips are fixed with a plastic piece. This used to break frequently (e.g. if you stack a full super on it) until we replaced it with a self made metal one.

Kind regards

Michael


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Barry!!!!, Where is the rest of the blower? The stand and shoot should be built into the blower?

We need to talk.........

Crazy Roland


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## k4vb (May 15, 2016)

This is not really a reply but a new question. Does anyone have a source for a magneto coil for one of the Dadant or Kelley 3 leg, red bee blower? Mine has a Tecumseh engine. I have an Eeco leaf blower but would still like to get the old relic up and running.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

This is the one I use. http://www.billygoat.com/Product-Categories/Detail/f6-small-property-residential Hands down the nicest and fastest for cleaning out supers of stragglers. Makes a hand held or even a back pack look silly performance and noise wise. I use the hose kit (shown under the "accessories" link) I also use it during the fall to clean my lawn.


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

D Coates said:


> This is the one I use. http://www.billygoat.com/Product-Categories/Detail/f6-small-property-residential Hands down the nicest and fastest for cleaning out supers of stragglers. Makes a hand held or even a back pack look silly performance and noise wise. I use the hose kit (shown under the "accessories" link) I also use it during the fall to clean my lawn.


Any idea what the CFM rating is? It has pretty much the same velocity (200mph) as the Stihl BR600 that I use. It has a significantly large displacement and 50% more HP, so I am assuming it has a much higher CFM rating, but I don't see it listed in the specs.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

They don't publish numbers as it's an industry where people claim all types of stuff performance wise. CFM is one thing, MPH is another. It's the combination of both that actually gives a blower its "power" Here's a video vs. a hand held and back pack (ironically the Stihl BR600) in the same conditions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8jW9_JCr14


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

D Coates said:


> They don't publish numbers as it's an industry where people claim all types of stuff performance wise. CFM is one thing, MPH is another. It's the combination of both that actually gives a blower its "power" Here's a video vs. a hand held and back pack (ironically the Stihl BR600) in the same conditions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8jW9_JCr14


Nice. I actually think the BR600 itself is really overkill - you have to watch you don't blow the frames out of the box. Blowing bees is a lot about surprise - the bulk of them go as soon as you hit them. It usually easier to work your way across the super and come back for the ones that decide to hold on.


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

I push them out via a fume board but invariably there are clusters in the corners of weird spots. I set the super on its side with the frames vertical and blow from the top of the frames. That usually get 80-90% of the stragglers. I then blow from the bottom of the frames to get the remainder. I then blow once for from above just for good measure.

The problem I had with the hand held I used prior was though it worked well I sucked in a ton of bees into the intake. The wheeled blower is 5-6" away from the supers if you're using the hose kit. Invariably they are getting sucked in still but not near as many. The lack of relative lack of movement from the wheeled blower vs. the handheld will help bees avoid the intake as well. I've not done it but putting a coarse filter of some form over the intake would reduce the bees sucked in too. Too much filter and you'll reduce performance.


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

Stihl back pack blower is ov r kill I use a hand held blower with the tube removed nice and compact


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## canoemaker (Feb 19, 2011)

Has anyone tried the Greenworks 80v cordless blower? Its output is 125 mph and 500CFM. I've used one on a construction job and was impressed. I am seriously considering getting one for blowing bees.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I have used my Makita Blower it will do it on fresh batteries. A lot slower than on my electric one. Loved using it because it was easyier on my arm.


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## canoemaker (Feb 19, 2011)

I have the Makita blower and have used it to blow bees. It works marginally well and has limited battery life. I swap batteries in the field. The Greenworks 80volt has waaaay more blowing power (comparable to the Stihl backpack blower). If I get one for this coming season I can report back to its effectiveness. The only thing negative I can say about it is that it has a "soft" or slow start to get up to speed...just a couple second delay. It's annoying when you turn it on and off for short periods (a few seconds) while using it.


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