Notes 3.17

3.0 PRACTICE OF BEEKEEPING

The candidate will be:

3.17 able to describe a method of clearing honeybees from supers;

NOTES

There are several methods of clearing bees from supers.

1. Using bee escapes:-

   There are various types but they basically act as a one way valve. The bees go down from the supers through a board fitted with the escape(s) and cant get back. A common type is the Porter bee escape that has a little sprung gate that the bees push through that closes behind them. Bee escapes need to be fitted a day or so in advance to allow time for all the bees to pass through. They can get clogged up and fail to work.

2. Brushing the bees off the frames with a soft brush:-

   This method would be tedious and time consuming for a lot of hives, but works well enough with a minimum of equipment. You don’t need to wait an extra day as you would using bee escapes.

3. Using chemicals:-

   Chemical repellents of various sorts can be put above the supers and cause the bees to move away from the unpleasant odour.

4. Using air blowers:-

   This method is used by commercial beekeepers as it works quickly. The bees are blown off the frames by a motorised blower. The cost of the equipment would be a barrier for most small scale beekeepers.