19/02/2026
Don't get so Much time to show many jobs these days, but we are still busy with removals even this late in the season. I don't like under bath removals, Normally I would trap them out as I favour Trapouts as being a less stressful removal method on The bees. But in this case it was urgent, there was a pipe blockage (not caused by the bees) but a plumber needed access urgently. So a cutout had To be the way to go. We always try to limit the damage to access the girls…so didn't want to cut Into the breather pipe unless absolutely necessary. We Don't want to cost the client more in repairs, just for bee access.
Fortunately it wasn't a really old hive so they where still just inside. With the minimum of smoke use, so the bees don't run toooooo far… we opened the vents, to save the pipe it cost one vent brick. We vacuumed the majority of the bees whilst still on the comb.. Removed the comb then had to chase the stragglers who hide themselves away in the most inaccessible places for us, with our massive hands and equipment. We can use our bee vac pipes to push smoke to the back of the cavity to chase them towards us and the bee vac. Then with small cameras we can locate the last few straglers to vacuum or smoke them towards the opening.. A very time consuming task And stressfull for the bees hence my preference for Trapouts in such circumstances… but all sorted and the plumber was happy the next day to work with fewer female “supervisors” look if bv over his/her shoulder.
