Vacuuming bees is a nice way to relocate them in a suitable place. But does vacuuming bees kill them? Yes, vacuuming bees might kill them. But who knows the proper use of a bee vac won’t kill much of them during the suck-up process.
If you can use a bee vacuum properly you may kill only a few bees. And this is natural. But if you don’t know how to use a bee vac properly you may kill a large number of them.
That’s what I am going to discuss with you now. So, this blog post will help you in the following ways.
- Will answer the question does vacuuming bees kill them?
- Will teach you how to use a bee vac properly.
- Answering a few commonly asked questions related to a bee vac.
What Is A Bee Vac?
A bee vac is a device that is used for bee removal purposes by beekeepers and pest control professionals. A bee vac has a motor connected to a suction hose and a collection chamber where the bees are stored after collecting.
The motor creates the vacuum and pressures through the hose that force the element to be pulled inwards the collection chamber.
After getting through the hose bees are stored in the box located at the bottom to collect bees and other elements.
Why Do People Use A Bee Vacuums?
People like beekeepers and pest control specialists use a bee vacuum to catch a bee cluster from a wall, tree, or from other locations.
Followings are the most common usage of a bee vacuum.
- A bee vacuum is very effective to collect bee swarms safely.
- It can be used for collecting a bee swarm trapped in a wall, from a bunch of trees, or from any other suitable location.
- It is used to remove bees from hard-reaching areas like from inside a wall or from attics.
- To Rescue bees that are trapped somewhere.
- Collecting cluster of bees that have escaped from a beehive.
- A bee vac is also used to relocate bees from one location to another.
- To get rid of ground bees.
Can You Vacuum Up Bees?
Of course, you can vacuum up bees if you know the appropriate rules of using a bee vac correctly.
Because if you do anything wrong during the vacuum-up process, bees probably gonna die. Also, there is also a chance of causing harm to the infrastructure from where you are trying to collect bees.
Does Vacuuming Bees Kill Them?
Vacuuming bees will kill them if the vacuum is too strong. Bees will also die if you keep them for a long time inside the vacuum collection chamber.
But if you use a medium-range vacuum not too strong not too weak it won’t kill bees. Instead, you will be easily able to collect the swarm without causing harm to them.
Very hard vacuuming can damage bee wings. As a result, bees won’t be able to fly. Moreover, too strong vacuuming will pull the bees very hard into the hose. So, bees might hit hard at any part of the device. Which can be pretty deadly.
But if you use a bee vac at medium pressure it won’t hurt them. Using a bee vac and following proper rules will help you to collect bees safely. Also, without causing damage to the bees and the people involved in the process.
Also, if bees are kept inside the vacuum device for a long time it can be deadly.
So, try to keep them in a box where air can pass through. Transfer the bees to a permanent and suitable location as soon as possible. You should transfer the cluster to a new hive very safely and carefully.
How To Properly Use A Bee Vaccum Without Killing Bees
The following tips will help you to collect bees using a bee vacuum without killing them.
- You shouldn’t want a very strong vacuum.
- Start collecting bees when they are nice and chilled positioned and almost all of them are clustered together.
- Go gentle and start from the bottom of the cluster. It won’t upset bees and reduce the chances of falling the cluster.
- Using a medium-pressure vacuum, place the hose mouth close to the bees and slowly move it. Don’t be hurried and try not to squeeze them.
- Use a brood box at the bottom of the bee vac in the place of the collection chamber.
- After collecting the bee swarm try to transfer them to a beehive within less than 24 hours. The hive should be their safe and permanent home.
Hopefully, if you are able to remember and follow these tips. During collecting a bee swarm using a bee vac will help you to collect them safely.
It is common to see a few bees die during the suck-up process. But you will get the maximum amount of bees after vacuuming without killing them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Using Bee Vacuum
Do bees survive being vacuumed?
If bees are vacuumed with high pressure most of them will die. Also, if they are kept inside the vacuum for long they also die. So, if they are vacuumed with a lower suction presser and transferred to a suitable place most of them will survive.
Can you use a shop vac to remove bees?
It is absolutely a bad idea to use a shop vac for bee removal. Shop vac provides very high suction pressure. This will kill most of the bees. So, you should use the vacuum that is specially made for vacuuming bees.
What happens if you vacuum a wasp?
If you vacuum a wasp with high pressure it might die. If you vacuum multiple wasps using a bee vacuum they will become more angry. They might start stinging at the body of the collection chamber. So, you have to be careful while you are relocating them to a new place.
Conclusion On The Topic Of Using Bee Vacuum Kill Bees Or Not
Using a bee vacuum with high pressure will kill bees. So, you should avoid using a very strong vacuum. Use a medium vacuum that will be sufficient enough to collect them nicely.
Usually, a bee vacuum is a very effective device for collecting a bee cluster from any location. Hope your doubt about “Does vacuuming bees kill them?” no longer.
If your bees swarmed to a very difficult location. After identifying them you can easily collect and reinstall them to their old house using a bee vac. So, getting knowledge about how to use a bee vac effectively will help you to collect bees safely.
Remember bee vacs are different than shop vacs. Never use a shop vac for vacuuming bees. If you want to purchase or build a bee vacuum on your own. You can check our 4 Easy DIY Bee Vacuum Plans.