CLEARING BEES out of HONEY Boxes (using Bee Escapes) | Why would we do that?

One of the things I dislike about beekeeping is clearing bees from the honey boxes (supers) in preparation for removing honey. There are many ways to do it. Last year I tried bee escapes and really likes using them. So I decided to do it again this year. Fortunately my son Austin was in town and able to help. It really helped lighten the load.
This video is the first of a three part series of our spring honey harvest. Stay tuned for more!
If you like what you see ‪@brucesbees‬ I hope you will subscribe to the channel and check out more of my videos. I also hope you will ring the notification bell to see future videos. There is much more to come!
Thanks and enjoy!!!
#brucesbees #honey #beeescapes

[@dmorgan1965]

Nice father son video! Glad to see Austin was able to get all that hair under the veil 🤣

[@brucesbees]

No doubt lol. He definitely has the ability to grow hair and a beard!

[@adriennesmith.artist]

Ohhh I’ve never seen that big plastic version before! Rad!

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

You're going to make Mike Berry jealous!!! Thanks Bruce!!!!!

[@Makermook]

Glad you got to spend some time with your son!

[@brucesbees]

Yes! Good times...

[@marcosverdu3672]

nice video

[@leobaltz2057]

RUN FORREST RUUUUUUN!!

[@lovelymillie1967]

That is beautiful.

[@adriennesmith.artist]

Wow! Your flow is sooooo good. Where abouts are you located?

[@brucesbees]

Southeast Alabama

[@hopesadler4000]

You had a twig under the lid on the first hive. Probably why bees were trying to seal it up. Great video.

[@yoopermann7942]

i cant wait to get my horizontal hives and bees! thank you for the tips

[@randallcarter-carterhillho2277]

Great video bruce, i am gonna try those escapes this year myself. Great video and info. Thanks

[@brucesbees]

They work well. Frankly on a big strong hive there are usually a few stragglers in the supers but I just tip them on end and blow the stragglers out with a blower. Quick and easy.

[@CastleHives]

I have a few Bee escapes, never used them. Your hives look packed, doing great.

[@brucesbees]

It is an extra step but worth it if I can find the time to get them on there. I hate pulling boxes when the supers are full of bees. Fume boards work pretty well but I only have two and they are slow. And I like to get the honey set up prior anyway so I might as well put the escapes on. The truth is there are usually a few stragglers in the supers but it is very easy to blow them out and go.

[@russk3931]

@@brucesbees I used one of the Cerecell bee escapes like that last year and loved it. If you leave it on for more than a day the bees will start to come back - slowly of course.

[@wendyme4835]

Do you put extra boxes w frames under the bee escapes to provide space for all the bees to move down? If not, does this ever trigger swarming from crowding?

[@brucesbees]

Sometimes there is space beneath the escapes but I don’t actively try to do it. I am pretty much out of boxes!

[@jimholmes964]

Question I have; many worker bees would not yet be foragers. Some would be working on drying & capping. What happens to those left behind in the (unfinished) honey super? 🇦🇺

[@brucesbees]

They just keep working on it.

[@brucesbees]

With the bee escapes they move down into the unfinished areas and get to work down there.

[@mikeknop6067]

I’ve been looking for these B escapes where did you buy these at can you please send me a link thanks

[@brucesbees]

www.pierco.com/

[@brucesbees]

If you you have any questions you can call them.

[@tylorwallen4639]

LOL it's so easy a caveman can do it

[@brucesbees]

My son definitely had the ability to grow a beard!

[@jimholmes964]

... barely needs the suit! 😂

[@Muiuiuky]

you know you could add one or two entrances with gate disks to the wooden ones so you can open and close as you need, and leave the escapes on for the entire season...

[@brucesbees]

Hmm. Interesting. Not a bad plan.

[@JustinTurner000]

your sons beard is awesome and also reminds me of forest gump when he just kept running and running haha :)

[@brucesbees]

Yes he definitely has the ability to grow a substantial beard lol and could pass for Forrest Gump if he wanted to I’m sure.

[@russk3931]

Looks like you will need new supers on their ASAP. You still have a flow going - that's going to be crazy amounts of honey.

[@brucesbees]

You are right. We harvested 155 gallons of honey and put the supers right back on. They will be full soon and all the other supers that are close are probably already full. The June harvest will probably be unbelievable.

[@russk3931]

@@brucesbees I hope you have a good outlet for your honey. That is more honey than a farmers market outlet. I let my wife market my honey and she keeps all the money except what I need for buying supplies. Now she likes bees. LOL

[@amberwebb9684]

Did he jog to you from across the country 😆 fellow Utah human 👋

[@brucesbees]

No but he probably could have lol! He has hiked the AT and the Colorado Trail and been training as a rock climber in Utah. He is about to embark on the Continental Divide Trail. When he is in his groove he can get it done!

[@unclebobsbees4899]

Bruce, try not wearing black gloves. I did it a couple of weeks and the sting-o-meter was going Kaching every few minutes. 😁. I wear blue nitrile gloves to keep the hands clean. Fantastic pile of honey there.

[@vytbbb7146]

your son looks older than you :D

[@brucesbees]

He definitely has the ability to grow a beard! And he’s a big help too. Wish he was around more.

[@vytbbb7146]

@@brucesbees yeah, that's every parent wish :)

[@lovelymillie1967]

Bruce, the bees that I removed from Orlando got very aggressive. I decided to euthanize them. So sad 😔.

[@brucesbees]

Hate to hear that but that’s how it goes sometimes.

[@lovelymillie1967]

@@brucesbees I will split my hive, which is very healthy, strong, and gentle. Thanks

[@brucesbees]

Good luck!

[@zetectic7968]

Interesting. Can't wait to see the honey harvest. Hope it goes well!

[@brucesbees]

Will be posting soon. This was the first in a 3 video series of our spring honey harvest. Stay tuned. I am hoping to drop the next video tomorrow.

[@adriennesmith.artist]

Already honey time!! Wow! We have barely started with our flow here in Central Oregon!

[@brucesbees]

Yeah it’s different down here for sure. We will be mostly done with honey within the next month.

[@adriennesmith.artist]

Have you used the plastic inserts that plug into an inner cover instead of the wooden escape?

[@brucesbees]

Never have used those.

[@stevewilliams4106]

Looks like he should be on B&k bee video.lol

[@mattsara2802]

Man that is awesome. Lots of honey 🍯

[@brucesbees]

Yes! Lots of honey for sure! Stay tuned!

[@mattsara2802]

Most definitely

[@alcroc]

Not surprised your bees were unhappy. The way you lifted frames and almost dropped supers back onto the hive would annoy anyone. Softly. softly, slidey slidey. Slide super boxes/ lids/clearer boards back on to give the girls a chance to move out of the way. Saying this the black plastic clearer boards look super efficient. Be gentle, every live is precious.

[@brucesbees]

Ok lol.

[@theceracellbeekeepingchann4889]

Great Video, Glad you like the Great Escapes!!

[@86offroad]

Great videos Bruce. Thanks for Sharing.

[@357lockdown]

Was that Forest Gump?

[@brucesbees]

Yeah he could pull it off🙂

[@GoneWildKennels]

So close together, your killing yourself guys

[@matthewmccormick2417]

Hello Bruce. Yep the first 1 you shown i have 500 like that only they are wood and have a mesh to them. They work good. What i have is more or less like that and what IAN has used. They work great

[@trevordavies2829]

Thanks The tip on duct tape is good.

[@brucesbees]

Yep. Works well.

[@brucesbees]

Assuming the tape stays on the boxes.

[@MohamedUAE]

You have a wonderful son, nice video. keep it up 🙏🤲 Greeting from Dubai

[@brucesbees]

Thanks and yes he is pretty amazing.

[@catchandinstallhoneybees.1901]

great work....i impress and gain knowledge your video

[@brucesbees]

I’m glad you like it.

[@a3skywarrior929]

Great that your son helps! Thanks for the tips and I'm definitely going to look into bee escapes 👍

[@brucesbees]

Follow up video coming in a couple of days. There were a few bees still in the supers but they were easily blown out.

[@donbearden1953]

Bruce, those are super hives. How do you keep them from swarming? Is this your Slocomb yard. It looks like you’re in for a wonderful harvest!

[@brucesbees]

This was in Ozark but the Slocomb yard was impressive as well. I think some of them swarmed. I know the Slocomb bees swarmed like crazy. They just rebounded with a vengeance! We had an incredible harvest. Stay tuned!

[@skinnywheelz]

Bruce, your bees always look great! Thanks for sharing!

[@brucesbees]

Yes many of them do. Wish I could figure out a way to get consistent results🙂

[@daisyshoney6021]

I use upper entrances. How would I use a Queen escape?>

[@brucesbees]

In order to most effective use a new escape you would need to close of the upper entrance while the escape is on the hive. That is assuming you also have a lower entrance.

[@dadu63]

My oldest son is named Austin as well. All the bees don't leave my supers. I have to blow em out. Thanks Bruce!

[@brucesbees]

Yes there are usually a few left but they are quickly and easily blown out. I just hate pulling honey boxes. Especially with a bunch of angry bees that have been bumped, brushed, shaken or blown from the hives. Fume boards also work well but I only have 2 and it takes forever. Of course it adds a step with the bee escapes. Still trying to figure it out. Maybe will get there one day🤷‍♂️

[@jimholmes964]

Pls note my similar question in comments. Jim, Australia

[@tysonwashburn7510]

What part of Utah? That's my state! love the vids! 2009 was a great year for Alabama's Sugar Bowl!.

[@brucesbees]

He has been living in Sandy. He is about to hike the Continental Divide Trail. Not sure where he will go after that. My wife is from Sandy and I met her at BYU many years ago. I have a daughter that lives in Draper, and another that currently lives in Alberta, Canada and is probably going to move to that area soon.

[@tysonwashburn7510]

@@brucesbees nice. i grew up in sandy. now in south jordan, Salt Lake County has a great beekeeping associaion called Wasatch Beekeeping Association. this is year 2 of me keeping bees!

[@brucesbees]

Yes but look at what has happened since lol. I am a huge Alabama fan but played a little football at BYU, so an even bigger BYU fan. I had a good football year this past year!

[@kentmeredith2945]

Another fellow Coug here! I’m just up the road in Holladay. If Austin ever needs anything, message me and we’ll take care of him! I’ve tried escape boards, fume boards, and leaf blower...None of them are perfect, but I do like the escape board best. We still end up shaking, brushing, or blowing off a few stowaways. Best, Kent Meredith P.S. Tyson I’m also in Wasatch Beekeepers so I’ll see you around if we start having in-person meetings again.

[@brucesbees]

Awesome. Thanks for checking in!

[@BeesBikinis]

Bee escapes work great!

[@brucesbees]

Yes I like them.