PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING
Bees for Development Journal 99
HOW TO MAKE A BEE EVACUATOR Keywords: honey bee management, Nigeria, West Africa
In BfDJ 93 Isiaka Salawu described his method of making protective headgear for beekeepers. Here he describes another piece of equipment - the bee evacuator.
A bee evacuator is designed to collect bees from a location where their presence poses a problem to humans and the bees. This could be in house walls, tree holes, ceilings in houses and other locations regularly occupied by bees.
PHOTOS © ISIAKA A SALAWU
Isiaka A Salawu, PFHG, Federal Government Girls’ College, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
Advantages
A bee evacuator offers these advantages: 1. Prompt evacuation of bees from environments where they may be regarded as a threat to humans. 2. An evacuation method which does not destroy the bees or their nest. 3. Evacuated bee colonies can be used as foundation stock for starting or increasing beekeeping, or sold to another beekeeper. 4. A service can be offered to individuals and organisations on a fee paying basis.
Materials
3 mm iron rods or flat bars 1 m nylon net Use of an oxy-acetylene or electric welder
Procedure
STEP I: Take the light iron rods or flat bars to the welder and cut them into four groups as follows: • 4-6 pieces 30 cm in length • 4-6 pieces 10 cm in length • 2 pieces 220 cm in length • 1 piece 22 cm in length
STEP 2: The pieces of 220 cm rod or flat bar should be turned into circular rings 30 cm in diameter. Using the rings to form the two ends of a cylindrical frame, weld the 6 pieces of 30 cm rods or flat bars at regular intervals (about 5 cm) to each other. Equal numbers of rods and flat bars should be used, that is 2 iron rods with 2 flat bars or 3 iron rods with 3 flat bars. This will ensure rigidity of the evacuator.
Isiaka Salawu and his bee evacuator
STEP 6
STEP 3: Weld the other 6 pieces of 10 cm rods or flat bars at the top end of the cylinder. An equal number of rods and flat bars again must be used.
Sew the nylon in two pieces: • One as a cylindrical sack 32 cm in diameter and 22 cm long. • One in a funnel shape 32 cm in diameter at base and 5 cm at the extreme end.
STEP 4: Bend the rods or flat bars inwards to make a ring 3 cm in diameter at the extreme end.
STEP 5: Weld the extreme end of the 10 cm rods or flat bars in Step 4 to the 3 cm diameter ring to create the mouth of the evacuator. Note: In this design, the iron rods and flat bars were used in the ratio of 2:2.
Mouth
Two pieces of nylon net are required
The metal frame for the bee evacuator 3
