Table of Contents:
Is It Okay to Vacuum Bees?
Yes, it is perfectly okay to vacuum bees to move them to a new, safe location. However, we don’t recommend vacuuming bees unless you’re an experienced beekeeper.
Vacuuming bees involves using a vacuum to suck up a honey bee colony. Beekeepers typically vacuum bees when they have nested in non-ideal areas like sheds, walls, or other manmade structures. From there, the bees will be moved to a better location away from people or pets.
When done correctly, vacuuming bees doesn’t hurt the colony.
With that said, you may lose a small handful of bees during the bee vacuuming process. This is normal. You can minimize bee losses by working slowly and methodically to avoid mistakes like accidentally crushing the queen or worker bees.
Appropriate measures should be taken to avoid bee stings, such as wearing a bee suit, face covering, gloves, and using a bee smoker. Not wearing proper protection can lead to bee stings, which can cause you to rush the process and make mistakes.
But again, vacuuming bees should be performed by experienced beekeepers.
Contact a local beekeeper if you need help with honey bee nest removal. Beekeepers often perform removals for free to save the bees.
Can You Vacuum Bees With a Shop Vacuum?
Yes, bees can be vacuumed using a shop vac. Some people also make their own bee vacuums or buy them online.
If you’re a beekeeper specializing in nest removals, investing in a bee vacuum can be smart. The best bee vacuums are typically battery-powered so you won’t struggle with extension cords.
Some bee vacuums are backpack-style, so you can easily transport them around. They also may include features that allow you to adjust the suction level to gently remove the bees without hurting them.
However, if you don’t specialize in bee removal or catching bee swarms, investing in a bee vacuum may not be right for you. A regular shop vac should work for vacuuming bees.
It’s not recommended to use regular house vacuums just because they’re clunky and hard to transport. This can make the bee vacuuming process more difficult and lead to avoidable mistakes such as crushing bees.
How Do You Vacuum Bees out of a Wall?
Ideally, vacuuming bees out of a wall should be performed by an experienced beekeeper with proper equipment. We recommend contacting a local beekeeper for help. Many beekeepers will remove honey bees for free to keep the colony and save the bees.
If you don’t have a beekeeper in your area and want to relocate a honey bee colony safely, then preparation will be your most crucial step. You need to learn about honey bee colonies as well as how to identify the queen honey bee. Capturing the queen honey bee in an important step in relocating a colony. The bees cannot survive without their queen.
For starters, you’ll need a shop vac or bee vacuum. You’ll also need proper protection to avoid stings. The goal is to work slowly and methodically to prevent crushing the queen or worker bees. You cannot do this if you’re constantly being stung by the bees.
We recommend wearing a bee suit, gloves, and a proper face covering. These items can be purchased online where you can read reviews to ensure you’re getting good quality products.
Additionally, using a bee smoker is smart to help calm the bees during removal.
Finally, you need to watch several videos on how to vacuum bees. Preparation is key, so inform yourself of the process as much as possible.
Here are a few videos we recommend:
FAQs on Vacuuming Bees
- Can you vacuum bees without killing them?
- What is the best vacuum for bee removal?
- What happens when you vacuum bees?
- Can you vacuum a swarm of bees?
- Can you vacuum carpenter bees?
Can you vacuum bees without killing them?
People often ask:
Is it OK to vacuum bees? Does vacuuming hurt bees? Does vacuuming bees kill them?
For the most part, vacuuming bees does not hurt them. A few worker bees may get killed accidentally, but the damage is minimal and will not affect the colony’s survival.
It’s normal to lose some bees during the process of handling them. For example, sometimes honey bees accidentally get crushed by beekeepers inspecting their hives. Of course, the goal is to minimize this as much as possible. But it does happen and generally isn’t a cause for concern.
With that said, you want to be extra careful not to accidentally harm the queen bee since she’s needed to lay eggs and ensure the colony’s survival.
Queen honey bees can be identified by their longer, narrow abdomens. Finding the queen honey bee can take several minutes since she tends to hide when the colony is being relocated. This is to ensure her own personal safety.
—> Go back to the FAQs on vacuuming bees
More to Explore:
- How Many Brood Boxes Should I Start With?
- How to Identify and Handle Queen Cells
- What Are the Langstroth Hive Dimensions?
What is the best vacuum for bee removal?
The best vacuum for bee removal is a designated bee vacuum designed for the job. The best bee vacuums on the market are battery-powered and easy to carry. Many bee vacuums are backpack-style for this very reason.
However, bee vacuums are considered an investment due to their cost. However, if you perform bee removals regularly, then investing in a bee vacuum may be worth the cost.
You can also use a regular shop vacuum to vacuum bees. However, we don’t recommend using a standard house vacuum. Traditional vacuums are hard to transport and clunky.
—> Go back to the FAQs on vacuuming bees
More to Explore:
- How Many Bees Are in a Hive?
- What is Backyard Beekeeping?
- Honey Extractors 101: Everything You Need to Know
What happens when you vacuum bees?
The bees get sucked into the vacuum container and temporarily held until they can be relocated to a new spot. The goal is to perform the bee removal promptly so the bees don’t have to stay inside the vacuum for too long.
Additionally, you must collect all the bees. A few may escape here and there, but the majority of the colony needs to remain in tact. This is especially true for the queen honey bee.
—> Go back to the FAQs on vacuuming bees
More to Explore:
Can you vacuum a swarm of bees?
You can vacuum a swarm of bees if it is absolutely necessary, such as if you live in an urban area. In this case, neighbors may call pest control to kill the bees, which is not ideal. Instead, beekeepers can safely vacuum the bees to relocate them to a new nesting spot that keeps them away from people and pets.
—> Go back to the FAQs on vacuuming bees
More to Explore:
Can you vacuum carpenter bees?
No, you should not vacuum carpenter bees. Carpenter bees can be safely deterred using these tips.
Remember:
Carpenter bees are valuable pollinators needed in our ecosystems, so they should be protected.
