Author Topic: Attempting My First Cut Out (Read 9280 times)

Jen · « **on:** July 01, 2014, 04:42:25 pm »

My friend Phill has been doing bvt for hip pain and depression. He's feeling better and wants his own hive. He trims the hooves of horses for a living, loves his horses, and has become enamored with bees, funny how that happens

. He's a character.

These bees are entering this garage from the outside wall. The owners says it's been just this year, a couple months or so.

You can see on the side of the garage where the bees are going in, it's the darkest hole in the siding. The bees are going in and turning left.

Any advice is welcome

I'm thinking that going in from the outside would be easier? I don't believe there is insulation between the outside wall and the wall on the inside holding the bench. The siding is nailed and screwed.

This is the inside of the garage where the bees are building, they are behind the plastic drawers.

The half wall that holds the owners bench, tools, and goods is capped off at the top.

riverbee · « **Reply #1 on:** July 01, 2014, 05:33:09 pm »

okay jen, can't help it, love the sign in the last pic.......too funny!!!

now back to giving jen some advice on this to all you cutout gurus!

Jen · « **Reply #2 on:** July 01, 2014, 05:43:36 pm »

OH! Riv! When I went into the garage to inspect the wall, held the camera up and saw the sign in the lens... Click! Had too!

tbonekel · « **Reply #3 on:** July 01, 2014, 07:13:42 pm »

Coming in from outside would probably work fine, but I like cutting less, so you might be removing quite a bit of wood. I say the less cutting the better. Looking at the inside, though, it looks like it might work better maybe? If the bees are behind the plastic tool box, there is a seam on the plywood that looks like it is screwed into the studs. If you could get to that plywood, you could just remove it, and bingo. The only hard part would be the work bench.

tbonekel · « **Reply #4 on:** July 01, 2014, 07:16:23 pm »

Never mind Jen. After looking at your pictures again, I think you may be right. It shouldn't be too much of a problem removing the furring strips.

Jen · « **Reply #5 on:** July 01, 2014, 07:18:47 pm »

Thanks tbone

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #6 on:** July 01, 2014, 10:22:09 pm »

How did they put the plywood on from the inside? If its screwed, go that way, if they nailed it, outside may be as easy, less stuff to move out of the way.
Something about bees being inside.. rather than go after you they "GO TO THE LIGHT", be it a bulb or a window where they are easily collected..
In either case, it shouldnt be too bad of a job.

pistolpete · « **Reply #7 on:** July 01, 2014, 11:23:44 pm »

Looks pretty straight forward to me. The siding will come off in about 10 minutes. The right tool for the job is a cat's paw. That's pretty much like a hive tool, but bigger. Your main challenge will be pulling the siding off without breaking it, because it's already split where the screws went in. Otherwise super easy access.

Riverrat · « **Reply #8 on:** July 01, 2014, 11:37:47 pm »

When possible I always try to do the cutouts from the inside. This keeps the structure weather tight and when finished its not has hard to fix and usually cheaper for the owner.

apisbees · « **Reply #9 on:** July 01, 2014, 11:54:42 pm »

Go in from the out side Remove the battens in full strips the nails used are finish nails with a fine head so most will likely pull thru the ceder siding. the screws were used as an after fix to close gaps because of board warping. There is a cross blocking at about 5 feet from the floor so the siding will be nailed along the bottom, top and in the middle. It looks like the stud spacing is 24" apart so you will need to remove 4 or 5 boards. I don't think there will be any insulation as the top part of the wall is not insulated. 2 pry bars and gently work it under at the bottom or top and slowly pull the boards off one at a time until the space it is open. start by smoking the entrance a little, remove battens and smoke along board seams as each batten is removed. them pry siding boards off one at a time smoking a little as you go.

I would hang black plastic or screw a piece of plywood on the inside across the stud space above where the bees are to keep them from going inside the shop.

Jen · « **Reply #10 on:** July 02, 2014, 12:01:47 am »

Scott- "How did they put the plywood on from the inside? If its screwed, go that way, if they nailed it, outside may be as easy, less stuff to move out of the way.

Would it be okay to ask the owners to move their stuff to clear a path for us?

apisbees · « **Reply #11 on:** July 02, 2014, 12:14:18 am »

Pete and Riverrat both posted while I was posting each saying the opposite of each other. As you can read above I side with Pete. their is no tar paper or plywood sheeting under the siding so once the siding is removed you will have access to the bees. the siding isn't tucked up under any soffit so the boards are free to come off from top to bottom. the only thing in the way is the light but it is on a seam so loosen the fixture and the board will come off easy. once you get the first board off if the bees have the comb stuck to the siding you might have to cur the comb loos from the siding to ease the removal of the boards and minimize damage to the comb.

Jen · « **Reply #12 on:** July 02, 2014, 12:21:05 am »

Thanks Apis, I was wondering of comb would come loose upon removing the boards either inside or outside. So I would use a knife and slice the comb off of the board then bring the board out?

apisbees · « **Reply #13 on:** July 02, 2014, 12:30:43 am »

It is not a free standing bench but is built on the wall so it would need to be dismantled and removed, the shelving would need removing, and to me it looks like the plywood is nailed on.
For me Hive tool, pry bars, claw hammers, piece of 2x4, even a pointy end of a spade will work and aide in the siding removal.

apisbees · « **Reply #14 on:** July 02, 2014, 12:36:04 am »

Yes if it tares. The barn floor removal Scott posted you could see some of the combs torn. It can also stretch the comb cells and the bees will at times convert them for use as drone comb

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #15 on:** July 02, 2014, 11:57:33 pm »

What apis said Mrs. Jen. Zooming in on the picture I can see nails in the plywood..
If everything was screwed together, my 18 volt B&D drill would have that set up taken apart in half the time it would take to pop nails, hut when the plywood is nailed it tends to pull the nail heads through the plywood. the boards and batton will not pull through as easily making the nails easier to pull out..
The comb will likely be attached to both inside and outside boards. If I had enough access to slide my Filet knife in as i loosened the board I would do as Apis said and carefully slice the comb from the outside board, leaving it attached to the inside board and studs. In some cases the best you can do is carefully pull it apart and deal with the results.
I like doing cut outs from the inside when possible. The bees tend to fuss with you less and go to the light. Doing the cut out in the house, the bees went to the windows and the rooms light rather than buzzing me. It made collecting them with the bee vac very simple. In this case I will have to agree with Pete and Apis.
Looks like a good job, looking forward to updates!

Jen · « **Reply #16 on:** July 03, 2014, 02:10:31 am »

Scott- I watched Mrs. Kays video again. When we do our cut out, how do I fill the deep with the frames that are rubberbanded?

How many frames of brood?

how many frames of honey?

Guess it would be prudent to take another deep or medium, medium I'm thinking, just in case there is more comb than anticipated?

iddee · « **Reply #17 on:** July 03, 2014, 07:07:48 am »

No, Jen. You only put brood in frames. Honey is too heavy and sticky. You will kill many bees trying to rubberband the honey in frames.
Keep the clean capped honey for yourself, and feed the dirty and uncapped honey back to the bees.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #18 on:** July 03, 2014, 08:58:25 am »

What Iddee said.
The honey will just make a huge mess. Whatever honey you dont want dump out somewhere across the yard so the bees can rob it all out. I usually dump the extra comb and honey about 200 yards away from my hives if it, and the bees looked healthy.

As far as Brood.. How many frames do you want? If I can fill 12 to 14 frames with brood I do it. More bees to fill the hive, less comb they have to draw, more reason for them to STAY in the box I put them in...
I usually take two medium boxes to put the brood etc in and the two boxes under the bee vac. So I have three boxes with frames to put brood in if necessary, and of course the empty box for open space in the vac.

Once set up in the location it will remain, it gets a jar of syrup on top to get them going again.

lazy shooter · « **Reply #19 on:** July 03, 2014, 11:44:56 am »

This is what we old-timers called board and batten construction. Scribe a straight, horizontal line about one foot above the hive. Nail a board on the wall, two duplex nails only as you will be removing this board. Set your skill saw to a depth sufficient to cut through the batten and the board behind. I think those unplanned boards will measure close to one inch think. Use the horizontal board as a rest and a guide for the skill saw and make a horizontal cut as long as required. Remove the Horizontal guide board and remove the battens where needed. By removing the battens first, it leaves a handy place to start to work with your crow bar. The edges you are prying against will not be seen when reconstructed. If rains are a problem, you can run your saw on an inverted 45 degree angle.

Just a thought from my presently drug altered mind that is 10 days out on knee replacement.

lazy