Bees in Mast

[saylor240]

Originally Posted by atoll

with this method you could try blocking off one end of the mast ,spraying in quick start(ether) and igniting it remotely.....................

Humm....50ft Potatoe cannon...

[Pete7]

I think Sara has the best sugestion so far, but I would use steam from a steam box to apply the heat, just a bit more gentle than a flame or direct heat for Aluminium.

That or sail over to Aus, arrive and tell them you have an infestation. That should solve the problem pretty quickly.

Is the boat insured?

Pete

[mrohr]

Here in the Hudson Valley ,summer brings mud dabber wasps;they like hot,nearby mud for nests, and enclosed spaces, ie. my boat . They are also of a very evil temperament and will build nests inside of my mast or lurk under the sail cover to warm up when chilly fall weather arrives.They will be waiting for me at dock side when I return from a daysail or even appear a mile or so out on the water to ask me where I am going with their home. I have had them use a dorade vent to gain access below and construct a mud nest in a oil lamp.
Luckily the are rather solitary and don't come in swarms ,but still manage to give me a few stings every season.Inside the mast is the most troublesome and managed to evict them by using wasp spray in a halyard exit to assert my rights.
Good luck with this one.
Don'tcha just love boating?

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by atoll

with this method you could try blocking off one end of the mast ,spraying in quick start(ether) and igniting it remotely.....................

No wick, no oxygen, no burn...

And mast damage from the blast when you light the ether maybe?

third try's the charm?

*grin*

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by rnjpinz

I have done alot of honey bee removal and I can tell you that you need to call a pro. The comb must be removed or robber bees just move in. Call around and see if a local bee keeper would assist you. Trade him some sea time for bee time.

I thought about this advice as well, but I gotta say none of the beekeepers I know would jump on an offer like that. No way to save the hive (that I can think of : -( and honey that will be of questionable quality given the location and potentially damaging removal techniques... Bout the only thing that could be salvaged is the wax... and I don't know ANYONE who wants wax that bad.

You really think someone would be interested?

I guess it couldn't hurt to try.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by sarafina

No wick, no oxygen, no burn...

third try's the charm?

*grin*

i once tried lighting the bbq with quick start!!!......eyebrows have just about grown back..................

[Geoduck]

You could keep the bees to supplement the cruising kitty by selling, "organically grown, wild honey"???

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Geoduck

You could keep the bees to supplement the cruising kitty by selling, "organically grown, wild honey"???

and those halyards and pulleys are going to run as sweet as a sewing machine

[Bash]

Originally Posted by sarafina

( and honey that will be of questionable quality given the location and potentially damaging removal techniques...

Not to mention the fact that it's already been doused with insecticide several times.

I'm enjoying this thread. Makes me feel better about my in-mast furling system.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Personally I avoid my folks place on the days my dad is stripping comb from the frames. It's as sticky and annoying job as there is.

Take the mast down.

Prop at a slight angle.

Heat the mast at the lowest point where hive is.

You need to get it up to 145°.

For heat source I would get a few butylene torches, and some helping hands and work up from the bottom.

You will need someone working the underside all the way down to the base of the mast to keep the wax at temp and moving.

Maybe trying this on a hot day so you are half way to the melting point to start off...

Maybe someone else has a better idea for a heat source?

Good luck with the bees.

If you have 15 ft of honeycomb, I think this is the route to go. You may need to open the top end of the mast. Your wires are likely in a PVC tube. Heat it to melt the honey out, pressure wash as best you can. I dont think it's possible to completely close all entry points on a mast is it? or you could buy a new extrusion saving everything else. Aluminum scrap is going high and yours will weigh plenty with all that honey in it! Maybe bee experts know where you can buy "hornet scent"

[donradcliffe]

How about laying the mast horizontal and introducing some small critters that like honey, and will leave when they eat it all?? I first thought of putting the mast by an anthill, but then worried about getting the ants to leave...

[Cheechako]

This is actually a pretty good idea... if you live where there are ants. Leave it a month or so with one end on the ground. Mice, ants etc should clean it out pretty well. Then fumigate it. hmmm.... mice may chew the wiring

[captainKJ]

get some hot tea,,,,some fresh made biscuits,,,,and have an afternoon snack

[bluetriguy]

You didn't give your location - but since you aren't reporting massive sting episodes guess that they aren't Africanized - we had some of them in Arizona and they will kill.

If it's aluminum you really need to be careful applying any heat as you can very easily create a hot spot and weaken the extrusion, the aluminum if heated by torch or even a really hot 'air gun' can be damaged, it spreads the heat out so quickly that you can't really 'warm' a large area effectively from the outside.

On a sunny day try wrapping the mast with a black trash bag from below the hive to about 2 feet above it. The sun will heat the black plastic, which in turn heats the mast (think about being in a car in the sun) to over 200F and should melt the wax holding the mass to the aluminum. Remember that aluminum is really good at transfering heat so this may take a while, in addition if your mast is stepped on the deck you could augment the heat by using medium heat on an air gun and blow it UP the mast (mines got an open bottom, yours may not). Bees wax melts very slowly so be patient. Also remember you loaded the mast already with pesticides - you don't want to let the wax/honey/pesticide mix into the water.. you should also mask off the deck around the mast as the melted wax will usually penetrate what ever wax is on the fiberglass (not so bad if it's wood) deck and stain it.

Oh- you don't want to eat it either...

[Target9000]

All I could think after reading the OPs post... Please please please let the boat be named either Hive or Honeycomb. The irony would just be too much.