|
|
19-03-2012, 04:32
|
#1
|
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 2
|
Bees in Mast
I have a large nest of bees in my 50' mast. I have (using a vacuum cleaner discharge hose) pumped 6 containers of insect fog in it. That kills the bees. Temporarily. I have done this twice.
I spoke to a bee "expert" who says you can kill them all but a month later a bee will fly by, smell the honey, enter the mast & bring family. The nest will reappear. That has happened. He says I have to remove ALL the honey & honeycomb.
How can I do that? The mast has internal halyards; are there PVC pipes the halyards go through? The honeycomb is tightly glued throughout about 15 feet of the mast.
Help!
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 04:38
|
#2
|
Armchair Bucketeer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 10,012
|
Re: Bees in mast
Always something new with boats!
My favoured option would be to drop the mast.
or smoke the buggers out again - and then climb the mast and bung the entrance hole(s) up (AFAIK bees not known for boring through aluminium). But might want to wear a beekeepers hat, just in case!
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 04:42
|
#3
|
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Boat: Groupe Finot, Steel Sloop, 42'
Posts: 47
|
Re: Bees in mast
well after a little...Honey Reserch...i would try using a pressure washer with a heater on it to heat the water, seems honey washes away with hot water and little soap. may have to have mast pulled to get at it all....good luck with that one.
__________________
J. Saylor
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 04:49
|
#4
|
Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
|
Re: Bees in mast
you could try lowering a honey badger or small bear........................
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 04:53
|
#5
|
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 2
|
Re: Bees in mast
Perhaps plugging the hole is the only way... I bought a bee keeper hat & veil, put on weather gear">foul weather gear, climbed the mast & sprayed almost a qt of insecticide in ... the bees came back. I will get some plumber's putty & plug it. May have to do this every time I hoist the sail.
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 04:55
|
#6
|
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Boat: Groupe Finot, Steel Sloop, 42'
Posts: 47
|
Re: Bees in mast
Quote:
Originally Posted by atoll
you could try lowering a honey badger or small bear........................
|
After Further consideration....having fresh honey on a long trip may come in handy...maybe just put a tap into the lower part of the mast. May be a issue in forein ports when they ask "have you transported any plants or animals with you"
__________________
J. Saylor
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 04:58
|
#7
|
Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
|
Re: Bees in mast
Quote:
Originally Posted by saylor240
After Further consideration....having fresh honey on a long trip may come in handy...maybe just put a tap into the lower part of the mast. May be a issue in forein ports when they ask "have you transported any plants or animals with you"
|
great on waffles.........but you will need a cow for fresh cream
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 04:59
|
#8
|
Armchair Bucketeer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 10,012
|
Re: Bees in mast
Quote:
Originally Posted by atoll
you could try lowering a honey badger or small bear........................
|
That would definately be a Youtube worthy event .
I vote for the small bear .
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 05:00
|
#9
|
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Boat: Groupe Finot, Steel Sloop, 42'
Posts: 47
|
Re: Bees in mast
Quote:
Originally Posted by atoll
great on waffles.........but you will need a cow for fresh cream
|
Now that's just crazy talk, how you going to fit a Cow in the mast?...maybe towed on your dingy...now that would be Youtube material....
__________________
J. Saylor
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 05:04
|
#10
|
Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
|
Re: Bees in mast
on a more serious note you could try intoducing some hornets into the mast to kill the bees.
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 05:11
|
#11
|
Moderator... short for Cat Wrangler
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: San Francisco
Boat: Cal 28 Flush Deck
Posts: 5,559
|
Re: Bees in mast
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.
__________________
Sara
ain't what ya do, it's the way that ya do it...
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 05:15
|
#12
|
Moderator... short for Cat Wrangler
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: San Francisco
Boat: Cal 28 Flush Deck
Posts: 5,559
|
Re: Bees in mast
Quote:
Originally Posted by atoll
on a more serious note you could try intoducing some hornets into the mast to kill the bees.
|
Brilliant. The instead of peaceful honey bees he will have hornets. That's like using a gang from the lower east side to evacuate a playground....
Cool, the noisy kids are all gone.... now if you can just figure out how to move along the gang...
lolol....
__________________
Sara
ain't what ya do, it's the way that ya do it...
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 05:32
|
#13
|
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Boat: Groupe Finot, Steel Sloop, 42'
Posts: 47
|
Re: Bees in mast
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarafina
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.
.
|
If the mast has any type of coating on it...hold a torch to it may not be best, but a Large heat gun or gas heater like this one may work
Dayton Torpedo Heater LP 30/45/60K - 1GR3VE54
__________________
J. Saylor
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 05:39
|
#14
|
Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
|
Re: Bees in mast
Quote:
Originally Posted by saylor240
|
with this method you could try blocking off one end of the mast ,spraying in quick start(ether) and igniting it remotely.....................
|
|
|
19-03-2012, 05:52
|
#15
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: 40 Caliber LRC
Posts: 167
|
Re: Bees in mast
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.
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Rate This Thread |
Linear Mode
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Advertise Here
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vendor Spotlight |
|
|
|
|