Building a DIY bee vacuum is a game-changer for any beekeeper looking to tackle structural removals safely and efficiently. Today at the Bee Sanctuary, I’m showing you exactly how we built our custom bee vac using standard hive components and common household items.

The goal of this build is to create a gentle, airtight system that collects bees without harming them, allowing for a smooth relocation to the Kyalami Apiary.

The Anatomy of the Bee Vac

Our system is a four-piece “tower” held together by high-quality ratchet straps:

1. The Bottom Intake Super: This is a standard super box modified with a plywood floor and a PVC inlet pipe.
   1. The Hack: Use adhesive foam strips around the edges to ensure an airtight seal.
   2. Pro-Tip: Keep the internal PVC pipe short. If it’s too long, bees tend to clump around it, making the final transfer difficult.
2. The Brood Box: A standard brood box sits in the middle. We’ve run sealant along the joints to ensure it’s perfectly airtight. This acts as the main “holding chamber” for the bees.
3. The Mesh Frame: This is the only truly custom piece. It’s a simple wooden frame with wire mesh small enough to stop bees but large enough to allow airflow. This prevents the bees from being sucked into the vacuum motor.
4. The Top Vacuum Super: Similar to the bottom piece, this super is sealed with plywood and features the attachment point for your vacuum hose.
   1. The Regulator: We added a small “flap” or hole in the top. By opening or closing this, you can manually regulate the suction strength. Never use full vacuum power, or you will kill the bees!

Assembly & Operation

• The Seal: We use adhesive foam strips between every layer. When you tighten the ratchet straps, this foam compresses to create a vacuum-sealed unit.
• The Suction: We use an old household vacuum and standard pool cleaner pipes for the extension. Pool pipes are great because they are lightweight and easy to extend if you’re working on a high roof or chimney.
• The Transport: Once the removal is done, simply pop a PVC cap on the inlet, remove the vacuum hose, and the box is ready to be strapped into the car.

The Final Transfer

Once we reach the apiary, we simply release the straps, remove the top sections, and gently move the bees from the brood box into their permanent hive. It’s a simple, cost-effective build that has helped us save thousands of bees on our journey from 3 to 300 hives.

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Planning to build your own?

If you have questions about the dimensions or the best sealant to use, ask away in the comments below! I’d love to see photos of your custom builds.

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How should we proceed? Would you like a step-by-step video of the vacuum in action on a real-world removal, or should we look at how to build a honey extractor next?