Hive Voltage Bees

Had the privilege of helping remove these bees from inside a low voltage pillar box this evening. Original thoughts were that they had only built up the top but as the pictures show they had completely covered the cables and we had to dig out and break apart the base to get as many out as possible.

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I wondering if they were trying out “wired” honeycomb… :smile:

Nice pictures. Did you put the comb into frames to move them and rehouse in a traditional hive?

Dawn

They were just there for the Buzz of it! LOL I’m sure they can sense the electricity

Just curious ! What is low voltage there ? Here it would be less than 120 volts.

240 volts is normal in UK and Oz but on building site in UK there is often 110volts - also shaver plugs

Yeah Dawn they were transported to beeks house where they are to be rehoused.

240 volts, this being 3 phase so 415 between them.

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Wow ! Getting in contact with any of those Voltages would not be FUN ! Not sure I’d want to be removing bees from wires. Any holiday/break or crack in the wire n ZAP ! Too late ! I worked for a gas n power utility n without de-energizing the line or facility we even we were allowed to do without special protective gloves or equipment.

I wouldn’t touch something like that unless I was supervised by someone from the power company.

I think I’d give the technician my bee suit ! Without specially high voltage tools n gloves your at very high risk. We had one tech got in contact n he was lucky. He’s still alive but can’t feel most things n his nerve damage was so much he feels cold on 90 dgs F days and wears a jacket. Yah ! The electrical tech can use my suit ! :smiley:

The gloves in the photo looked like they might be pretty good insulators, but I am not a specialist. Electricity scares me, as do pressurized gases.

Dawn, it is possible these maybe okay. National electric codes require different rating of gloves for different voltages. Costs start at $250 and can be over $500 a pair. Hopefully the lineman or utility provides the correct rating because looking at those lines … They were Low Voltage (guessing 220 or more). I know these facts because I had to
pass national electrical code test. So I KNOW. And I know I’d still be more than cautious touching anything in that box. Just one crack in those gloves n holiday in the wire wrap it would be all over. My choice would the Bees Not Worth It :grinning: I really lean to the not get killed side of life. I only work on pressurized propane n natural gas heating equipment ! :wink:. I guess we all have trained comfort levels.

He did get his bees so hope it becomes a really energized n producing colony of bees.

All good fellow beeks. Cables all isolated,tagged and proved de-energised. This newbee also works for power utility :wink:.

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