Iddee & Hardwood and all the rest,I know I am the student ;) I have noticed in the few trap-outs
that I've done,The bees tend to get all jammed up trying too exit,In one they literally closed the exit
with dead bodies, behind the Jam Dam, there were still bees wanting out
I don't know if it's a swarm leaving or not ??
My thought is they slow down upon leaving because they are trying to find the exit
If I close the daylight out on 70% f the cone I wonder if ?? this will keep them crawling
Opposed to seeing the sun/daylight and stopping and looking for another exit
I also wonder If the will "SEE the LIGHT at the End of the tunnel" literally and haul butt to it?
I have no trap out as of yet to try this on
the student
Tommyt
:-D
Due too my not putting words to type well here it is
(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i319/tommytt1/Trapcone.jpg)
1... I have the cone tilted upward so the dead ones will roll back in.
2... Close off the light and they will find the ENTRANCE easier.
Yes, the cone wire is what hides the entrance. A solid funnel will not work.
3...If you are using screen, rather than 1/8 hardware cloth, it will collapse and close off the exit.
4... When the queen leaves, they will clog the exit for a few minutes, but all will be out within a half hour.
i do not cover mine at all like your drawing shows (tar paper). It is all open, made with screen mesh and, as mentionned by previous answer, funneled upward slightly. But i think downward would work as well, maybe dead bees would roll out with traffic exiting. It is stiff enough that it does not collapse. i staple it all around base if siding is wood so no bee crawl back inside below the base of the cone. Problem is when the house is brick. Got a solution for fixing cone to wall.
One brick I did was 3 feet off the ground. I put a liberal amount of silicone on the back of my backboard and propped it up against the brick wall with a forked stick braced against the ground.
All the other brick I have done was going in at the top of the brick under the wood or vinyl facial board. Then I did them like this.
(http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/Iddee/TRAP%20OUTS/103_0081.jpg)