I am going to start my first trapout and I have an extra queen should I put queen in queen cage and frame eggs brood or would that be wasting a queen thanks in advance for help
I've yet to do a trap out, but I believe iddee has said in the past to just bait the trapout hive with open brood. As the trapped out bees give up trying to get back into the cone, they are attracted to the open brood in your trap hive and move into it to support the brood. At least that's what I remember. Hopefully somebody who's done it will chime in.
I'd get the queen set up and accepted in a hive before using it as a bait hive. I've done them with a small hive, mostly a small swarm I've caught that needs a boost. I've also done them with a frame of eggs. I think they both work equally well. It's more of a question of what you have available than what works better.
If I were you I'd get the queen setup in a nuc and laying. Once I see eggs I'd put her in a hive and set it in place for the trapout. Then I'd put my cone on the trapped out hive.
I agree, get the queen situated first and laying, then move to your trap out site.
I have started a trap out with a very ripe queen cell and a frame of brood and it worked out great. The queen cell was from one hive and the frame of brood from another. "Pinned" the QC on the frame of brood with a small frame nail.
started trapout 1 day ago with brood and eggs did not put queen in today maybe 500 to 1000 bees in box is this normal when i started trapout there were hundreds of bees in air all the time coming back . i believe very big colony in wall 4x8 section of wall full bees comb but cant do cutout i thought there would be more in box than that . just wondering
If we knew where you were, we might could help. Howe about putting your location in your profile.
northeast wisconsin i will have kid edit profile it would take me we dont have that much time for me to edit
On a warm, sunny day, you could expect more than that, but if it was below 60 today, there were likely few foragers out. I would wait 3 to 5 days and check the brood frame for queen cells. If none are found, place another frame ""WITH EGGS"" in there. They may have chilled the first night if there were not enough bees to keep them warm.
Check and double check for an alternative entrance.
checked trap box today temps around 60 degrees quite a few foragers and guessing 5000 bees in box all going right in box not trying to get back in wall legs full of pollen looks to be working well. i did second trapout same way same time in cedar tree but i think eggs brood got to cold so i opened tree up and will try again when i have some brood eggs out of my hives and its warmer out. how do you know if you need to change trapbox with empty. thanks in advance
I use 10 frame box and change when there are 7 frames of bees. If there are numerous queen cells, I put 2 or 3 in the new box.
how many days do i give them to start queen cell today is five nothing yet but lots of dead bees dont know why
Something isn't right. You should have nearly capped queen cells on day 5. Install another frame with eggs. The first one may have chilled. After 6 days, you should have capped queen cells.
any ideas as to all the dad bees it was doing great and then hundreds of dead bees?
dead bees not dad bees
today almost all bees are dead any ideas bees in my hives are doing great so i dont think it is the cold nights killing the bees
Almost has to be they are getting into some insecticide.
my hives are only 300 yards away and thriving hope they stay that way
Could they be weak and getting robbed out?
It could be our recent cold nights. We've been in the mid 20s here a few nights and I've noticed the bees have hauled out some dead even from my super insulated foam hives. Probably only 5 to 15 dead bees, but still that doesn't normally happen in my super insulated hives. Cold seems to kill some bees. Probably even colder in WI. The trapout hive probably did not have a ton of bees in it at this point (even before the cold temps). Makes it harder to keep warm and alive.
It could be robbing too. You should be able to detect that by looking at the comb in the trapout and checking it's stores. Comb ripped up and no stores = robbed out = dead house bees.
could be cold i dont think robbing as they died all in two days nights but my hives at home 300 yards away are doing great but have more bees . maybe pesticides as idee said will have to keep close eye on things
Maybe a can of raid from the home owner or their neighbor.
Iddee I am going to try second round at trapout now that I have my own eggs brood same bees in wall first trapout was going great and then all bees in box were dead. I have 4 hives with 3 pound packages and doing great but there is more bees going in 1 1/2 inch hole in wall than my 4 hives combined does this mean more bees or just more foragers any other tips for trapout. thanks much
I wish you luck. Hopefully, they won't be poisoned this time. Keep us posted.
is there this many bees in wall or just foragers
Iddee anybody can you tell me how soon I should check trapout hivebox to see if it needs to be changed out there is more activity going in and out than my package hives and I just started trapout 26 hours ago. Would it fill that quick still 5 to 10 bees a minute coming out end of cone. HELP!!!!! ADVICE PLEASE THANKS
I always check them after the first day.Almost all of the foragers from the colony get trapped that first day. Day by day that # dwindles.
Scott
Every trap is different, so the time varies too much to make a guess. BUT, you can lift the lid and look 3 times a day if needed. When there are 7 or more frames covered with bees when I look down from the top in a 10 frame box, I change it out. I do not start a trap with a nuc. If I did, I would probably remove it when 4 frames are covered.
i checked at 27 hours and 5 to 6 frames full still lots of bees coming out of cone . 30 to 50 outside entrance fanning first time I ever saw this it was great . I put stick from base of trapout to hive and instantly bees used it as bridge to hive I will probably have to change hive tomorrow how does this work screen off entrance and when do I move and can I open up hive right away only moving 300 yards . Still lots of bees coming out 5 to 10 a minute hour before dark so maybe lots more I hope. thanks can you tell Im new at this
I would move it a few miles away for a week, then bring it home. Change it early morning with eggs in the new box, or at night and place eggs in the new box the next morning. You want a full day for enough bees to come out to keep the brood warm the first night.
thanks iddee can i let them out right away when i move few miles and can i move before queencell is started and how soon should queencell be started whats the normal and most you got out of one trapout
You can safely move it for the first 5 days, That is before the queen cell caps. Release them when they are on location. Queen cells should be capped on the 6th day after setting trap. I have gotten as little as 2 frames of bees, and as many as 4 hives and a nuc.
so far trapout looks like it is a success a few crabby bees but not to bad real nice queen cell and all looks well i hope it stays that way second hive in place and catching bees thanks everybody
Good to hear. Keep us updated.
12 hours with new box in place guessing 2 pounds of bees and still coming out of cone about 5 a minute I think there is a lot more in wall than I guessed that is good but now I have to get more hives thanks a will keep you posted
I have 2 hives full that I move from trapout and put another empty there but now Im running a little low on brood and eggs I dont want to weaken my hives so could I put a caged queen in box with some drawn comb they are already going in with pollen.so I think they would stay with a queen any thoughts if that dont work I will get frame from one of my stronger hives but would rather not weaken them if this would be a way to go would queen start laying faster than them making a queen thanks
It will work. Leave the queen caged for 3 or 4 days. If the hive doesn't have to be totally moved, you can also back off and let them regroup. Trap another 2 or 3 boxes later.
Im doing my second trapout I started with caged queen and bees went right in and right back in even after I had to put it back together after bear problems. my question is I have a small swarm maybe 1000 bees and queen that was given to me can I use this as a trapout hive when I take full box away and switch with small swarm I have in hive or will they fight . I think it would really boost that hive . thanks much
I used a 1 frame and queen nuc on a trap. Took away a 5 frame nuc with queen a few days later. It worked perfectly.
thanks Iddee I just thought it would be a good way to boost that hive and save some brood eggs and not weaken another hive Ill keep you up to date thanks again
went to check trapout this morning and bear wasnt back and radio was still playing but the cone was full of bees I looked and end of cone was plugged with 2 or 3 dead bees tapped with stick dead bees fell out and live bees filed out I think bear may have killed a few extra bees . bees are all over queen cage and bringing in lots of pollen .hopefully bear stays away.