Just to update on my first time trapout.
1st set up my entrance hole wasn't close enough to the base of the trap, meaning nothing happened. Lost frame of eggs.
2nd set up I made a top and drilled a hole in the top and butted it right up against trapout cone. Got Bees Bees and more Bees in a 5 frame nuc. Had to change out the 5 frame to a 10 frame got to full. They made 4 queen cells and I waited for the hatch. Gave her 2 1/2 weeks checked an still no sign of her or any eggs. Purchased a queen now eggs eggs an more eggs.
My question now is: Its been so hot the Bees beard every night when I want to close off the opening and bring them home, do I need to just leave them until it cools off more of how do I get all my bees home.
OOO and another quick question I have 3 hives at home and I've noticed several different time that those big japaness hornets come by the hives a swoop off with a bee :'(, is this just normal of what can I do to protect my lil girls.
thanks
Brent
Most hornets and wasps are carnivorous.
And I a hope you do not have there hornets
Hornets From Hell
Japanese Giant Hornet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_giant_hornet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_giant_hornet)
http://youtu.be/2P7Q1ncgcoY (http://youtu.be/2P7Q1ncgcoY)
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Brent, you will need to aggressively smoke the bees to get them in. Give them two or three good hits from your smoker and they should start going in. Give them some time to go in. If they are being stubborn give them some more smoke until they start going in.
If you smoke them and they start running down the sides of your hive box, that is a sign you were too aggressive with the smoke and did not allow them sufficient time to move into the hive on their own. At this point step back and allow them to regroup, then start the process again.
It may take longer than you want to spend but eventually they will all go in.
...JP
I would remove it during the day and put up another box. Let the stragglers go to it. If the trap isn't 7 weeks old, there's still more bees in the house or tree.
Two other options. Check on it early in the morning, as in before daybreak, the temps will as cool as they are going to get and they may all be inside. Brushy sells a florida moving screen, a moving screen with holes like a screen trap out cone. Install it during the day and it functions like a trap out in reverse, come back and pick it up at dark.
Its over 7 weeks, I've already took down the trap and there no traffic in or out of the OLD hive
Smoke them as JP says. It may take 10 or 15 minutes, but it will work.
I've had hives I needed to move that night that were very stubborn. This mostly happens when its very hot out. Have had some that took up to 45 minutes to get them all in.
Here's another option for you. If they seem very stubborn it could be because the box is either over crowded or there is a lot of internal heat in the set up. Try adding another super and see if that makes a difference.
...JP