Free Bees? is it easy/difficult to get a hive from a tree?

CaribBeeman · February 21, 2016, 03:52:17 PM

This forum is a great source of information. forgive me for not searching hard enough for the answer to this question, as I am sure it must have been answered before.

There is a hive in a mango tree. The farmer whose land its on is not bothered whether it stays there or not. but I dont think he would be happy if I cut a big hole in his tree. I am hoping that there is a possibility of getting bees from it.
I have basic equipment, a smoker, suit, veil, frames and homemade boxes.
I cant spend a lot of money right now.
Any suggestions as to what I can do?
what should I be looking for?

thanks

iddee · February 21, 2016, 04:43:45 PM

http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=20301.0

CaribBeeman · February 21, 2016, 06:09:54 PM

Oh thank you. A lot of interesting information. So much to learn.
TRAP OUT.
I have'nt read all yet, but at least I have learnt that term Trap Out.

BeeMaster2 · February 21, 2016, 08:42:24 PM

Also you can set up a swarm trap near it in the spring. This way you get the queen and the feral genetics. You do not get genetics with a trap out.
Good luck
Jim

CaribBeeman · February 22, 2016, 01:23:14 AM

mr IDDEE, thank you very much.
thanks for the link
and thanks for spending the time to present all that information. It was an interesting read and I hope I will soon be able to put it to use.

I dont have a hive of my own as yet but I am helping two persons with new hives. one is a year old and the other is a nuc that we got a month ago. I hope I will be able to convince the one with the older hive to let me have a frame of brood and eggs. If I am successful in getting some bees I want to just add them to the other guys hive in an attempt to make it stronger going into the honey season.

iddee · February 22, 2016, 12:10:33 PM

Why add them? Just use his nuc for the catch box and remove in a week. It will be full of bees and you can do the same again next year.

BeeMaster2 · February 22, 2016, 01:12:54 PM

That is a good idea but this far south. In a weeks time, I have seen small hive beetles destroy a hive and the inside walls of a home due to a trap out. In just a few days your nuc will bee so full you will need to place it in a 10 frame hive. If you pull it after a few days, you will bee able to fill your nuc and save the old hive.
Jim

iddee · February 22, 2016, 05:14:30 PM

True, but hopefully, he read about the SHB in trapouts and will adjust according to his area.

CaribBeeman · February 22, 2016, 06:53:50 PM

Thanks for the input.
I will have to read up on SHB.
SHB=small hive beetle. At least I know that much.

I am not so sure the others will want to put the nuc on the trap out. they are kind of cautious.
I have been trying to get them to agree to split the bigger hive to reduce the chances of swarming but they prefer be safe and let nature play its course.
Getting them to 'sacrifice' the one frame for the trapout was a major victory.

Kathyp · February 22, 2016, 09:45:29 PM

If he's not bothered by the hive in the tree, I would just set up to pick up the swarms. That way you keep the original hive where it is and you get the swarms...hopefully every year!

also, put your swarm trap near any big hives they don't want to split. you can take their swarms. Nature takes it's course and you get new hives.

chux · February 23, 2016, 11:22:15 AM

iddee's trapout instructions are wonderful. It works.

I really like that suggestion of allowing the parent colony to stay in the tree. Put the swarm traps out. Year after year, you could gain bees that way. And, put that Nuc up there for a few days with the brood frame, to get a small colony started. If you only left the trapout up for a couple of days, I'll bet you could do that once in the earlier part of the spring, and once during the latter part of spring without killing the colony. Get two NUCS going. Just a thought.

capt44 · February 23, 2016, 12:14:49 PM

If you pay attention to what iddee has to say in the video and it will work.
Don't try and cut corners.
I've done over 60 trap outs now with about a 95% success rate.

Acebird · February 23, 2016, 05:34:14 PM

I think the hogan trap out is the only sure way to get the queen but it is a two step process. You have to be able to identify the queen. First you connect the trap to the entrance of the parent hive and install brood in the trap. The queen goes in the box because she is not related to the brood and goes looking for a fight (another queen). She may even lay in the trap box if there is comb and enough population to cover her brood. When you know you have the queen in there you can detach the box and do your cone thing. Take as many as bees as you want then move it away. The parent hive will make a new queen and your trapped colony also has the same genetics. This is kind of a walk away split where you can't support the parent hive. The parent colony is not going to make it if you take all the bees in the first trap.