First Cut Out, colony relo

[NJClydeDriver]

I started my first 3 hives this spring and after watching JP on his cutouts and swarm catches over the last year and a half, I got the stones to tackle a cut out, but not really "cut out".  Our church is being painted and we have hollow columns in our bell tower, 50ft+ up, that house a big colony.  They have been there for years and I have seen them swarm also.  The 200 year old church is being painted and we had to get the bees out because the painters couldn't get their work done in that area.  People wanted to just "bomb" them with insecticide and kill them, and I couldn't let that happen.  I would have done a trap out but we didn't get enough time.  So armed with a smoker, suits and gloves, we went to work. I was not as brave as JP and Schawee doing it without the protection. 
Took an hour but we sealed the entrance, lowered the 6ft column to the back of my truck and moved it to the bee yard about midnight last night.  We drilled a hole in the top and a few came out but not many at all.  I drilled a second in the bottom and they rushed out.  The girls looked like they were in good shape.  The second hole in it was more for ventilation because the hive was sealed up for a few hours during the removal and at the time after drilling the first hole, I worried that I cooked them.  I couldn't cut any more into the post because they want it preserved and reinstalled, bee free, in the spring. 
Few questions:  They originally entered the bottom of the hollow column so will they rearrange the hive since I seal the bottom and let them use the top hole as an entrance, or should I use a top and a bottom for now.  I don't want them to get robbed since we are at that time of the season and I want them to have enough to survive winter (and I cant look inside to see if they do need anything) so I can trap them out in the spring.  I worried that guarding 2 entrances, although small, would be too much.  I have 2 other hives within 6-7 feet of the new addition.  Since I can't feed them like a traditional hive (zip locks, dry sugar, frame feeder) how far away should I put an open feed station?  Should I use a 3:2 mixture for this time of year?  Is there any good way to open feed that doesn't set off a may lay?
Again, got to send a big "Thanks" to JP for his very informative and detailed videos that he takes the time to do while working.  I would not have attempted this without seeing him make it look so easy.  JP- you da man, hope you are feeling better and get back to doing more documentation of your adventures, (and Eagle Eye, you do pretty well too).
I will get pictures to have the mod post up soon.   

[JP]

Glad to be of help.

If you haven't placed the column upright again I would suggest you do so. Any new comb may have collapsed and created a mess. Let's hope the comb is old and rigid to have survived the move.

If its not too bad in there they could still clean up any spilled honey and return the strength of the hive but if its very sticky inside from lots of honey spillage they may want to abscond.

Find out soon and act accordingly.

Best of luck!


...JP 

[NJClydeDriver]

Thanks for the reply JP.  I cant see inside unfortunately but the activity going in and out looks like a positive sign.  I would have cut the post in half to get the colony out if I could but they want the post back after winter without the bees and in tact. 

I will study iddee and see how I can trap them out.  I know that they have thrown a swarm every year so my hope it to wait for spring, set out a few swarm traps and try and get that queen with her good survivor genetics.  After that I can do a reap out and get the remaining bees and go from there.

I will do some open feeding away from the bee yard and see if that might help. 

Thanks again JP

John