Trap out from behind a brick wall - advice appreciated

OzBuzz · December 28, 2011, 06:58:35 PM

Hey guys and girls, greetings from the land downunder! I need some advice if that's ok. I've got a homeowner who has insisted on a trap out rather than extermination... The bees are behind a brick wall in their house with an entrance. We've covered over the entrance and put 100mm (4inch) storm water pipe out over their balcony to give them an alternative entrance away from their door. My plan was to use 2X 8 frame boxes, base and kid, and a clearer board. I was going to 'plumb' the 100mm storm water pipe in to the top empty super and put frames and some brood in the bottom box under the clearer board. Is that likely to work?

iddee · December 28, 2011, 08:35:52 PM

NO. You will get nothing in the bottom box, but a heck of a mess of wild comb in the top box.

OzBuzz · January 02, 2012, 07:47:38 AM

Thanks Iddee... A cone made out of flyscreen on the end of the 100mm storm water pipe would be ok? Rest the end of the cone above the landing board with a frame of brood almost directly beside the end of the cone exit... Should all the other comb in the box be drawn? I've got a few drawn out bits and pieces I'm going to put in there along with some foundation...

iddee · January 02, 2012, 08:41:29 AM

I think you need to read this.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,20301.0.html

The more drawn comb, the better, if you don't have SHB, but a small piece of comb with eggs is all that is necessary.

The exit on the cone and the entrance on the trap box are NOT related. The entrance to the original colony and the trap hive entrance are related.

OzBuzz · January 02, 2012, 03:01:09 PM

Thanks Iddee, that topic gives me all the info I need... But - what if it's not feasible to have the hive right next to the old entrance? The new entrance was set up with that 100mm pipe a few weeks ago and the majority of bees have re-oriented to that...

iddee · January 02, 2012, 03:38:50 PM

The entrance the bees use is where the box should be. You trap them when they return from the field, not when they exit. Where ever they return to is where the trap box is set.

OzBuzz · January 09, 2012, 08:11:03 AM

Thanks Iddee,

Out of interest, what sort of diameter should i make the exit on the cone? Also, does it matter if some of the foundation is undrawn? atleast four of the frames will be old comb with one of those being brood. Also, is it optimal to use fresh eggs or capped brood?

Johnny253 · January 09, 2012, 08:26:46 AM

Iddee's video in the above link should give you all the answers. I've watched it several times. What a great video!

As far as I know, the hole needs to be big enough for two drones to fit though.

I don't think it matters what the foundation is like as long as there are some fresh eggs included because the bees will need to make a new queen. Apparently it is very rare to catch the queen in a trap out.

I'm looking forward to doing a trap out this weekend from a colony under a concrete floor.

OzBuzz · January 11, 2012, 04:41:34 PM

So I setup the trap out today as iddee describes in his video
And using a frame of eggs... Almost straight away bees that were exiting the cone started showing an interest in the hive... I couldn't get the end of the cone as tight as I would have liked but there's no way bees can get back up it. I'm going to have to put another frame of eggs in soon as its been quite cold this last few days and I don't know that the population in there would have been sufficient yet to keep the eggs alive... I'll post some pics when I have access to a pc

yockey5 · January 11, 2012, 06:30:17 PM

No pic.

Tommyt · January 11, 2012, 08:08:02 PM

Quote from: yockey5 on January 11, 2012, 06:30:17 PM
No pic.

Or Video :-D

Good luck with the trap-out

Tommyt

asprince · January 11, 2012, 08:57:04 PM

I have preformed several trap outs using iddee's methods. Follow his instructions and you will be successful.

Good Luck,

Steve

OzBuzz · January 12, 2012, 04:59:24 AM

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

It's a bit rough but it will hopefully do the trick

OzBuzz · January 13, 2012, 11:21:58 PM

It's working! I had to go around this morning to silicone up some alternative entrances that the bees had made to the old hive... whilst there I opened the box and there's about four frames full of bees. They're raising the frame of eggs that I put in there on Thursday but I didn't see any Queen Cells... i'm guessing it's possible that the low temperatures and low bee population initially would have caused the majority of eggs to die off. So i'm going to introduce another frame of eggs this week and hopefully they will raise some queens. How many days can it take for a queen cell to be visible? thanks for all of your help and advice!

Tommyt · January 14, 2012, 10:31:19 AM

The Q cell should show up in a day of you giving them the ~~Larva~~ Eggs Opps :?
Maybe not completed but in the makes
they have too feed it correctly or it won't bee a queen
Hence house it asap to fit the Q larva

Good Luck
Tommyt

ShaneJ · January 14, 2012, 07:36:50 PM

You have to make sure you put in eggs, not lava.

OzBuzz · January 15, 2012, 09:03:03 AM

I was using eggs - although there was an occasional larvae - but the day after introduction it was only 12oC (unseasonably cold weather) and I don't think there will have been enough bees in there to keep them warm to survive let alone start turning them in to queen cells... It's supposed to be in the 30oC this week so I'll introduce another frame of eggs - has anyone ever used a bought queen in a cage?

Jim134 · January 15, 2012, 09:42:48 AM

Quote from: OzBuzz on January 15, 2012, 09:03:03 AM
has anyone ever used a bought queen in a cage?

Yes I have

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

AllenF · January 15, 2012, 09:56:57 AM

I used a 2 frame nuc with a laying queen once thrown into a 10 frame box for a trapout once. Trapped the hive out and caught the cotton bloom flow. Filled all 10 frames in 6 weeks.

OzBuzz · January 29, 2012, 08:16:09 PM

So i removed the first box of bees from the trapout yesterday and it seems to be working really well so far - they hadn't raised a queen from the eggs that i had put in there so i will have to fix that...

I put a second box there but in this one i put a queen cell that i'd removed from another hive in there along with the frame of eggs just as a back up...