unexpected twist with a trapout

rober · June 20, 2013, 10:54:26 PM

i have 2 hogan style trap-outs in progress. both are in brick bldgs & are in the flat roof vents. one is not doing much. the hive itself seems to be dwindling. it is a single story & the owner has a ladder i can use so i've checked it on a regular basis. the other hive is going strong but i've not been able to check it because my truck has been down & this one requires a 32' ladder. finally got to check it & the girls turned it into a super. there are 6 deep frames full of capped honey. i wasn't expecting to find that. a nice bonus but it is not furthering the removal process.

Joe D · June 20, 2013, 11:46:32 PM

If it took a 32 ft ladder to get to them, they would just have to stay. Good going though

Joe

JPinMO · June 21, 2013, 02:20:46 AM

Rober, do you have a funnel on them?

rober · June 21, 2013, 10:36:35 AM

the hogan trap does not use a funnel. here's a link:
http://honeysunapiary.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/hogan-bee-trap-pg1.pdf
the next move is to block off the tunnel. there is one of those red plastic bee escapes installed on the tunnel.

JPinMO · June 22, 2013, 01:00:25 AM

Quote from: rober on June 21, 2013, 10:36:35 AM
the next move is to block off the tunnel. there is one of those red plastic bee escapes installed on the tunnel.

Ah-HA! I've read those pages, rober, but somehow I missed the fact that there was an escape. Thanks for clearing it up for me!

Hubby & I actually missed out on hearing Cleo speak at the Beek Assoc of the Ozarks (Springfield MO) in April because we went to the breakout session for new-bees. Wouldn't you know it, a week or so later we got a "bee tree" call. UGH!!! So we've been winging it based on those Hogan trap-out instructions and Idee's video.

Have you baited your trap with a frame of eggs?

rober · June 22, 2013, 12:21:07 PM

the easy access trap-out did get a frame with eggs. so far not much help. i think this hive is waning.
i've not given this trap-out eggs yet. in the morning i'm going to change the frames out out & i'll give them a frame with eggs then

rober · June 24, 2013, 07:16:59 PM

pulled some of the frames & replaced them with some empty drawn comb & one frame of open brood & added the bee escape. there were some bees bearding on the box BUT the odd thing is that 90% of the bees on the honey frames in the trap were drones. i've never seen so many drones in a hive.

MTWIBadger · June 24, 2013, 10:15:35 PM

Rober
How long is your tunnel from entrance to super and does light penetrate through the material?

rober · June 25, 2013, 01:27:06 PM

the tunnel is 4" long & light cannot come thru. the box has a standard hive type entrance. there are 5 frames & a 4" space on the side for the tunnel. my tunnel is a side entrance nor rear like hogan's.