View Full Version : How to get a hive out of a tree
the.hines
04-13-2009, 10:24 PM
A lady has a hive in a tree in her back yard. wants them gone, doesn't want to chop the tree down. The bees seems to be going in at eye level. I am not sure where the hive is in the tree. Any ideas on how to get them out? I have been thinking of a Bee Vac. I thought maybe try some of that chemical that runs them out of the honey supers?
What do you think???
standman
04-14-2009, 01:01 AM
Unless things are different than I picture, I don't think the vac will work very well. If there are two holes, Beego might work. But is sounds to me like a classic opportunity for a trap out.
the.hines
04-14-2009, 07:42 AM
What do you mean by a trap out? I am building a swam trap and thought about trying to put it out there with some honey comb and lure?
Here is a link to a trap out in progress with pictures.
You use a wire cone for the bees to come out of but they cannot get back in as they will go to the base of the cone. A hive with a frame of eggs is set next to the cone and since the bees cannot get back into the tree or house they go into the hive and hopefully start queen cells with the eggs.
(http://www.beekeepingforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=294)
sqkcrk
04-14-2009, 11:44 AM
Why did she put a hive up in her tree? Or do you mean a colony? A colony of bees occupy a hive or in this case they live in a tree. Understanding of terms makes a difference.
Just thought you aught to know.
the.hines
04-14-2009, 09:08 PM
Well thank you for the correction. Yes it would be a colony of bees in a tree.
The trap out... Does it get them out or just make a split of the colony? Isn't the queen going to keep laying eggs?
It removes all the bees from the tree.
As bees mature they keep coming out to forage but again they cannot reenter the tree. The queen will eventually slow laying of eggs because of less and less bees to take care of the brood.
The way I understand it:
Once enough bees come out the queen and the few hundred bees that are left will leave the tree and again once out they cannot reenter. This may take several weeks. The queen may or may not enter the hive body setting next to the cone.
Once all the bees have left the tree the cone may be removed and the bees in the hive outside the tree will rob the honey out of the tree.
I am helping and learning on a trap out in progress.
If someone would like to make this more clear please jump in, also if you do a search on trap outs you will find more info.
Ski
Once you start trapping out all the foragers, then the bees inside have no water. Remember they need water to thin the honey in order to eat it. They also use water to make bee bread and feed it to the larvae. Nurse bees need moisture to make royal jelly too.
It doesn't take long for the queen to stop laying in there with no food or water coming in. Within a few weeks the older brood will hatch out and have nothing to do (no brood, no water etc) and as soon as they can fly they will leave too.
After 3 weeks or so the bees in the wall/tree are in pretty sad shape.
Here in FL I have so much trouble with SHB, that I won't attempt a trap out during the hot summer months. Once the bees inside become weakened, then the SHB take over and whole thing collapses in a mass of SHB maggots. It is very nasty.
the.hines
04-14-2009, 09:41 PM
Well this will be my first try at a Trap out. Do you think it is worth trying out?
Will a TBH with a brood frame and a frame of honey work ok?
the.hines
04-14-2009, 09:42 PM
it is either it works or the owner wants me to kill the bees
IT will work but you need a frame with eggs.
Batman
05-28-2010, 11:21 PM
I have a few places that could use this method, but I have a couple of questions.
Such as:
1) How long will brood live if I take them from their parent colony and transport them to the trap out location?
2) Do you just have the screen cone go to the entrance of the hive or do you try and have it come up and into the hive if you can?
3) anyone have this NOT work? If so, what happened?
Thanks,
Craig
mike haney
05-29-2010, 06:43 AM
1. depends on the weather-low to mid 90's is good for an hour or so.
2.have the screen cone go to the entrance of the hive
3.they will find every crack and crevice to get back into the hive.
good luck,mike
alexlloyd
05-29-2010, 07:53 AM
Here is a swarm harvester that by the instructions is used for trapping out bees.
https://products.kelleybees.com/wtkp...aspx?item=1277
Like it has been said, if you leave a crack, they will return to the original queen and you never get the trap out to work.
duck_nutt
05-29-2010, 10:52 AM
I think one of the keys to a trapout is having your hive body right next to the opening.....within a inch....the bees will exit thru the wire cone, but when they come back to the tree, they'll do it like they've done 100's of times before and come straight to the hive opening...once they decide they can't enter here, the smell of the frame of brood will entice them to enter your hive where they set up house again..
so if you are using a tbh, you'll have to figure a way to get it very close to the opening...