Capturing a swarm

[Kathy]

I'd like to capture a swarm that is lodged in a hollow silver maple. Problem: the owners do not want to cut it down. Any ideas? Thanks!

[Robert Brenchley]

How big's the hollow? I tried to get a colony out of a tree not too long ago, I could see them clustering just behind a pillar of rotten wood, and it looked as though there was a fairly small hollow with an accessible broodnest. I got the pillar out with a crowbar, drove the bees mad, got well stung, and found nothing but some old abandoned comb, with the bees well up inside the trunk, out of reach. It was a pity, I didn't even get a bit of broodcomb I might have been able to raise queens from. Unless you're sure, it's probably better to leave it.

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Regards,

Robert Brenchley

RSBrenchley@aol.com
Birmingham UK

[Kathy]

Thanks. I've already been well-stung (my own fault), so I'm not daunted by the possibility. I am interested by the possibility that it could be a queenless colony. Maybe I'll try luring them out with pheromone into a hive. I'm not sure how big the hole is - I've only had the situation described to me.