Wanting to get the queen from a trap out. HOW?

[FlowerPlanter]

Gypsi
If you can work it out with the home owner, you could have a gold mine there, and get a bunch of new starts from this hive. This will also ensure the bees use up all the honey in the old comb, preventing any other pests like ants and cockroaches.
A frame of brood from a friend every few weeks and in return give them some starts.

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

I really thought someone would pick up on my comments about BeeGo. cchoganjr

[beyondthesidewalks]

It is in the works.

That is really good news. You are a wealth of knowledge and I know several of us await that video. I have a few opportunities to use the swarm harvester and need to send you an email so that I can get your detailed instructions. I for one think that there should be a sticky on this forum where you can post the instructions. Barry, are you listening?

[Gypsi]

Gypsi
If you can work it out with the home owner, you could have a gold mine there, and get a bunch of new starts from this hive. This will also ensure the bees use up all the honey in the old comb, preventing any other pests like ants and cockroaches.

I'm hoping so - maybe not all from one homeowner, but think how many sevin dust kills this could prevent. Getting the queen on a trapout is unknown in my bee club locally. Unless the hive can be cutout quickly, apparently it is a dead loss, and whether an exterminator or a beekeeper, the bees are killed?

I still want to know who killed all the bees in my neighborhood in 2010. Probably I already have met them, maybe I don't want to know.
I'm thinking about a magnetic sign that says "bee rescue" for my truck, if this works. I'm finishing building tonight, going to test mount the swarm catcher 8 ft up on the inside of my garage wall to test balance, support, etc. Will take pictures of the equipment and post them.

Gypsi

[Gypsi]

I guess I offended half off the people who do removals, I do apologize, I tried to edit the post from my cell phone, blew the browser, and now it's too late to edit.. It was not my intent to be mean and sarcastic. Rather to be honest.
Bees most serious disease issue in my part of Texas (DFW) appears to be humanity, particularly humans with Sevin dust. I just don't see the disease and varroa issue creating half the challenge that suburban civilization with pesticide use is doing.

I had regular work today, about 12 hours of it. I have not figured out how to attach this modified deep swarm harvest 8 feet above the ground, and 8 feet below the eaves of the house, and have it not vulnerable to wind, and not creating a hazard to humans below. A box of bees on the head would not be a good thing. But it is my sincere intent to figure out how. I got in this to do better removals, and to have bees to pollinate my garden, and other gardens. Honey would be nice, income from bee removals, splits, nucs, would be nice. But my first thing is to keep a few bees alive around here. I think the Swarm Harvester idea is a very good one, if I can adapt it to houses. Because there just aren't that many bee trees in the city.

swarm_harvester_attempt.jpg

Gypsi

[BeeGhost]

Gypsi,

Get three 2x4's that are 8' long. Two will be for the "back legs" and the third is to make a platform to rest the trap out hive on. If is wood siding, drill a couple holes in the 2x4 and screw the platform to the house. Make sure you have attached the 2x4 legs to the front of the platform first, just makes things easier! If the house is stucco/brick, use a masonary bit and drill a couple holes then insert the expandable plastic inserts in the hole, like the ones used for hanging pictures in sheetrock. After your done with the trap out, remove everything and use a putty to seal the holes.

Hope this helps!!

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

BeeGhost has the right idea. I normally use 4X4 for this type, but, 2 X 4 will work just as well. Nail a board or two (like steps on a ladder), so the 2 X 4's will be more stable. Use a sturdy ladder to work the box or around it.

cchoganjr

[Gypsi]

I think I'm going to expand on BeeGhost's idea. I have a 6 ft tall tower shelf in my garage, built for a closet 10 years ago, overbuilt, 2x4's and 3/4 inch thick removable shelves. If I need something for varying heights at varying times, and sway proof to boot, I add the extra 2 ft of height at the bottom with both vertical and angled out boards that widen the foot print at ground level. Bolts with butterfly nuts.

I want stable, sturdy, storeable, and re-usable easily. Because I have a funny feeling this may be a common situation. when not in use, gold up the lower legs, stack the saw blade sharpener, insulation and junk back on it in the garage.

I can also use ground anchored ties (when we get wind here it is serious wind,) and a couple of drilled in bolts to the house, either into masonry, or into solid framing through the siding. Got customer's permission to drill the bees a new entrance, so I can mount to all siding, I'll caulk the edge they've been using and drill the hole on Monday when it's colder. I also have figured out how to improve on the napkin situation to block the interior access. Home Depot sells this wonderful foam tube to stuff in window frames in different diameters. I use 3/8 on my aluminum windows, removable caulk but not sticky, just foam. I think 5/8 would totally block the bees access to the house, since the LIGHT is what is drawing them. Only 2 bees got in since my last visit, a huge improvement. Afterward, can leave the stuff in place or remove, either way. Maybe $5. Thanks for all your help. Eating dinner, and testing my support stuff. I'll be out on my day job for about 14 hours tomorrow.

Gypsi

[ktmwoodsrider]

Gypsi,
There's a couple pics of a simple hive trapout stand, on my website http://www.crrpainting.com/crronpainting/bee-removal-2/
for reference.
Rick

[Gypsi]

Wow Rick, that's a tall one. I've got my 6 ft, well braced closet shelving unit painted (for weather proofing - it's 10 years old but never been rained on. Building the lower 2 ft, adjustable section tonight if I can stay awake, and then I think I'm ready to set it up early tomorrow morning. I had some truck issues that interfered with today's schedule greatly. (and almost stranded me Saturday evening coming home from "work" 50 miles away after dark, not fun.) L brackets with screws going into the mortar holding that at the top? Yes.

Gypsi

[ktmwoodsrider]

L brackets with screws going into the mortar holding that at the top? Yes.

Gypsi

Actually, I just used some plumbing strap that comes in a roll.. attached with masonry nails. same thing on the slab on the bottom. Has to stay up for quite awhile, and didn't want any kids knocking it over.

[Gypsi]

I've got pipe strap. and that is an excellent idea. With no fence to keep people away from mine, while the homeowners won't mess with it, I don't know if there are unsupervised children on this street. Kids do find trouble. I've got to get the liability waiver signed as well. Before I put anything up. In the morning.

Gypsi

[Gypsi]

The trap is set. I drilled a 3/4 inch opening into the center of the trap entrance, and I caulked up the areas where the bees had been coming out around the left corner of the siding with pure silicone caulk. L brackets on the very solid tower, L brackets on the trap mount, screwed into 2x4 behind the siding, I'm comfortable that it's not coming down. Homeowner would NOT have been comfortable with us drilling into her already crumbly mortar and brick. beetrap_towersm.jpg It's all good. She knows where the bees are supposed to come out, and now, we wait. When we see them using the hive, I need to get open brood?

Gypsi

[ktmwoodsrider]

You need to put a couple frames of brood in there now. So they have a reason to go in, and stay.

[ktmwoodsrider]

Also, I don't know how you have that hive setup (maybe some kind of entrance in the rear?) But you ultimately want a funnel/cone facing slightly up or down , with the entrance to the bait hive at the same level, and right next to their current entrance.

[Gypsi]

Those bees aren't going to be going anywhere for a couple of days, it's cold out. So I have a bit of time before I buy a nuc to steal its brood (no, I'm not kidding - I have zero bees until my ordered nucs come in April). On the setup, the larger wooden tube (about 4.5 inches square) wrapped in black plastic is bolted to the house. an inner tube, roughly 2.75 inches square, slips into it, and into the back of the bait hive. Standard solid bottom board with bottom entrance is screwed to the hive, facing away from the house, so they exit the tube into the hive, and exit the hive to the outside world. (Dadant missed my staples on my order). And for an eventual funnel, before I solidly mounted the inner tube, I stapled windowscreening around it. Right now, it's wide open. A twist tie will turn it into a funnel when I'm ready, after the queen is in the bait hive.
beetrap_inside.jpgbeetrap_entrancemount.jpg

I put in 5 frames on the side away from the entrance. 2 covered with comb (sprayed with BT), 3 empty, that I can swap out for brood when I get it. No LGO - don't want to attract a new swarm to the box. and I did my best to seal their other exits, inside the house and out. So now, before I get comb, I wait to see if they will come out the 3/4 inch diameter hole we drilled in the siding, at the center of the dual tubes. We'll see.

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

Gypsi...Yes you need drawn comb now or else you will have to wait until the bees run out of space in the feral area for them to move out into the trap and go to work. Without drawn comb, the guard bees will move out to the new entrance, some cleaners/housekeepers will move out to clean the trap, and that is perhaps all unless you have the funnel in place. Even then, the field bees will have no place to deposit pollen/nectar until cells are drawn. Wax drawers will not come out until they need aditional comb.

ktmwoodsrider..... I believe he is using the Hogan Swarm Trap Method and the trap has become an integral part of the colony. Connected to the feral colony in the rear. The bees do not leave the source except through the trap. Can only get back in, through the trap. Once he introduces unsealed brood, he will get nurse bees, housekeepers, fanners, drones, everything he needs for starts, and if the rear entrance is not too far from the feral brood nest, the queen will come into the trap to investigate how eggs got into her hive. At that point she will start laying in the trap and can be moved with the bees in the trap. cchoganjr

[Gypsi]

I gave them 2 very full frames of drawn comb - deep frames. The 3 empty frames are pretty much spacers til I get brood. and until they come out and find the box, and it warms up, the brood would die of cold. How is my timing?

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

Looking Good. First warm day that bees are flying, check to see if they are exiting and entering the trap from the front.. Guard bees should have moved out there. This will also tell you if you have all the entrances/exits sealed. Would really appreciate it if you will keep us informed.

cchoganjr

[Gypsi]

I will absolutely keep you informed Cleo - but weather for bees may not break until Monday. In the meantime I'm contacting bee club members looking for brood, and we meet Monday night. So Hopefully, warm weather, bees exiting through the Hogan Trap, will coincide with my finding brood...

Thank you for all your help,
Gypsi