What to do next getting bees to move in my top bar?

[CULTURED REDNECK]

I cut down a tree that had a hive in it last Monday. When it fell and split open it destroyed the hive and the bees were buzzing everwhere. I set my top bar a few feet away then I hung all the comb I could gather in my top bar hive. They seemed to be interested in the comb at first but after a couple days passed, I see very little activity in there. So now I am trying to figure out what to try next. The first thing I am going to try is to move the top bar as close the bees as I can then use my old shop vac to suck as many of them out of the cavity as I can and also smoke out any of the remaining bees. After I chase all the bees out of the tree cavity I was thinking about using expanding foam to plug it up so they cant get back in there. Meanwhile I can dump all the bees into the top bar hive hopefull with the queen if she is alive. So if I think that I got the queen with the shop vac, do I lock them in the top bar with some food for a couple days?? Or should I be more patient with them?? I am new to all this so my sense of time may be warped...

[Keefis]

somehow you need to find out if the queen is still there. If you can get her, the others will likely follow.
Look in the tree hive for eggs I guess. This would show egg laying activity. If you see that then the queen is probably inside. They look like miniature grains of rice that will be bright white.
You will have to dig in the tree to find the queen. (or evidence of a potential replacement queen cell.)
You might get better advice if you post this on the trapout/cutout section. That is where the removals are discussed best. Keep us posted.

[CULTURED REDNECK]

I saw plenty of eggs and larvea in the comb hanging from the top bars. But it was beat up pretty bad from the tree falling.

And I though i posted in the correct place? I'll try again. Thanks for your help, I'll be posting more about it..

[DamSutt1986]

Your shop vac will almost certainly kill any bees that enter it without making an addon to slow the suction and screen the bees first. I used a 5 gallon bucket with an 'in' and 'out' lines, screened cage over the 'out-to-vac' line. Then drill holes in the plug on the bottom of your shop vac to reduce flow even more.

You definitely need to try to get the queen. Expanding foam is nasty stuff and you will kill a bunch of bees doing that. They won't move out of the way for it. A homeowner wanted me to fill a tree gap after I got the bees out and I had to stop, couldn't stand watching it take over them like a tidal wave.

You will somehow need to expose all of their cavity in the tree, maybe with a chain saw and then split it open. The queen will probably run to the furthest reaches of the comb in the hollow. Once you get her, the other bees should follow. If you can find her, drop her in a queen cage and stick it in your hive. Let them go to her, within 2 days almost all of them should be in there.

If you can't find the queen, but you are sure that you have enough bees to start a colony, I would lock down the TBH for a few days, until you see queen cells. Make sure you can feed.

My opinion.

[Keefis]

No, you're right ..
I obviously can't read the hard words. (the ones spelled with letters) You posted in the right spot.
If you can vac them out, go for it. You have to make some kind of box to catch the bees.
about the eggs though...you need to check now (today)for fresh eggs. This will give you an idea if any eggs have been laid in the past few days, since the telling you you're queen is still in there.
I would go through every bit of comb in the tree to try and find the queen

Some use some lemongrass oil as an attractant for the bees. You would lightly lace the new hive with it.
you could use a trapout box possibly. It is a hive that is connected to the entrance of the original tree hive. If the tree split in half, probably not.

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

I would split that tree with a chain saw. Shake every bee I could into the TBH. Then get rid of all the debris from where the tree fell. Most important to remove any and all small pieces of comb and honey. Clean it up. The remaining bees should then go into your TBH.

As long as there is honey or brood in the general area, a large number of bees will not go into the TBH, but rather, will stay with any peices of brood and honey in the hope that the queen will come back to them.

cchoganjr

[CULTURED REDNECK]

This morning I saw ants carting off the larvea i had hanging in the TBH. I moved the TBH very close to the bees and put the legs in some water and fixed that problem quick. Also the bees found the sugar water I left for them. Im about to refill the pint jar and close the top completly forcing them to use the front door in order to get to the food, passing right by the comb I have hung. I do see lots more activity around the TBH today I'm feeling more confident about it...

[CULTURED REDNECK]

Fired up the chainsaw this morning, split the log in halve and put the best chunk into the TBH then shook all the bees I could in there too and cleaned up all the mess ... Ill put pics up soon

[CULTURED REDNECK]

BEFOR:


AFTER:

[CULTURED REDNECK]

If you look to the lower left corner you can see some bees gatherd on the underside of the box just above the vacume can... The ball of bees whas about the size of a softball. They stayed there and never went inside the box, so yesterday I got a brush and a cardboard box and swept the rest of them up and dumped them inside my TBH. Within an hour every last bee had marched into my box. I think I know what happened??? When I split the log with the chainsaw, I never let the bees settle back down on the log. I dropped it into the TBH too quickly and shut the queen out. Lucky for me, she stayed around and I was able to scoop her up... Things are looking up

[CULTURED REDNECK]

Today I witnessed the worker bees carrying dead bees out of the hive and flying away with them. Looks like they are finally starting to clean house.