[Richter1978]

I have used the Hogan method before. What I want to know is if anyone has ever just set up the whole thing in one go. Put the base, the hive body and bee escape on all at once instead of one piece of equipment at a time waiting a couple days between. This tree is fairly far from home and I want to minimize my trips. The swarm just moved into the tree yesterday 4/3 and I'll be there tomorrow to start things. I thought that with not much established, the bees and queen may end up setting up in the hive body easier/quicker.

Any thoughts or experience with the shortcut will be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[jfb58]

You'll have to figure out how to get the queen to move into the hive body--with no brood and no returning foragers, you might be left with a small patch of comb in the tree and no bees.

 

[Becky Jackson]

What worked for me with a swarm that went into a floorspace-- that same day I put a strip of cloth with Bee-Go on it onto the hole. They came pouring out with the queen and reclustered on my hive body set up for them. Then I convinced them to go inside. Since yours probably don't have too much invested in the tree yet, they may all come out. Just don't block their hole with the bee-go rag. A friend has used a turkey feather with the repellant on the tip and stuck it in as far as it can go.
Becky

 

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

Richter1978. Yes, i have done what you described. It will not work as well, but, it will work.

Problems you can anticipate are: (1). The bees will find entrances/exits that you thought you had sealed. (2). The bees will likely orient on the rear of your trap where the original entrance was, rather than the front of the trap. (3). Bees will be very confused with all the immediate changes in their routines. (4). Even with unsealed brood in the trap, nurse bees and housekeepers may not come out to work it. In the normal manner they come out because cleaners will have cleaned the trap and frames. Guard bees will have moved out to the entrance of the trap. Fanners will have started ventilating the trap. They think the trap is just another brood chamber. (horizontal rather than vertical). So they come out to work the brood.

As I said, it will still work, just don't expect it to work as well as it could, if you were able to go step by step. (May very well take longer). Now days, I have almost quit trapping because it is so expensive to make multiple trips to the trap sites.

I only have one trap set up now, and, it is directly on my way from my house to one of the bee yards. It is a small cedar tree in a fence row. The owner will let me trap it, but, he does not want the bees killed. I took 2 good starts from it last year. Caught the queen on the second trapping, so I kept her, and I let the feral colony make themselves a new queen. (Bill43911 wanted the colony with the feral queen.) I go past it each day and it seemes to be strong again this year. Should get 2 or 3 good colonies from it this year.

If you have questions, just let me know. Happy to help you.

Good Luck.

cchoganjr

 

[Cleo C. Hogan Jr]

You'll have to figure out how to get the queen to move into the hive body

jfb58.. Could you elaborate. I don't understand what you are saying.

 

[Richter1978]

Thanks to you all for the help!

Mr. Hogan, if there's a good chance it will work, I'm gonna give it a go, I really appreciate your in-depth explanations they are very helpful.