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Some of the foragers will go back, but, most will stay in the new location if it is 1/4 mile away. If they have started queen cells that will help to anchor them.
cchoganjr
cchoganjr
Necessary to re-locate newly trapped bees?
1018
2
Here's my question: Will trap-out bees go back to their home location if I don't move them away (more than 2 miles or so)?
I'm using a trap on a locust-tree colony, made out of old 10-frame hive body (basically Hogan trap design). I used this method last summer, and it worked well to get bees permanently into the trap. But I couldn't get the queen out of the tree. So I gave up on it because it seemed too late in the season for them to make their own queen (from a brood frame from my other hive bees).
So I'm trying the trap again this spring. If I move the trapped bees into a hive about 1/4 mile away, will they abscond back to the home tree? -I figured I would check and make sure they've produced queen cells, move the new hive to where my other hive is, and lock them in there (with syrup) for a day or two, and then open them up. This is bear country around here, and they're active this spring, so I'm reluctant to leave the new hive on a neighbor's property without bear protection.
I'm using a trap on a locust-tree colony, made out of old 10-frame hive body (basically Hogan trap design). I used this method last summer, and it worked well to get bees permanently into the trap. But I couldn't get the queen out of the tree. So I gave up on it because it seemed too late in the season for them to make their own queen (from a brood frame from my other hive bees).
So I'm trying the trap again this spring. If I move the trapped bees into a hive about 1/4 mile away, will they abscond back to the home tree? -I figured I would check and make sure they've produced queen cells, move the new hive to where my other hive is, and lock them in there (with syrup) for a day or two, and then open them up. This is bear country around here, and they're active this spring, so I'm reluctant to leave the new hive on a neighbor's property without bear protection.
