# Catalpa Tree Trapout



## thewhiterhino (Oct 5, 2014)

Keep us updated on your progress.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I started one in a catalpa last weekend, yours looks lower to the ground than mine


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## DAM Bees (Mar 10, 2015)

Yes, the entrance is only about 8 feet off the ground which makes it much easier to work with.


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## beepeep (Feb 8, 2015)

Not bees but the caterpillars from those trees are the best catfish bait. Pinch off the head, stick the point of the hook in the tail and turn them inside out on the hook.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalpa


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## DAM Bees (Mar 10, 2015)

I knew Catalpa worms were used for bait....didn't know the turn em inside out method, yuck


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## DAM Bees (Mar 10, 2015)

So for a long overdue update, I engaged the one way trap on May 17th after an unsuccessful attempt to lure out the Queen with uncapped brood. Two days later I added another frame of eggs and brood. Today I inspected the trap and looks like they have made several Queen cells. My question now is what to do next... Leave them there, or take what I have and bring back to my home apiary.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Take empty back and add a new box of comb wait a few days and drop in another frame of eggs you can keep doing this infill they are just too weak to draw cells and then keep the box there untill they are all there and combine it with one of your others if it isn't big enough


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## DAM Bees (Mar 10, 2015)

So I have two deeps on the trap, they have almost filled the lower deep with nectar already. Should I let the queen develop there or bring all the bees I have so far home and continue to trap out the rest as they emerge? The idea is to get all the bees out of the tree and seal off.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

You can leave it until every bee is gone and have one big colony, or you can take several starts and still eliminate the colony just depends on if you want one big colony or several nucs


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## DAM Bees (Mar 10, 2015)

Today I took 10 frames including the superseding frame back to my home apiary. I left a 10 frame deep on the Hogan trap to continue with the trapout. I plan on taking all the bees from the tree and adding to the ones I brought back today. I will then seal the entrance per landowners request.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I may have gotten the queen on mine I checked mine and it had one frame of pollen two frames of nectar, wax makers festooning on the 4th frame building comb and an empty so I came back the next morning (Saturday) with a frame of eggs and young larva, opened them with no smoke pulled the outside empty slid everything over and stuck the brood closest to the tunnel, I waited 2 hrs and pulled the trap without opening it, just sealed it up and took it home Checked it today and although the larva was covered nicely with bees there had not been any emergency cells started it was just a quick look so I did not spot a queen but it does look promising


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