# My first trap out.



## twgreen3 (Aug 22, 2008)

So this morning I get a call for a trap out at someones house. After talking to the nice lady I decided to take a look and decided I would like to give a tray. This is an old house with two rows of brick and the bees are between the rows of brick. I discussed with them about leaving the comb and honey behind and they don't want to do a cut out (which I would not do). 

Now here is the catch the entrance is just below the second story window on the front of the house which is completely flat. I was thinking about attaching a bee escape to the entrance then placing a bait hive on the ground. I am also going to try and talk them into waiting as long as I can because these bees are as good as dead unless I get lucky enough to get the queen out. 
Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Bsweet (Apr 9, 2010)

First, If a trap out is done correctly there will little to NO honey left in the wall.
Second, I have never had any luck with a trap out unless the bait hive/box is very near the exit point and Bee excape.
Third, unless you install a frame of brood and eggs or a caged queen in the bait hive then the only way to save the bees is to combine them with another hive that is queenright. There is a devise called a swarm harvester that MAY allow you to get the queen but I have no experance with its use. JMTCW Jim


----------



## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

Bsweet is right about the cone and the frame of brood/egg box needing to be close together, we are talking about a foot or so.
It is possible, but there are a couple of concerns I have they are timing, other entrances, and safety.

Timing, if you attempt this too early it will not work in the conventional manner. Two years ago I attempted this in very early may and then we had a cold snap and the queen cells didn't work out. There have to be drones for it to work in the normal manner.

Other entrances if the building has one hole it may have another. The bees will be desperate to find their way in and check out every inch of that wall more thoroughly than any housing inspector ever could. If there is another way in they will find it.

Safety, no bees are worth your life. However, you say the entrance is just below a window. Could you safely jury rig a contraption to be held in a similar fashion to the way a air-conditioner is held in a sash-window? The bees would have to be lowered to the ground in the bee-tight box late at night or early morning before light. Is the lady going to want you to see her in her PJ's? Can you reach the hole you plan to cone from the window without a ladder? If you can answer yes to these then it is possible, but only if she allows you access to her home multiple times to work through the process.
Trapping bees is fun, but I am only interested if it is within a few miles of my house. Good luck, post photos if you have time, and be safe.


----------



## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Need to wait until you are sure that hard cold spells are over.
Look in the archives here for trap outs. There were several where they built a platform using a ladder.
As stated, hive needs to be very close (as possible) to exit of cone.
You can start off with a nuc if you want.
Start out with some old brood comb and spray all of the comb with SW/HBH mixture.
Check every day until you are sure they have not found a way back in through the trap on another hole(s).
Once all other entrances are sealed (can use tape) you will see bees staying in hive.
When there are enough bees to handle some brood add/replace one of the frames with some brood and some eggs.
Check to ensure that a Qcell has been created and capped.
Add another frame of brood to keep hive from having a laying worker.

NOTE: Do not start a trapout with a Q. The bees from the trapout will kill her. (Trust me, I learned the hard way......twice)


----------



## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

Do you have a ladder you can leave on site, tied off so that it doesn't fall?
If so you can rig 2 ladder jacks btw the ladder and wall, put a deck on them, and slide your trap box right up to the wall next to the opening.

A light duty ladder jack (nor for supporting people, just a trap box) can be made using a u-bolt to go around the ladder rung & drilling holes in a 2x4 to mount it through. Tie a rope tied to an eye bolt on the other end of the 2x4 (the one nearest the house.).

You'll put two of these on a single lader with your platform panning the space btw them.

For the concept, look at this pic: 
http://www.paintingyourhouse.info/images/jacks/ladder_jacks.gif

What I am describing will be different to the pic, but the pic should give you an idea of how it works.

Hope this is helpful and not confusing.


----------



## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?259430-Wanting-to-get-the-queen-from-a-trap-out-HOW
Read this thread.
Bill


----------



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

This is a common thread. Discussed several times.

Bsweet is right. The trap needs to be very near the feral source. Additionally, if you want any possibility of getting the queen, the trap entrance must be very near the feral brood nest. The queen will not move long distances to check on brood and lay.

Adrian Quiney gives some very good advice. Read that carefully.

Here are my points in a trapout. Safety first: Need a honey flow with maximum brood rearing: Warm day and night temperatures: Must seal off all entrances/exits: Trap as close as possible to the feral brood nest. This is often very difficult in a house, as bees may travel long distances between entrance and actual nest. Need one or more frames of brood comb, and one with unsealed brood after the colony is using the trap as an extension of their colony.

Send me an e-mail, [email protected] and I will send instructions for the Swarm Harvester that you can build for yourself, and i will also send photos of actual traps in progress. Perhaps this will help. As Adrian said trapping can be fun.

cchoganjr


----------

