# Chimney Trap Out. Need Advice.



## rsderrick (May 7, 2006)

Hi Everyone,


I've done many removal and cutouts over the years but done few trap outs. I've run into a trap out that I need help with. I want to get advice from those who have done trap outs before and had success. I've personally only done two. One was successful and one wasn't. This trap out will be from a chimney. The bees are deep in the chimney. The chimney has two fireplaces that are associated with it. The half of the chimney where the bees are has been completely bricked and filled. The problem is that the bees are at the very bottom of the chimney and span all the way across the bottom. The height of the chimney is about 20 feet or so. The bees are landing on the lip of the chimney and walking all the way to the bottom. 


The chimney has a cap over half and is open on half. My thought is that I'll need to create a box that will fit over both the entire chimney top with a one way exit. Here are my questions. 


1. Should I alter a bottom board with a one way exit so that the exit dumps directly into the hive bottom of the hive?
2. Does the exit need to be on a vertical plane or can it be horizontal ie... altering the bottom board to sit directly on top of the exit?
3. I'm assuming I need to put a "queen right" hive on the chimney to draw the evicted bees in?


You can find photos of the job here. https://plus.google.com/photos/109455718186385256142/albums/5886070806101436449?banner=pwa


I'm open to all suggestion to make this a success. It's a big colony.


----------



## DarkWolf (Feb 20, 2013)

rsderrick said:


> The half of the chimney where the bees are has been completely bricked and filled.


So, just to get this right. The bees are in a second fireplace which has at some point been bricked shut?

IMO, if that is the case, it should be opened back up and removed from the bottom. It's a huge job and if you don't understand masonry, I'd tread very lightly. 

For the other fireplace, how is it set up in regards to connecting to the chimney? In a room across from the other old fireplace, or fed from the basement via furnace?


----------



## rsderrick (May 7, 2006)

DarkWolf said:


> So, just to get this right. The bees are in a second fireplace which has at some point been bricked shut?
> 
> IMO, if that is the case, it should be opened back up and removed from the bottom. It's a huge job and if you don't understand masonry, I'd tread very lightly.
> 
> For the other fireplace, how is it set up in regards to connecting to the chimney? In a room across from the other old fireplace, or fed from the basement via furnace?


Dark,

The house was built in the 30's. The fireplace was bricked completely shut, bottom to top. Even if I could open it the flue is very very narrow. Even then, the masonry is not in the best shape. I'd never attempt it from the interior. 

The other fireplace is separated by a brick wall running up the center.


----------



## DarkWolf (Feb 20, 2013)

Well, at minimum I'd think you'd need to pop at least a brick loose in order to flood the inside with smoke and drive them out. Either that.. Actually.. Some Bee-Quick might work better to drive them up and out. Soak a rag in it, tie a string to it and drop it down the chimney.

Far as the top goes, screen it and get it to the point to where they're exiting the cone and entering a body. Not sure about leaving all that comb down there, or how large it really is, but that would drive them up. MAY need to pop a brick and screen that off with a rag of Bee-Quick shoved into the brick hole just to get them started on the trek up to make sure to not drive them down with the other from the top.


----------

