# Smoke out



## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

No, it won't work. Sounds like a trap out will be you're only option if the homeowner isn't willing to live with the bees.
Search trap out


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## Paul McCarty (Mar 30, 2011)

Trap out is the way to go.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Yep, trap out.
You might try something....
Try flooding them out, filling the tree with a water hose very slowly.
I don't know if it'll work or not, just a thought.
Probably won't work if there's much broodcomb above the opening in the tree, but maybe it would be honey comb instead with no place to cluster, maybe they'd flood out. Like I say, just a thought.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You can smoke heavily and get SOME bees to move out (temporarily). You can't get anywhere near all of them. I've never tried bee quick or other things to drive them out. My guess is if that worked you read more about that and less about trap outs... I may try it someday to find out.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

I've seen bees driven out of their colony eager to take over a very weak colony (like a weak observation hive right outside the entrance).

I'd see if I could set up a box with a couple of frames of open brood and nurse bees a few feet from the entrance (on a ladder if necessary). Get permission to drill a very small hole (as small a bit you can get that is long enough) opposite the entrance, and inject a small amount of Bee-Go. If you get this behind the colony, you will drive them out. If they smell the brood and find empty comb, they will probably move right in.

deknow


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

Michael Bush said:


> I've never tried bee quick or other things to drive them out. My guess is if that worked you read more about that and less about trap outs... I may try it someday to find out.


Remember, any removal folks that are not certified pesticide applicators will not admit to using any chemicals (at least in most states).

I've seen bee-go used in a hypodermic needle, it works quite well to drive the bees out. As I said above, I've seen them try to take over an observation hive...in the morning, the ob hive colony was intact, and the colony that had been driven out was clustered between the ob hive and the wall.

deknow


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## northbee (Apr 16, 2009)

If you can get the owner's permission you could use a long search drill bit and try to locate the top of the nest. then use a spade bit or equivalent to make a larger upper entrance and try to flood the bees out slowly. You will have to fill in the lower entrance with some expanding foam or such. worth running by the owner. 

Good luck!!


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

I have trapped several colonies out of trees using deknow’s method. Suspend the Nuc box slightly above the trap. Make sure all other entrances are blocked off. Drill a ½ inch hole at the bottom of the nest cavity and soak a small piece of cloth with honey robber and shove it in blocking off the hole. Come back in a week and they should be occupying the Nuc.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I'm a lazy sort, I guess. All of the above suggestions seem like alot of work to me. Though I can imagine one enjoying a challenge and enjoying the work and "saving the bees" and all.

Is the owner seriously considering killing the bees? If so, isn't that against the Law? Exterminators aren't supposed to kill honeybees in their colonies, are they?

where is the colony? How high up in the tree? Does the owner simply know they are there and is worried about getting stung or has someone gotten stung?

I'm all for leaving them where they are, unless they are in peril. You could always explain to the owner about CCD, Varroa, etc and how it isn't all that likely that the colony will be alive next spring anyway.


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

Sqkcrk has a good point, unless you are interested in trapping out the colony, try and convince the owners that if they aren’t being molested by the bees leave them alone.
A little education on how in past years honeybees on your property was considered a blessing. A why honeybees sting and the differences between hornets, wasps and honeybees.
Just this afternoon I has someone call about a swam that had landed on a dirt pile and they were worried that their employees would get stung. They were also concerned about what would happen if they nested in the ground where they landed. A few minutes of education on how non aggressive swarms are and their nesting preference. And that in a few hours they would probably be gone. And they calmed right down, sadly I was not able to go get them because I had to work night shift at the power plant I work at. I did passed on some information of others that may be interested.


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