# have a tree with bees going in and out of. Want to try a Forced abscond?



## Stan The Bee Man (Jul 24, 2016)

Ive never done a forced abscond. Could use some pointers. thanks!


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

You need to find the very far ends of the cavity and smoke, this can be difficult because sometimes there are channels, if the entrance isn't at one end or the other you will have to find both ends. Go slow and easy with the smoke and give them time to move, but go steady once you get them coming out spraying a little honey b gone in the hole/s will help run them out faster


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## Stan The Bee Man (Jul 24, 2016)

thanks...so when I do what you said, how do I get the bees to go in empty nuc box" and I assume finding the queen is a small % of success? thanks


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

have it very close to the entrance, drawn comb helps, scooping up a handfull and dumping in the entrance really helps, yes sometimes it's not easy to spot the queen, give them a frame of eggs when you get home just in case.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Generally it's called a "trap out". Try a search on Cleo Hogan's methods.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Michael Bush said:


> Generally it's called a "trap out". Try a search on Cleo Hogan's methods.


Nope he's asking about a forced abscond which offers the best chance to get the queen, and you make one trip to get all the bees, only problem is it doesn't always work, wouldn't even try it on a building and maybe try it in 1 out of 10 bee trees that got to go https://youtu.be/7LR9X5PBvmQ


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Good luck. I've never gotten the queen to come out, but I haven't had the time to experiment with Bee Quick or other smells. Just smoke and cones etc. I think the smoke would work if they are not settled in yet (don't have open brood yet).


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Fischer's Bee Quick and a bee vac. Like stated before, drill holes just above and below the the suspected hive cavity. Spray a couple of squirts of the repellant into the holes and get ready to fire up the vac.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Michael Bush said:


> Good luck. I've never gotten the queen to come out, but I haven't had the time to experiment with Bee Quick or other smells. Just smoke and cones etc. I think the smoke would work if they are not settled in yet (don't have open brood yet).


That video I posted, I didn't see her, but the queen did in fact end up coming out, they are filling a super as we speak......you can do it with just smoke it just takes longer and forragers coming back want to go back in. The key is for there to be no place for the queen to hide. if it has rotten channels that run 20 ft up the tree, or it's in a wall in a house..... you aint going to get her unless you get lucky and block them off with repellent prior to her going in to hide.


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

Harley Craig said:


> a forced abscond which offers the best chance to get the queen,


Harley Craig... With the utmost respect, I disagree with that conclusion, for the following reasons.

In a forced abscond, you cannot control where the queen goes when she absconds. She may land nearby with her swarm, she may land 75 feet up in a tree, she may fly a quarter mile, or wherever she wants to go.

In attempting a forced abscond, many, if not most, hollow trees have cavities which run verticle and horizontal, in which the queen can run and hide to avoid the smoke. I have seen smoke work, and I have seen it fail many times.

True, a trapout takes more than one trip, but, a properly executed trapout on a tree, using the method I have used for more than 20 years gives you about an 85 to 95 per cent probability of getting the queen. This is due to the trap being an integral part of her colony and she voluntarily comes into the trap. Trees work best, because, you can place the entrance very close to the brood nest.

I have never found Bee Quick to be effective for anything remotely connected to beekeeping. If you can stand it, BEE GO has a better chance of forcing an abscond. But, it is BAAAD stuff.

cchoganjr


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## Stan The Bee Man (Jul 24, 2016)

will sure follow this wisdom. Im sure liking the 85 to 95 % if done right. Thanks Cleo!


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Agreed Cleo, a forced abscond isn't always the best solution part of the learning curve is reconizing when its a good solution, I personally have never had a queen fly off on a forced abscond and it's the only method I've ever got a queen out without doing a cut out


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

I have found that a forced abscond will most often work on something small, like a hollow fence post, a small column on a front porch, or some other small area. Hollow trees, if the tree is not too large, or not totally rotten. 

cchoganjr


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> I have found that a forced abscond will most often work on something small, like a hollow fence post, a small column on a front porch, or some other small area. Hollow trees, if the tree is not too large, or not totally rotten.
> 
> cchoganjr


Exactly, that is what I was getting at with the channels etc if it's got some place for the queen to hide, most likely she bis not coming out


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

Harley... Agree.

cchoganjr


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