# Started tree trapout



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

Yesterday, I started a trapout in the Red Cross Amish Community. Apparently a swarm moved into the tree a week or so ago. The owner was aftraid the bees might spook the horses on the road, and wanted the bees killed. I quit doing trapouts last year, due to lack of time and cost of gas, but, rather than see the bees killed, I said I would trap them out.

It was raining yesterday when I put the tree transition on. This morning it was still misting rain so I just went ahead and installed the trap. Next time the bees venture out, they will have to go through the trap.

I will take photos and post as the trap progresses.

























cchoganjr


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## Ben Franklin (May 3, 2011)

I recall talking to you about such traps, but forgot,,do you put anything into the trap box? And how likely are you to get the queen?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

> I will take photos and post as the trap progresses.

Wow! A real life soap opera .... _Will she or won't she_ :s :lookout:  ... tune in again next week!


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

Ben Franklin said:


> how likely are you to get the queen?


Tree trapouts are normally a good bet to get the queen, because, you can position the trap very near the brood nest, and most trees have limited space available for the broodnest and the colony. Buildings are less likely because the brood nest may, or, may not, be near the entrance.

This one may be a little more difficult since they just moved in last week, likely still have lots of room in the tree, and the owner wants the bees gone very quickly. I will likely only get a couple of good starts, then eliminate them. Once I place the unsealed brood in the trap, (about a week from now) I will check a couple of times a day for a day or two, to see if she has come out the investigate the brood, and to lay eggs in the 2 frames of drawn comb that I gave her. By that time I will know more about the strength of the colony. It would be nice to get her, but, she will likely need to be replaced this Fall, because, she is the old queen from wherever she came from.

I put two frames of drawn brood comb and three frames of foundation. If it had been an established, old colony, I would have put three or four frames of drawn brood comb, but, being a new colony I just put two. I did see one, small hive beetle, as I was wrapping the tree with plastic.

Tomorrow's high is only going to be 56 and tomorrow night's low will be 38, so, they will not be flying good for a couple of days. Next week it should be in the 70's, so, I will go back and check to make sure they have not found any way around the trap. If the tree and trap is sealed, the guard bees should be relocated to the front of the trap, and cleaners should have moved out to clean the trap and frames.

I will keep you posted.

cchoganjr


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## allniter (Aug 22, 2011)

MR. HOGAN ???--I set a trap out today also-- I used a 2"x12" x6" round duct --sheet metal-[[slit in tree ]]- use a plastic funnel 6" to fit over 6" round duct --small end of funnel 1" into a deep with drawn comb == ? will the bees cross over the metal --used lemon grass oil with Q -tip --and 1 to 1 sugar water spray on frames


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

allniter... I would think that they would use the metal transition unless it is too slick for them to walk on when entering/exiting the tree.

I don't use lemon grass oil or sugar syrup as the trap is designed to be an integral part of the colony not to attract a swarm. The object of sealing the trap to the tree, is to make it a horizontal chamber of the colony, then to turn that chamber into a brood chamber. That is what will attract the queen to come out, and it is what makes the mix of bees that you get, the proper mix for a new start. 

cchoganjr


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

Checked the trapout today, and as I had hoped, all entrances, except the nuc entrance, is sealed, the guard bees had moved out to the front, and the bees are going through the trap from the feral nest, and then returning to the nuc, through the tunnel and back to the colony.

Only a handful of cleaners, cleaning the trap and frames. As you can see in the photo below, most of the bees were simply walking through the trap, through the tunnel, back to the colony. As the colony grows, they will start using the trap more. As I stated above, this is a swarm that has only been there about a week.

If you look closely in the green vegetation below the trap, you will see several bees on their descent into the trap. Today's high was only about 66 degrees, so not a lot of bees were flying, and still, the rate of takeoff and return was about 70 bees per minute. 

















cchoganjr


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## allniter (Aug 22, 2011)

Well MR. HOGAN ---You are right again the bees did cross through the metal duct transition-it took a couple days --the bees are working the the comb in the box now --today ---THANKS FOR YOUR HELP


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