# Planning Hogan style trap out for Barn hive - want to overwinter them



## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

Barn hive referenced in my previous post "great opportunitity for me"....now I am planning the trap out.

Goal: I want them to overwinter where they are but get use to the 'tunnel' entrance. I don't want to add the empty medium or deep until early, early spring and see if they will build up in the extra space. I'd like to lure the queen in there during that build up; put in a funnel than and finally plug up the hole.

Some months ago, someone posted pictures of a trap out from an oak with showed the funnel piece inside the tunnel in the medium...that is what I want to do. I want to be able to open the lid and insert the funnel after the bees are using it as their main entrance and hopfully building up frames. I searched and cannot find that posting... if anyone can find it would you post to it and I'll see it in new posts?

Will this work?  advice? This is my 2nd attempt at a trapout; 1st one the lady got impatient. This one they know it will be a wintering / spring process. They won't open the barn wall for an extract and I am learning so it is a good match.

Picture of site; Ill be replacing that hive with a trap out to the wall:



https://kmpphotosite.shutterfly.com/pictures/33


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

There's no guarantee getting the queen in a trapout, but putting the adapter on now is probably not a bad idea. Luring the queen out has more to do with how close the entrance is to the broodnest, the closer the better.


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

Putting the adapter on now is a really, good, idea. Stopping up all entrances except the adapter is also a good idea. Have everything ready for Spring.

Yes you can drill a hole in the back of a deep super so that the screen will go into the trap. I like to just leave the tunnel open until the queen comes out, or until I have taken 2 or 3 good starts. I know the queen will sometimes go through the funnel, but, I really believe it is better to leave the funnel off at the beginning.

cchoganjr


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## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

Thank you. I am going to use your ridenour trap

http://s841.photobucket.com/albums/zz339/cchoganjr/


with the tunnel open until they fill the box; then depending on things if no brood being laid may try your trick of bringing a frame of brood to see if it will draw the queen out. I'll keep the tunnel open and won't start the funnel until we are sure we are going to close the entire thing up. Hope the barn owner keeps her patience; she wants to use that entrance to her barn next summer and it is too close to the doorway. 

I built the tunnel today, have to figure out how to easily slide the medium or super over it 10 feel up in the air. There is a platform 17" below the hole so have to figure out what I will set it all on. I don't want to have to lift or take down a deep so want to keep it mediums. The hive I removed was a real bear to get down but is doing great in on my back hill now. They are very dark bees...


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## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

Built my trap this weekend... Tunnel piece slides in and out so I can set it to any length. I will put it up next weekend and leave it until spring...


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## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

I assembled my trap out and put it up this weekend.

Here are pictures of the open tunnel, then the cone that will go into the tunnel next spring, and the trap out hive. They accepted the new tunnel entrance no problem...will be interesting to see what they do with the extra room.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

I have always wondered on trap outs,, aren't the owners worried about all the stuff left behind in their walls attracting another hive, bears, rodents, etc.?


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## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

These bees will remain in their wall until next spring; then I'll try and get the queen to come out by luring her with brood frames. IF that doesn't work I'll put the cone in and start a new hive preserving the genetics by letting them create a replacement queen. Once the bees are out it will get plugged up. These owners say they can't afford cutting out the wall and rebuilding this year but next year once the bees are gone they will do it. Won't be my problem then but I'll have two hives out of the effort plus the chance to watch the process and learn. In the pictures above just the top medium is part of the trap out; the rest is just a platform but I could expand it next years depending how it all goes.

I told them this would be a perfect place to just let the bees stay and collect honey every year but they are not interested. They are interested in 'saving the queen'... to me passing on the genetics and starting a new hive is saving her.


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## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

P.S. I took a hive away from this barn location already and those bees have settled in nicely; but are not as nice as my Italians. It may be because of the move to new territory and dwindling resources but if they do not play nicely next spring I'll be requeening them. These may be feral survivor bees; doesn't mean they are nice! If they don't settle down I won't have any qualms about killing the barn queen and letting them raise a new one from my Italian brood...


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