# Found my first Feral Hive Today



## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

It sounds like great fun. I bet you felt fantastic when you found them.


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

Hoot Owl Lane Bees Go ahead and set the trap up and get them used to coming and going through the trap. Then wait until the colony has had a chance to build up from the Winter, and a good honey flow is in progress. Then introduce the unsealed brood and start taking starts from the tree.

cchoganjr


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

Cleo
I don't have and drawn out frames or brood. Can I just put in some new foundation or should I just hang the empty box? 
I under stand you will be in our area next month!


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

Adrian
I was very happy. The first thing I did was Thank the LORD.
Jim


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

Hoot Owl Lane Bees said:


> should I just hang the empty box?


No, go ahead and put frames with foundation in the trap. Let them draw it out as they want to. 

After sealing all the entrances, the guard bees will move to the front of the trap. They will not likely draw on the foundation until a good flow starts, and then without brood, they may want to use it for surplus storage rather than a brood nest. With foundation only, you don't have to worry about wax moths or small hive beetles. 

The secret to get good starts, with the right mix of bees, is to add some unsealed brood. This normally starts them using the trap as a brood chamber, which is what you want them to do. 

Could you partner with a local beekeeper for a frame of unsealed brood. You get the first start for finding the tree, they get the second start for supplying the unsealed brood. After this first start, you will have drawn comb, and unsealed brood for future trapping. A good tree will yield 3 - 5 starts per year.

Yes, I will be in Springfield, on the 23d of April. Looking forward to it.

cchoganjr


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

Thank You
We will get it set up tomorrow. I built several trap out units last year after contacting you about a hive at another neighbors that was 35' up. They didn't make it over the winter. I will try to post pictures.
Jim


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## Northwest PA Beekeeper (Mar 28, 2012)

I'd be more inclined to just let the wild hive alone. Set up swarm traps around the area and collect 1 - 2 swarms per year from them.

If they aren't hurting anything out in the woods, let them be and just harvest the swarms as they throw them.


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

Set up swarm traps around the area and collect 1 - 2 swarms per year from them.[/QUOTE said:


> Setting up swarm traps is hit or miss. You may catch them when they swarm, or you may not. Depends on whether they like/want your swarm box or not. With the trap, it is a sure thing.
> 
> If you just take starts from the tree, and allow it to build back up, before taking the next start, you don't do any harm to the feral colony. In effect all you are doing is harvesting the excess which would likely swarm anyway. Difference is, the trap is a sure thing, catching swarms in swarm boxes is hit and miss, and requires extra boxes sitting around in the woods.
> 
> ...


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## dnichols (May 28, 2012)

That is awesome! 

I have only seen one feral hive in my outdoor travels. Two years ago I took a week off from work was hiking the AT in CT. On the trail I came a cross a hive in a split of a maple tree at eye level right on the trail. It was a sight.


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

We got the harvest box up tonight. We used our two man hunting stand to set it on. The bee's were fanning at the entrance. but non flying as it was 55 degrees and slight drizzle. I put an entrance feeder on since it is going to get cool here. I will post pictures when we get them downloaded. 
Jim


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## oldrockbees (May 16, 2010)

What is a "Trap Out Unit". I had intended to put out some nucs with drawn comb and lemongrass as lure for swarms and don't know what a trap out unit is.


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

oldrockbees said:


> don't know what a trap out unit is.


I am not sure there is any bee terminology as , "trap out unit". I could not find it referenced here, but I believe the writer was referring to the deep super used as the trap, and a transition that attaches to a tree, tank, wall, etc, to use to trap bees.

Send me an e-mail [email protected] and I will send you the instructions (with photos of traps in progress) for the trap out system that I use, and that Hoot Owl Lane Bees referenced in the post above.

Hope this is helpful.

EDITED.... I did find the terminology, "trap out unit" in the post by Hoot Owl Lane Bees above.

cchoganjr


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

Followup
We had first installed the harvester with a top entrance I made for a Feral Hive we found last year about 35' up. (DIDN'T DO) I found out why it is important to tape all joints. The bees weren't going through the box. The first video shows the first setup. The second one is the best way to do it. The third explains how it works. We videoed the swap out but 20 min. is longer than you tub will allow. Our house is about 1/4 mile out& 500' up in line with the truck. 

http://youtu.be/LVwiz04euqc
http://youtu.be/mq1Mh6dURio
http://youtu.be/E2EAWoZbuLg


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## Providence Hills (May 13, 2013)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> Setting up swarm traps is hit or miss. You may catch them when they swarm, or you may not. Depends on whether they like/want your swarm box or not. With the trap, it is a sure thing.
> 
> If you just take starts from the tree, and allow it to build back up, before taking the next start, you don't do any harm to the feral colony. In effect all you are doing is harvesting the excess which would likely swarm anyway. Difference is, the trap is a sure thing, catching swarms in swarm boxes is hit and miss, and requires extra boxes sitting around in the woods.
> 
> ...


Do you have any drawings or web site I could see the bee trap? I have "caught two swarms with boxes but my neighbor cut down his bee tree last winter and brought it to my house. I was going to try taking a chain saw and cutting it up and trying to house the bees but decided I might kill the queen and decided not to bother them but maybe catch a swam from them later. The bee trap sounds interesting? The tree is 20 feet long and 18-24 " across and is laying horizonally 20 yards from my "boughten" bees that I got last year. They seem to be doing good and are busy bringing in pollen and nectar. Appreciate a web site or picture of the bee trap. Thank you and God bless!


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## Hoot Owl Lane Bees (Feb 24, 2012)

I have links on my last post showing our set up.
You can contact Cleo C. Hogan and he can send you more info as he is the one who came up with the idea.
Good Luck
Jim


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## Luterra (Sep 7, 2011)

I think Cleo is on vacation for a few days. W.T. Kelley sells his "official" version:
https://kelleybees.com/Products/Detail/?id=33323331333733373336

It's not too hard to make one from a nuc, a deep, or (my design) a medium super with a 1 x 4 rim added at the bottom. 
http://www.tsbeeshoney.com/1/archives/04-2012/1.html
http://www.thebeeyard.org/trapping-out-feral-bees-the-hogan-bee-trap/


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## Providence Hills (May 13, 2013)

Thanks, Hoot Owl, good luck with your bees. I am in Missouri also south of Chillicothe in north central MO. Never rained last year but things are really popping this year. Have had 13" of rain in the last few weeks!


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

Providence Hills,... Send me an e-mail, [email protected] and I will send you the info.
I can't attach the info on this forum.

Yes it is easy to make your own trap.

cchoganjr


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## Providence Hills (May 13, 2013)

Luterra, just viewed your blog. Interesting. May have to try the trap. Now just have a couple of traps near the log in my yard. I caught two swams in boxes in the past two weeks. One of them might have swarmed from the log. not sure.


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## Providence Hills (May 13, 2013)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> Providence Hills,... Send me an e-mail, [email protected] and I will send you the info.
> I can't attach the info on this forum.
> 
> Yes it is easy to make your own trap.
> ...


Thanks, Cleo, will e-mail you by address now. Luke 6:38


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## Luterra (Sep 7, 2011)

That's not my blog, just to set things straight. I do have a blog but haven't posted anything there about my trap-out yet.


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## beesintrees (Jan 25, 2013)

Hoot Owl Lane Bees said:


> Followup
> The first video shows the first setup. The second one is the best way to do it. The third explains how it works. We videoed the swap out but 20 min. is longer than you tub will allow.
> 
> http://youtu.be/LVwiz04euqc
> ...


Someplace inside your account pages, settings or other pages for youtube options is a box you can check which automatically asks youtube for their permission to post longer videos. I looked, but can't find the exact link, but it is there somewhere. I used it and its as easy as clicking a check box (circle if I remember right) and I got a response and permission very quickly after posting only one or two uploads. There's nothing to getting permission other than finding the place on your account pages or settings and clicking the little circle.

bnt


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