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Author Topic: Relocating an entrance to carry out a trap out  (Read 3279 times)

Offline OzBuzz

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Relocating an entrance to carry out a trap out
« on: March 11, 2013, 11:19:12 pm »
Hi folks, I was hoping to get your advice/thoughts in regard a proposed trap out. I've got a perfect candidate for a trap out! It's a long established hive in the brick wall of a house - perfect entrance etc - the only problem is that it's a taller than average double storey house and I can't get a ladder tall enough to work on it (plus I'm not overly comfortable working up that high). So what I was thinking is relocating the entrance to a more 'ladder friendly' height. I was thinking of using sections of pipe i.e. 90mm stormwater pipe or similar - i'd jig up some way of mounting an adapter to the existing entrance and then, over time, add 1m lengths or so of pipe down the wall until it was at a safe height. Does that sound feasible? Would the bees re-orient to the new entrance if I did it, say, 1m at a time? also, would they be able to fly up the pipe to get to the existing entrance in the brick work? Does anybody have any experience doing something like this? I can access the existing hive entrance through a window in their bathroom (albeit the window isn't large enough for me to be able to mount a hive to the wall for the trap out sadly) so that's where I'd be completing my initial works from until the 'new' entrance gets down to ground level (or thereabouts).

More than happy to listen to your thoughts...

Offline D Coates

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Re: Relocating an entrance to carry out a trap out
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2013, 02:03:26 pm »
Dang, that's a tough one.  Yea you can do it, it'll take some time and remember they will follow the path of least resistance.  There'll be a corelation between the tube progressively getting longer them progressively looking harder for easier exits.  There's a portion of me that says slap on the full length you want the tube to be at night.  When morning comes they'll have to exit the pipe and reorient then.  It's like debating if you should pull off a band-aid fast or slow though.

No they can't fly directly up the way you are describing for any serious height but they will crawl.  If you are using PVC tubing they can't climb directly up that way either.  It's too smooth.  Have a rope or strap, with lots of surface area hanging all the way down the tube to give them something to climb on.  I learned that PVC trick the hard way with my OB hive.  Also, if the pipe is in direct sunlight all afternoon and it's hot they will not travel in the tube until things cool off in the evening.

Whatever you do, get photos!
Ninja, is not in the dictionary.  Well played Ninja's, well played...

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Relocating an entrance to carry out a trap out
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2013, 02:51:23 am »
I'm thinking of using corrugated agricultural pipe maybe - that should give them enough grip to be able to crawl up the inner surface - I'll also use a rope as a guide wire in a sense so that the pipe isn't hanging straight down the wall rather it's going at 45o across the wall maybe...

Offline D Coates

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Re: Relocating an entrance to carry out a trap out
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2013, 10:10:40 am »
Not sure how hot it is there but if your coregated pipe is like ours it's black.  In full sun it can get hotter than the bees can handle on warm days.  Y'all are sliding into Fall now so maybe that may not be a problem.  I'd still put a rope of some form in there for them to use in case they can't walk on the plastic.  By the time you figure out if they can or can't walk on the plastic it could be an absolute nightmare installing a rope in there after the fact.
Ninja, is not in the dictionary.  Well played Ninja's, well played...

Offline greenbtree

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Re: Relocating an entrance to carry out a trap out
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2013, 11:39:50 am »
Yeah, keep us posted.  I am going to check out a house today that sounds similar, it would be nice to have an option other than just walking away.  I did a house last year where the entrance was about 7 feet up, and that was bad enough.  A tip - I made up some hives out of rigid foam board, where the bottom was attached permanently, so only the lid came off.  Didn't bother with an inner cover, the board is stiff enough that I could cut the grove for the frames to drop onto.  Made carrying up and down the ladder a lot easier, although still heavy coming down with all the bees. Just duct taped the lid on.  Doesn't last forever, but don't need that for a trap out.  Here's a picture of the wooden box I had set up for the first try -

Lets just say that getting it back down the ladder full of bees didn't go well.  So don't do that! :-D

JC
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"