Trap out...first time and I need some help

[wxton]

I have read the trap out posts that iddee has posted and they have given me a good bit of confidence that I can do a trap out...until today.  I got a call from a neighbor that has a colony living behind his fireplace and he has had 6-7 make it into his house.  No big deal, I thought, when I was heading over there but...  When I got there he showed me where they were going in and wouldn't you know it...it is in a corner where the bricks stair step up from the firebox to the chimney.  How do I make a cone to fit there?  And should I have the homeowner cover the opening to the fireplace inside since he has already had some bees enter the house?  any suggestions would be very appreciated!!

[beecanbee]

First, any bees entering the house thru the fireplace opening would indicate a fire hazard to me – and probably more serious than the bees in the wall.  My guess is that they might be finding a path from the wall cavity to the inside via a crack or opening adjacent to the flue, behind the mantle, etc.  Plug it if you can.

I use Styrofoam boxes that can be cut easily to match almost any surface.  A little bit of insulation material works wonders for sealing any gaps that my poor whittling skills have created.  Duct tape works well to any smooth brick or siding surface.  With the Styrofoam box in place as an adapter you can add your cone.

My Styrofoam boxes come from the grocer trash.

[David LaFerney]

You should be able to trim your hardware cloth cone to fit close enough to seal it with silicone. 

I've only done one trap out, but it has occurred to me after looking at other peoples pictures that it might be easier use a piece of pipe like you would use to connect an observation hive to the outside.  Attach it over the entrance and then give them a few days to get used to going in and out through the hose then put the cone over the end of the hose.  It seems like this might make it a lot easier if the entrance is either high up or in an inconvenient spot.

You should try that and then tell me if it works  :)

What ever you do make SURE they can't get back in.