So here's what's going on......I began a trapout from a tree yesterday about 3pm. The hive seems to be fairly large(wishful thinking?). The usual setup: Deep with 9 frames with starter strips and one frame eggs/brood/honey. Cone covering hole in the tree and all other entrances blocked. Sorry, no pics, my camera just died yesterday.
Bees have no problem exiting the cone, but they dont seem to be wanting to go into the brood box. They have been bearding all over the cone all day, with only a few entering and exiting the box. I just went and checked on them, 2 hours after dark, and they are still bearded on the cone, but quiet now. I figured after dark they would go in!!! Although, I am in Hawai'i and the nights are about 65 deg at the coldest this time of year, maybe they are enjoying the balmy air. :)
One place I might have messed up.....the cone exit is about 4 inches from the landing board of brood box. Due to lumpy terrain, that's as close as I could make it.
Anyone have an experience like this? What should I do? Take off cone and shake it into the brood box tomorrow? Try to move brood box closer to cone and/or remake cone to be longer?
Are the eggs in the frame I put in dead now? Its been 30 hrs with not many bees on them.
One other random thought, could they have somehow swarmed RIGHT when I put the cone on and now they are all bearding around the queen who came out?
Clearly, tommorrow I will do something, but not sure what. Thanks for any input! -Wendy