Author Topic: We Can Trap Them Out But Can't Always Keep Them ? (Read 5885 times)

Frank · « **on:** July 28, 2014, 08:27:31 pm »

Hi To All
I am living in north central Florida, and have had a really busy swarm, trap out , cut out season. Our problem comes when we get them back to the yard. We usually screen them up for several days and feed while they are locked up. We have tried putting on a piece of queen excluder at the entrance but we are still getting more colonies absconding on us than we would like. We would ask for any information or suggestions on what you do when you get your bees back to the yard. Thanks ~ Frank

AllenF · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2014, 09:19:16 pm »

Are you leaving them with any brood on the cut out, trap outs?

AllenF · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2014, 09:20:18 pm »

And that are you doing about the queens?

Frank · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2014, 09:44:54 pm »

On the cut outs we rubber band the brood into empty frames. We actually use a version of a ROBO vac, and reunite the bees with the brood as soon as possible. As far as the queen, if we find her we will put her in a clip. Best case scenario. Many times though she won't be spotted and will get sucked in with the other bees. We have had them leave with brood in the comb? Not sure what is happening.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 31, 2014, 12:51:57 pm »

Frank,
With your trapouts, are you giving them a frame that has some eggs on it? That is a key to successful trap outs.
Jim

OldMech · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2014, 12:06:27 am »

With cut outs, putting the queen in a clip or queen cage for a few days helps. They will begin caring for the brood you rubber banded into the hive. Using a queen excluder on the bottom as a queen "includer" may also help for the first week or two after you release the queen. That way she will start laying and more or less lock the bees into staying. if she gets vacced, you can still go in and find her to put her in the clip/cage. You already said you were feeding so not much else I can add there.

On a trap out, they need EGGS on the frame you add to the trap out box. Larvae will be too old for them to make a queen by the time they decide they need to do something. Once they get queen cells going they don't often abscond, the box becomes their home.
If you fill the box and replace it with another one, they will need another frame with eggs on it. I have also heard about good success using a queen right trap out box, but have not tried that yet.

Frank · « **Reply #6 on:** August 01, 2014, 08:53:04 am »

On the trap outs we wait a day or two to make sure the cone isn't leaking and the bees are interested in the box, then we slip comb in with eggs and larva.

iddee · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2014, 09:45:41 am »

I have never had a trapout abscond. I have only had 2 cutouts abscond in 38 years. Both those had SHB. Being in Florida, look at the SHB situation and see if that may be contributing to your problem.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2014, 01:14:48 pm »

I have a trapout going right now that in one weeks time there were so many bees that they totally covered the front of the nuc box, the platform in front of the box and one whole side. I removed it and removed 3 of the 8 queen cells in it and rubber banded them into a frame and put them in another queen less nuc that had a frame of bees. I checked on it on Tuesday evening. the bees were all over the new box still.
The problem was that the owner took me inside and there was honey dripping down the wall, 6' long, 8' high. At one spot was a 20" diameter pool of honey. It was fresh. The outside of that wall faces the morning sun and with out all of those bees to keep it cool, it must have melted the cappings or the comb may have dropped. The honey was following the trim and spreadding down the length of the wall. I will check on it this weekend to see if I can allow the bees to rob it out. My main concern it that it will only have been in place for 2 weeks.
Any thought on this?
Jim

iddee · « **Reply #9 on:** August 01, 2014, 02:29:56 pm »

First thought... SHB.

The only trap I ever heard of releasing the honey was one Hardwood did in Florida and the SHB totally destroyed the honey and brood. Two weeks sounds like the right time frame for the devils to do their carnage.

Frank · « **Reply #10 on:** August 01, 2014, 07:48:47 pm »

iddee, I have been real lucky with SHB. My yard is mostly in the open with a bit of afternoon shade. I use beetle blasters and have just been plain lucky that they haven't been to much of a problem. I have friends who have been covered up by them. Not a good situation

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 01, 2014, 11:48:29 pm »

Quote from: iddee on August 01, 2014, 02:29:56 pm

First thought... SHB.

The only trap I ever heard of releasing the honey was one Hardwood did in Florida and the SHB totally destroyed the honey and brood. Two weeks sounds like the right time frame for the devils to do their carnage.

Wally,
That was my first thought until I checked the honey out. It smelled and tasted good.
Jim

Frank · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2014, 07:13:15 am »

sawdstmakr let us know what you find out.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 02, 2014, 07:34:13 am »

Will do. I probably will bee checking it on Sunday.
Jim

jredburn · « **Reply #14 on:** August 03, 2014, 08:23:55 pm »

Frank,
I am in Ft Myers and have the same problems. So do most of us that do removals in this area. One of us that has been successful in keeping the bees in box told me yesterday that he does the comb removal, rubber banding it the way we all do. He does not have a vacuum so he just scoops up what bees he can with his hands or a small cardboard box. He dumps the bees into the box with the comb and seals it tight, he leaves a 1" hole for ventilation. He leaves them sealed for about 3 days and then he puts a excluder over the entrance and lets them fly. He does NOT feed them. He claims that not feeding them is his secrete to success.
I have seen him dump bees into a dresser drawer, add a couple of combs, no frames, just propped up, slid the drawer almost shut and leave them alone. They stayed there for three years.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:39:42 pm »

I checked on the Trapout today. Honey is still dripping into the room. Even bigger puddle in the room even though the owner has cleaned it up a few times. I put the bore scope in the hole and saw comb and dead bees inside where the Trapout was. I removed the escape device and let the bees back in to rob it out. Later we found a couple of bees going in (one with pollen) about 4' away. I left it for the bees to rob out. I am hoping they can over power the original hive and steal it. I will have to check it tomorrow. I really want to get the honey out of this hive for the owner. She is tired of cleaning it up.
Jim

iddee · « **Reply #16 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:43:39 pm »

I think your only choice is to open the wall. There is still a queen and brood in there, and the SHB will likely over power the hive before the robbers do.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 03, 2014, 09:56:41 pm »

You are probably right. I looked at it. The wall is a second story wall, it has a large window that I will have to remove the trim and then the 2-4'x8' sheets of T-111.
Jim

iddee · « **Reply #18 on:** August 03, 2014, 10:31:16 pm »

Sheetrock on the inside would be much easier, cooler, and easier to repair. It may have to be replaced anyway after the honey soaks into it and ferments.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 03, 2014, 10:46:43 pm »

Quote from: iddee on August 03, 2014, 10:31:16 pm

Sheetrock on the inside would be much easier, cooler, and easier to repair. It may have to be replaced anyway after the honey soaks into it and ferments.

Wally,
It is her master bedroom where the bees are. My wife talked to her and doesn't think she will let us in that room. For some reason, we were never in that room.
Jim

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 03, 2014, 11:08:17 pm »

The area where the honey is dripping is below the owner' bedroom.
Jim

iddee · « **Reply #21 on:** August 03, 2014, 11:19:35 pm »

Some people are that way. :idunno:

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #22 on:** August 04, 2014, 12:48:08 pm »

Wally,
Usually it is because the owner is a hoarder and they do not want you to see it but the downstairs of this house looks neat and uncluttered. It is a very large house so the upstairs could be a different situation.
Jim

Frank · « **Reply #23 on:** August 04, 2014, 07:17:23 pm »

Hey jredburn, your friend doesn't feed, what is the theory about that ?