Hive removal from a large tree stump

[OzBuzz]

Hi Everybody,

I was wondering if i could gain everybods expertise in this area... i have a hive (a big one) in a Californian Pepper Tree (In Australia). Tree loppers have cut the majority of the tree down and left the stump. The original entrance was at the base of the tree but when they were cutting it down they breached the top of the hive. I have since blocked up the lower entrance as the bees were flying out across a laneway that people walked down. I've placed a box with some frames on top of the hive and inverted a landing board and placed it over the top. They're now using the upper entrance to access the hive and, hopefully, starting to work on the comb in the frames in the box that i have put on top. I want to do a trapout on this but i can't do the standard cone that i have read is popular to use. Would it be possible to get a sheet of aluminium and put some one way escapes (as used on clearer boards) on to that to enable the bees to leave the stump and get caught up in the box on top? I would then firmly affix that aluminium sheet with the escapes on it to the top of the stump. Any thoughts? ideas? suggestions? at the moment i don't have any frames of brood in the hive - it would be awesome if the Queen has moved up in to the top box and started laying there - although that's wishful thinking i think

[Kathyp]

any chance you can get the rest of the stump cut so that you can just take it home and take your time?  sounds like it's in a bad spot and begging to be sprayed?
also wonder if you can get access to the bottom of the hive maybe through a larger drilled hole.  then either smoke the crap out of them to move them up, or use something like bee quick?  just to be on the safe side, unless you are pretty sure you know the size you are dealing with, i'd lean toward putting a couple of boxes on there until you get them off.  you can reduce later.

if you can drive the queen into the box, most of the rest should follow.  then you can just chop into the stump and retrieve comb is you want to.  less mess if there is public around.
make sure you use some drawn comb.  queen might be more cooperative if you get her on some right off the bat.

that's all i can think of for the moment  :)

[VolunteerK9]

Never done a trap out before, but it sounds like Miss Kathy's idea using smoke or bee quick would be the best option if you can't take the whole stump with ya. Keep us posted and pics would be great

[OzBuzz]

Thanks Kathy for your feedback... the stump is about 2.5 metres around its base! it's huge! I'm going to go back and check on them soon so i'll have an idea what's going on. I can't appear to get beequick here in Australia so the smoking idea might be the only option for driving them out...

any chance you can get the rest of the stump cut so that you can just take it home and take your time?  sounds like it's in a bad spot and begging to be sprayed?
also wonder if you can get access to the bottom of the hive maybe through a larger drilled hole.  then either smoke the crap out of them to move them up, or use something like bee quick?  just to be on the safe side, unless you are pretty sure you know the size you are dealing with, i'd lean toward putting a couple of boxes on there until you get them off.  you can reduce later.

if you can drive the queen into the box, most of the rest should follow.  then you can just chop into the stump and retrieve comb is you want to.  less mess if there is public around.
make sure you use some drawn comb.  queen might be more cooperative if you get her on some right off the bat.

that's all i can think of for the moment  :)

[Kathyp]

Doesn't have to be bee quick.  Can you get any of the smelly stuff?

[AllenF]

Can you put some boxes on top of the stump?   Tillie has this on her site.   Then you can get the bees to move up.   
http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2009/10/bee-tree-two-aka-bt2.html

[OzBuzz]

Doesn't have to be bee quick.  Can you get any of the smelly stuff?

What is the smelly stuff?

[OzBuzz]

Can you put some boxes on top of the stump?   Tillie has this on her site.   Then you can get the bees to move up.   
http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2009/10/bee-tree-two-aka-bt2.html

That's pretty much the setup that i have now Allen... i just have to figure out how to get them all to move up in to the boxes quickly - the tree lopper is coming nack in January to get rid of the stump

[Kathyp]

smelly stuff = anything you can get that is used to clear honey supers.  it repels the bees.  you might be able to use it to drive them up into your supers.  you would have to drill into the stump at the bottom of the hive and get some of the smelly stuff in there.   :-D

[AllenF]

Drum them up into your box.