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Author Topic: 911 Need advice on trapping bees entering a roof  (Read 3365 times)

Offline Thershey

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911 Need advice on trapping bees entering a roof
« on: July 26, 2013, 06:30:33 pm »
Calling all pros, wondering if anyone can help me save a colony.

I'm a new beekeeper and custom home builder.  Today while visiting a home I built a year and a half ago, the homeowners pointed out that they had a bunch of honey bees coming in and out of a hole in their front porch. The front porch is timber framed with 2 X 6 tongue and groove set on top before the sheeting and asphalt shingles.  The slight relief on the edges of the 2 x 6 where the interlock leaves a quarter inch high triangle that seems to be perfect for the bees to slip in to the attic area.  I won't bore you with details but this is a green home and the area the bees are occupying is not accessible from the attic as its isolated as non-heated space.

Bottom line, I don't know how long the colony has been there or how big it is but the homeowners seem to remember having a lot of bees drinking out of their fountain last fall.  This leads me to believe they probably wintered over last year.  The owners want them gone and were considering poison or blocking the hole to trap and slow kill the colony.

They aren't anti bee but are concerned about future damage and they have 3 small children that spend a lot of time playing around the fountain the bees drink from.  The owners are fine giving me some time to try and find a non lethal solution.  Tear out would be costly and might be my responsibility under warranty, if not legally for sure as a goodwill gesture that I stand behind my homes.

I have a Nuc box, could I bait it with lemongrass oil and place it a foot or so away from the access?  Any chance they would move?  Is there a one way trap that anyone is aware of? 

I'm lost, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.







Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: 911 Need advice on trapping bees entering a roof
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2013, 12:12:24 am »
Bees will not move out of one hive and move into your nuc. A trap out sounds like it is your best bet but it must be done correctly or you will end up with ooze coming through the ceiling if you don't let the bees rob it out and then the roaches, by the hundreds move in. If you poison them you will have the same problem. There are some great videos on here on how to trap out. I will try to find a like and add it. I think it was Iddee that posted it from Bud 3 or 4.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: 911 Need advice on trapping bees entering a roof
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2013, 12:22:20 am »
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,20301.msg154997.html#msg154997
Try this. It was posted by Robo. It is a sticky thread. That means it is at the top of the list. In this case it is in the Honeybee Removal group
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Thershey

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Re: 911 Need advice on trapping bees entering a roof
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2013, 09:22:27 pm »
Thanks for the advice, greatly appreciated.

Offline capt44

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Re: 911 Need advice on trapping bees entering a roof
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2013, 12:59:10 am »
I agree a Trap-Out is the way to go.
I have several going right now.
Here is a picture of one.


Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline jredburn

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Re: 911 Need advice on trapping bees entering a roof
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2013, 11:43:07 pm »
Thershey
Build a box that will fit over the entrance and seal it so the bees cannot get in or out.  Drill a 2 1/4"  hole in one of the exterior  faces.  Top, bottom or side.  Insert a piece of 2" ID clear plastic tubing in the hole, this will be the exit hole for the bees.  Take a regular deep with 8 frames in it and drill a 2 1/4' in one side of it.  The other end of the plastic tube goes in this hole.   Make a wire cone that will fit over the hole and about 4 to 6 " long.  Attach this to the inside of the deep with the pointy end sticking into the interior of the box.  Put 5 or 6 frames in the deep,  preferably with some old comb.  Drill another hole in the side of the box about 3/4" in diameter  below the big hole.  Put a piece of queen excluder over this small hole.  Take a solid piece of plywood and make a bottom and a top for the deep.  Screw the plywood on the deep so that  bees cannot get in or out.  Prop the deep up close to the entrance to the roof and run the plastic tubing down into the deep.   The bees can exit the hive through the small box and then must go down the tube, through the deep and out into the air to forage.  When they return through the deep they cannot get through the wire screen it is a one way valve.  The house bees and the newborn bees inside the roof will consume the stored honey and run short of food.  The queen will quit laying and eventually everyone will crawl out the tube into the deep.  There should be fresh comb and honey ready for the queen when she finally comes out.  She should not be able to get out of the deep.  You can then remove the deep and patch/seal the old entrance.   The clear tubing allows you to see what is going on and when everyone has left the old hive.
Regards
Joe