Recently moved in, swarm removal ideas??

[Grandpa Jim]

I got a call last Thurs.  Bees around an old bank building, now a manufacturing business.  They were flying around a chimney 3 stories up.  When I first checked it out they seemed to be just checking out the building (hoped they were scouts), so I sprayed Bee-Quick (from an office window) around the area they checking out and set up a bait hive.   The owner later had a roofer place the hive beside the chimney, on the roof.  When they were on the roof is when they saw bees going under the flashing.  The owner is very observant and said they just started seeing the bees Thurs when he called me.
He seems willing to do what ever to save the "endangered bees", but they could be in a wall or ceiling or a gap between the roof????, it is an old brick building.  Being that they have just moved in, any suggestions how to convince them to move out before they get established.  Maybe run a tube in the hole and drive them out with Bee-Quick??? 

Friday afternoon there were bees flying around the bait hive (what I could see from the ground)...probably stealing some honey from the drawn comb in there :-x.

Jim

[joebrown]

If they moved in they are established or will be quickly. I hived a swarm on 5/16/2011 and they had 6 frames of comb drawn by 5/20/2011. You can try a trap out before they get lots of honey stored. Some of the others may have better ideas!

[AllenF]

You are going to have to close the chimney off with a hardware cloth funnel  so the bees can not get back into the chimney.  They are building in there not and you will have to trap them out.

[Grandpa Jim]

That's what I was afraid of ......Thanks

[Grandpa Jim]

Checked on Monday and the bees (as seen from the ground) are flying in and out of the bait hive and do not seem to be going to the chimney any more.  Owner has not had any bees inside either. Could the bees we saw, have been scouts for the swarm or is it possible it was a virgin queen with the swarm and she returned to the box after mating flights, which is right beside the chimney, instead of the building??  I know there are no sure answers here just has been an interesting situation. 

Now I am waiting to coordinate times with the roofer guys to go up and bring the hive down.

Jim

[iddee]

""Could the bees we saw, have been scouts for the swarm ""

That's what happened last week.

http://www.beekeepingforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3431