This post will be my preperation for the trapout.
1st off: the materials I'll need.
1) a hive or nuc to lure the bees in.
Make it myself or get some from a shop?
Since I don't have any around I might go for what's available in the shop.
2) something to set up the replacment hive on fixed against a brick wall.
I have two options here. If I go with a wooden hive I can fix a board on the side that sticks out, and fix that to the wall. Or I can make a platform to put a new hive on.
Depending on what is available in the shop and what the prices are I'll still have to make a choice here.
3) Tools to do the job.
Drill, saw, screws, plugs, ...
A ladder to get up to the spot the bees have nested: there is one on site, so no worries there.
4) Equipment to seal off the enterances to the wall.
I have some silicone around so that should do.
5) Equipment to make an 'exit only'
I hope the shop has some mesh I can buy to twist into a cone. I can drill a hole (5cm diameter) through a small board and fix the cone in there. The cone will have a small opening at the end where the bees can fly out of.
If not there are some excluders on the market that prevent bees from coming back into one box once they left it. I might tinker around with that.
6) a frame of eggs. - frames for the bees to build out (with or without foundations, some drawn out, some not drawn out.
2nd the how to go about my business.
After collecting all that I need (apart from the frame with eggs) I'll go on site and start with closing off all but one enterance to the hive.At that point I can start building the exit cone or excluder and check if there are other ways the bees go in and out.
If not I can test where the cone will come and fix a stand for the replacement hive and put it in place (without putting the cone up yet).
Once all that is done I'll come home to collect a frame of eggs and return on site. Put the frames in the new hive and install the exit only cone/excluder.
Done.
oh, In case I have to work with an excluder I'll have to make sure the bees go through my hive to leave into open space. With this method it is more likely that the queen will come into my hive! I'll also need a method to seal off the way towards the excluder as soon as I'm sure the queen is in there. and then use the cone.
3rd following the process.
One week away from the job I'll go back to check inside the new hive I placed. Are there queencells?Is the queen in there in case of the excluder? In case of the cone: are the bees going in and out, or only out? (If they go both ways, the trap out has failed) If there are any other enterances, seal them off!2nd week away from the job check again, or if you did see queencells you might want to come back the 16'th day after you spotted them. If not check for eggs (old queen in there)
4th week check if there is room enough for the bees in the hive and if there are eggs (at this point there should be). Also check traffic through the cone if you used that method or install a cone if you didn't and the queen is in your box. (no traffic is what you want) To be sure there is no more bees in the wall use the cone method and wait 2 weeks before removing the cone.
6th week Let's say this is the time you should be able to remove the cone. Don't move your hive yet. If any honey or pollen are still inside the wall the bees should now rob it clean.
7th week (or 8th or 9th) Check for activity near the wall enterance. You shouldn't see any activity before you remove your hive. If you do spot activity make sure it's bees coming in with nothing and leaving preferably towards your hive. If you spot any bees going in there with pollen... Your trap out failed. Restart (using only the cone method)
I might make a new page on this blog with actual tips on how to do this so this does not get lost in time ... But no promisses there...
Bob Out
