Author Topic: gonna try to trap a tree out (Read 12386 times)

Gypsi · « **on:** September 02, 2014, 07:06:35 pm »

The bees are in poor condition. The swarm call came in to bee club on Friday, no one got there, so the homeowner called someone off the internet. This wasn't a swarm, but the bees are not hot either. Homeowner has been running a lawnmower around them without issue all year.

Then came the internet bee rescuers: I got over there this morning after dropping off the last grand. Some bee removal person from the internet, forgot the hose for their bee vac, tore up the hive fairly well and sprayed them with soapy water, before declaring them aggressive and suitable to kill. They are not aggressive. I stood a foot from the tree poking around inside and they did not try to sting. About 1/3 to 1/2 seem to have survived the soapy water, pile of dead bees at the base of the tree, most of their brood is destroyed and I doubt they had many stores with the drought. Going to set up a trap out and bring what I can catch home. No way to cut out without killing his tree. He's getting windowscreen, I can handle the rest, probably not doing a Hogan style trap this time.

I've just read Iddee's trap out instructions. The bee tree has a 6 foot vertical slit, and a side entrance about 1.5 inches in diameter about 4 feet off the ground. I think I am going to totally cover the vertical slit with windowscreen, screwed on with pipe strap reinforcement and silicone seal as well. Mount the trap out to the small side entrance.

Wish me luck!

Gypsi

CpnObvious · « **Reply #1 on:** September 02, 2014, 07:23:15 pm »

Good luck! Post some pics!

Perry · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2014, 09:08:31 pm »

Go get'em, the alternative can't be worse. It sounds like you'll be doing this standing on the ground so that's a plus. Pics would be great.

iddee · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2014, 09:42:11 pm »

You could use your weakest hive and boost it's numbers. They will join together without fighting.

Good Luck.

Jen · « **Reply #4 on:** September 02, 2014, 09:46:45 pm »

I would like to see more bee tree stuff, looking forward to this story Gypsi

riverbee · « **Reply #5 on:** September 02, 2014, 09:47:46 pm »

sending you some good mojo gypsi! good luck to ya' !!!!

and......

......if you can!

looking forward to any update from you.....

Gypsi · « **Reply #6 on:** September 02, 2014, 09:53:58 pm »

well here is the photo. going to seal this long crevice in with window screen, edges reinforced with pipestrap, screws and GE Silicone II. Small opening on the side is about 1.5 inches in diameter. Making cone tonight, hoping I can get a frame of eggs and brood from my ladies in the morning. Homeowner is a nice guy, loves this old hackberry (which a strong wind will probably bring down but I am not gonna break his heart telling him that.). He is quite disappointed at the pile of dead bees left by the soapy water sprayed by the bee removal people he found on the internet that promised to take them for free, forgot their hose and killed most of them.

Bees are very calm so I think the queen is still there. Anyway here is the pic, I have to do the cone tonight so silicone can cure on it.
http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n406/gypsi_fw/16f2700a-d3e7-4ae5-a2d1-56e58185cedd_zps45f37e6a.jpg

riverbee · « **Reply #7 on:** September 02, 2014, 11:38:12 pm »

thanks for the update and photo gypsi!

good luck!

Gypsi · « **Reply #8 on:** September 03, 2014, 11:50:37 pm »

ok, putting the images in order, there is a description. Exhausted need a shower and bed.

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n406/gypsi_fw/Bee%20and%20Garden%20Stuff/Bees/beetree%20trapout%20Sep%203%202014/screenconecloseup_zpse935e768.jpg

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n406/gypsi_fw/Bee%20and%20Garden%20Stuff/Bees/beetree%20trapout%20Sep%203%202014/initialtowerposition_zpsaab9824c.jpg

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n406/gypsi_fw/Bee%20and%20Garden%20Stuff/Bees/beetree%20trapout%20Sep%203%202014/treesealed_zps7d3b3d63.jpg

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n406/gypsi_fw/Bee%20and%20Garden%20Stuff/Bees/beetree%20trapout%20Sep%203%202014/towerattachedside_zps0581e336.jpg

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n406/gypsi_fw/Bee%20and%20Garden%20Stuff/Bees/beetree%20trapout%20Sep%203%202014/towerattachedfront_zps54fd6a71.jpg

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n406/gypsi_fw/Bee%20and%20Garden%20Stuff/Bees/beetree%20trapout%20Sep%203%202014/cone2nucbees_zps3afe1f8b.jpg

There is a frame of fresh eggs and young brood. Some of the nurse bees would not stay with their hive so they came along, hope all goes well; it was my younger hive and queen's frame, they really couldn't spare it, but neither could the big hive.

On the bright side, last week's cutout seems to have a queen, the size open brood I saw sure looks too small for what I put in on Monday

Jen · « **Reply #9 on:** September 04, 2014, 01:10:38 am »

Gypsi... You're amazing... with I was a mouse in your shirt pocket watching you and your bees

Perry · « **Reply #10 on:** September 04, 2014, 08:44:40 am »

Hey Gypsi, good on you for giving this a go!
Any chance you could turn your box sideways so that the base of the cone is closer to the the entrance? The tip of the cone doesn't need to be close, the base of the cone should be.
Something like this.

Gypsi · « **Reply #11 on:** September 04, 2014, 09:33:32 am »

hmm, Perry maybe. the tilt on the suport due to the tilt on the land to get close to the tree, not sure I can

iddee · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2014, 10:00:16 am »

Lay a board under the tree side of the box to level it after turning it 90 degrees. What Perry said is very important in a trap out.

Gypsi · « **Reply #13 on:** September 04, 2014, 10:14:53 am »

Jen you would want an a/c unit in that pocket, it was about 110 in my suit yesterday, lol.

Perry, I'm going to look over there around noon today, but if I turn it, it will have west (hot) wind entering the hive full face on, and if it rains this weekend, not just rain. That is a solid bottom board, sturdier for its perch. I am not sure whether turning it would be a good idea. I can't turn it east without reworking the whole "perch" and that was not an easy perch. What do you think on wind/rain entry into the nuc?

Perry · « **Reply #14 on:** September 04, 2014, 03:14:15 pm »

I would think as along as it slopes so that rain runs out you would be fine. It's given that the bees return to the base of the cone when returning, and will find and enter the box with brood much quicker if the entrance is right there. I'm not saying what you have won't work, but changing it would be well worth the effort.

Gypsi · « **Reply #15 on:** September 04, 2014, 05:41:00 pm »

I made the effort, it isn't perfect, photo later, but those little nurse bees on the eggframes seem to be telling the hive bees to hit the road, and of course the hive bees aren't showing up with groceries either. Hoping things improve, I saw a field of goldenrod, big one, less than a mile from that hive.

Perry · « **Reply #16 on:** September 04, 2014, 08:58:10 pm »

You've done all a person can, the rest is up to the bees. The goldenrod will hopefully be giving up nectar if it's not too dry there.

Gypsi · « **Reply #17 on:** September 05, 2014, 12:27:01 am »

When I got half an inch of rain a couple of weeks ago these people got 2 inches. Our rain now comes in spots where 2 inches fall in an hour, and 10 miles away nothing fell at all. So the bees there, were it not for the guys that sprayed them with soapy water, would have been in fair shape for food. Thank you all for your help

Gypsi · « **Reply #18 on:** September 16, 2014, 07:26:38 pm »

UPDATE: Just talked to my homeowner. What with sick dogs and busy ponds and aquarium fish trying to die on me I haven't been over there in 10 days. Bees hardly mess with the screened in tree at all, no bees visible inside tree, the box is occupied and bees come and go from it, 2 or 3 guard bees looked him over but not aggressive.

I just ordered 2 queens. Homeowner's question, and mine, is whether the queen came out and joined them in the box. It will probably be Friday before I can get over there and look, unless I get off work early tomorrow. The eggs I took over there are 13 days old now. Not sure what I will find when I open the box but sure after a day in heat and humidity I am too tired for ladder work today, so I just ordered queens.

Iddee? Anyone else? Am I likely to find the queen in the box? The soapy water guys destroyed most of their hive before I got, there, might she come and move into my cozy little nuc box?

iddee · « **Reply #19 on:** September 16, 2014, 09:37:29 pm »

The eggs will be queens by Friday. If you have a virgin queen, you may not see her. Look for an area with polished cells and pollen/honey around them. If the tree queen came out and went in the hive, you will have eggs.

The tree hive likely was overtaken by SHB, so the bees are not going back in.