Trapout pricing

[Moonshae]

Hi Folks,

I got a call today about a hive in a tree that the owner doesn't want to cut down. I'll give the trapout a shot, but how do you price that vs doing a cutout?

Doing a trapout is basically making a screen cone over the entrance and filling in any gaps so that the bees can't get back in, but they can get out through the small end of the cone. The opening in the cone should be the size of a pencil, right? Does the tip of the cone "plug into" the hive, or just open close to the entrance?

[Scadsobees]

The cone opening (large enough for a drone to get through one way) should go up and out, and then the trap hive as close to the base of the cone as possible, since that is where the returning bees will congregate.

Price for a trapout should have a few variables, especially distance, since the whole process take 3-4 weeks and you have to go back several times to make sure that the cone isn't clogged with drones and so on.  It will take you several hours to get it set up (depending on how high, hard it is, etc) but then each trip back shouldn't take too long unless you didn't get the hole closed off well or the cone gets clogged.

Chances are that after you give the price they will just empty a few cans of Raid into the cavity and then fill it up with spray foam.  But then again I'm a pessimist (and also cheap and I'd have done that before I was a beekeeper rather than spend $200 to get them out).

Rick

[JP]

Hi Folks,

I got a call today about a hive in a tree that the owner doesn't want to cut down. I'll give the trapout a shot, but how do you price that vs doing a cutout?

Doing a trapout is basically making a screen cone over the entrance and filling in any gaps so that the bees can't get back in, but they can get out through the small end of the cone. The opening in the cone should be the size of a pencil, right? Does the tip of the cone "plug into" the hive, or just open close to the entrance?

I believe Iddee on Beesource told me the opening should be large enough to accomodate two drones.

The cone does not go into the void.

The process is more like 4-6 weeks but because you haven't done any you can probably add at least a week to that. You can expect to replace the hive body at least twice depending on the size of the colony. I know Iddee has done some where he filled 4-5 boxes.


...JP

[Moonshae]

Ok, so the end of the cone goes near the entrance to the hive I have propped up nearby. Two drones would be what, a 7/16" hole? How do you guys normally hoist the hive that high for that long?

Do I need to bait the box with anything? Lemongrass oil? I don't have any drawn comb to spare, so I was planning to use starter strips. My equipment supply is pretty low right now, but more is on the way.

I'm not really worried about how long it will take, the site is very close to work and not inconvenient to check. Will the bees that fill the new hive feel attached to the old one, or will they act as a queenless hive, and start having laying workers after a time?

[JP]

You bait the hive with brood frames from one of your other hives.


...JP

[Moonshae]

Hmm. That could be a bit of a problem. I have some capped brood in a medium super from a cutout this weekend (assuming it's still capped), but all I have left are mediums, which I've been using as honey supers. If I can't get a frame of still-capped brood from that cutout, I'm stuck for brood in the size boxes I have available for the task. My deeps and frames are on order, but until I get them...I have nothing. Should I try to combine one of my nuc's bees into a current hive, and scavenge their frames for this? I might be able to put together one box.

[purvisgs]

all you need is a single frame of brood, steal it from your nuc or something else, replace with an empty frame  (i would even replace w/ med frame if I had to, and let them build off the bottom of it, but that is just me)

preferably with eggs, I have never tried just capped brood, not sure if this would work they wouldn't be able to raise a queen from it and this is generally part of the process, so ...

you might be able to get the bees to stick with just a frame of capped brood, then combine with another colony of your own.

you will need a fully functioning hive (w/ queen) after 6-8 weeks anyways to rob out all the honey stores.  why not give them something to do raising one..

don't count on getting the queen to leave/ or enter your hive