Second swarm of the season

[SlickMick]

Got a call this afternoon about a swarm on this lady's wall outside her lounge room. It was about the size of a child's head about 2 metres off the ground. She lived close by so I went around. Well the swarm was about the size of a softball or less. I observed it for a little while and I realised it was getting smaller.

The bees were entering the cavity between the brick outside and the plasterboard wall inside. You sure could hear them through the inside wall.

So I got to the swarm just an hour or so too late.

Because we dont seem to have the repellants you guys have access to in the US I plugged up about 50 or so holes in the brickwork and went home to make up a cone. When I got back there were bees all along the wall looking for places to get in. Some were even trying to get out of others when I removed the plug. Good thing that I had plugged up all the holes I could find.

Anyhow, the long and short of it is, is that the colony is inside the wall. I have no way of encouraging them to leave except that I have left one hole with the cone on it.

Question is how should I proceed?

I was hoping that I did not have to do a full trap out as I really dont have the time to deal with it and in any case it would be my first.. not that I want the experience. I have a box that I can mount on the wall but I am reluctant to put frames of brood in it as we are just now coming into spring. Can I mount a box and hope that the bees will find their way in???

Mick