Trap-Out into active colony

[landellapiaries]

I started a trap out today that needed to be done asap.  The colony was in a tree at a doctors office complex, and they were afraid of patients getting stung.  I figured it was kind of late to let the bees raise their own queen in my area (Upstate New York), so I am trying to do the trap out with a nuc with a few frames of established bees.

As soon as the hive entrance was closed off, bees began heading into the deep I transferred the nuc into.  There was a bit of fighting right way, but didn't seem too bad.  The guard bees in the deep checked out the bees from the colony I'm trapping out basically 1 by 1.  I am going to give this a day or so and then check the progress.  I am hoping the guard bees will settle down and allow all to enter, but if not I'm going to pull the box and put a empty deep with drawn frames and do a newspaper combine into one of my other hives.

I'll post what I'm seeing here and if it is working or not.

[iddee]

I think it will work out OK, but if you decide to put a different box up, be sure to give them a frame of brood, even if it's older brood. They won't have any reason to go into an empty box.

[landellapiaries]

Checked the trap out about 0445 today.  There are about 8 frames of bees in the bait hive!  There were no dead bees from fighting on the platform and no signs of another entry into the trap out colony.  I did not however look for the queen to make sure they did not kill her, but I need to switch out the body in another day or so and I'll find out then.

I'll bait the next hive body with a frame of mixed eggs and open/capped brood.