[Iddee]

I got my first call today. Looks like it will be a trap out rather than a cut out. I'll update after I check it out.

 

[trumpet01]

Keep me updated.

 

[Iddee]

Set the platform today. Will be setting the trap tomorrow or Sat. afternoon.

 

[Iddee]

We made the setup today. Began with setting the cone and sealing around it with silicone.

Next we set the box with 9 frames, some foundation, some drawn comb.

Then the frame with brood and eggs was placed as the second frame from the wall of the house.

We spent the next two hours watching them gather at possible alternative entrances and filling them with silicone.

When we finished, it looked like this.

We will check again tomorrow for bees exiting, any entrances we missed, and the overall condition of the set up. Then either get a call from the owner, or check it ourselves, once or twice weekly.

 

[Iddee]

I checked the trap today and everything looks good. I watched the cone for an hour and a half, from 1:00 PM until 2:30 PM. There was a steady exodus of 5 to 10 bees per minute, and some had taken up residence in the hive enough to be leaving it and going straight to the fields. Others returning were going immediately into the hive with pollen on both hind legs. So far, so good. They had NOT found any new entrances, so I don't think they will after this time.

I didn't open the hive, so I don't know if I lost the brood last night. We had a heavy frost, but hopefully there were enough bees to cover it. I will check for queen cells next weekend, and if I don't have them, I will install another frame with eggs.

 

[red rambler]

We did not get frost in town.

 

[trumpet01]

Thanks for taking the time to post your pics and info. Jim <><

 

[Iddee]

Checked the trap today. Had 8 frames of bees and 2 nice, capped queen cells. It's going just fine so far. I would like to change out the box and start another, but the weather forecast is not looking so good. My next move will be a gamble, as to when to change it out without the new brood frame and eggs chilling before there's enough bees to cover it. Hopefully we will have one sunny, 65 degree day within the next week when I can exchange the boxes with a good amount of foragers out in the field. That should be enough to cover one frame of brood until more leave the house. I HOPE>>>

 

[Iddee]

Rather than putting an empty box and a frame of brood on the trap, I had a queenright hive from a cut out that only had two frames of bees. I decided to put it on and let them gain population from the house. Ski and I made the change about 3:30 this afternoon. I'll now wait a week and see if they accepted the queen or killed her and raised a new one.

 

[Beav]

Very nice pictures.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Iddee]

It has rained here daily since I changed boxes on the trap. Today is the first decent flying day we have had. When I arrived, there was a mass exodus coming out of the cone. A half dozen or more waiting to come out. Here is what it looked like 30 minutes later, when I was ready to leave.

Overall, the trap out has been textbook. I just hope Murphy doesn't step in and mess things up.

I am also teaching SKI to be dumb, like me. With his beesuit on the ground and him on the ladder. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[No_Bivy]

I see pollen coming into the new hive......is there a new queen?

 

[Iddee]

I think you missed this post, made Mar. 31....................

>>>>Rather than putting an empty box and a frame of brood on the trap, I had a queenright hive from a cut out that only had two frames of bees. I decided to put it on and let them gain population from the house. Ski and I made the change about 3:30 this afternoon.<<<<

 

[Iddee]

Removed the second box today. 7 frames of bees in near a cluster mode. It was still cool when we got there and they hadn't fully spread out yet. I would guess there is 9 frames of bees when the temp hits 60 and sunny. With 7 frames of drawn comb and three of foundation, they were all on the drawn.

We replaced it with a medium, with a frame containing eggs, larva, pollen and honey. Trying to get a medium nuc started with this one

 

[Iddee]

Ski checked the trap today. The medium super we put on had 4 frames of bees in the middle of the day. Bees were flying and foragers were bringing in from the fields. I'm guessing there will be 6 frames of bees tonight when they are all in the box. There were still bees exiting the cone. There was one queen cell, still open and full of royal jelly.
Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since the trap was set. The two hives I have gotten from it are doing quite well. This one will be ski's. He uses all mediums. It is coming along good, and they are still coming out from the house. We will check it again next week and possibly add another medium.

 

[Iddee]

Ski checked the trap today. He found 4 capped queen cells. This will be the third hive from this trap out.

 

[Iddee]

We checked the trap Yesterday. The number of bees doesn't seem to be increasing. There are still bees exiting now and then, but very few. I think it is winding down. Another week and I expect to see no more bees exiting. Then it will be time to remove the cone and allow the bees to clean out the house.

 

[Iddee]

Ski checked the trap today. Still had 4 frames of bees, same as for the last two weeks. That says the house is empty. Haven't seen a bee exit the cone for a week. He removed the cone so they can begin the clean up.

 

[Hobie]

When you do this, where is the original queen? Does she stay in the house and perish?

 

[Iddee]

One chance out of 50, she's in the box. The other 49 times she absconds with the last handful of bees.