Anatomy of a bee tree trapout
Post date: Apr 07, 2018 2:18:14 AM
by bchains
I’d like to take a moment and show what a bee tree trap out looks like. Here is a heritage oak tree with a very wide 6 inch opening that bees are using to fly in and out of an established colony.
The best approach in a situation like this is to construct a one-way exit out of number eight hardware cloth consisting of a flat sheet covering the opening and in the center of 4 to 6 inch cone that acts as a one-way exit.
This completely sealed the opening allows bees to leave and return but not get back into the tree. Within A few inches a bee box is hung with its entrance immediately facing the exit point. Inside this box are a few frames of old black brood comb and honey. This entices the returning foragers who find themselves trapped out of the tree to enter the box and set up shop there.
Over the course of 3 to 4 weeks the baby bees mature through several life stages and once they become foragers leave the tree and return to join the others in the box. Once the queen realizes that she is now alone exits and joins her colony in the box.
The box is then removed and taken away to a new location and the tree permanently sealed so that no new bees can enter and colonize. Trapout complete!