Bee Tree Trap Out - Success or Failure?

[@gabrielereed2691]

I’m a brand new bee keeper and two people have asked me to trap out established swarms in a barn and stucco wall... this video is nice because it shows me that I’m not failing... it shows me how incredibly smart bees are! Patience is definitely a virtue when trying to get “free” bees!

[@628DirtRooster]

They will definitely make you work for it.

[@richardreid2285]

I'm Glad I watched this! I have a Tree Removal to do and they Don't want the Tree harmed Being Newbie This helped tremendously!

[@conspiracylibrary2848]

My idea is to do what you did the first time, attach some type of hose long enough to connect to the funnel end, to the box opening. Love your videos! Lol i just rethought about that. They would then be able to go back to the old hive. Duhhh. Oh unless you connect it to another thing like the funnel. It will keep them going in one direction. The box would have to be escape proof too.

[@southernexposure123]

Sorry that one didn't work out so good for you. Last year I learned about a bee tree in a homeowner's yard that's a 25 mile drive one way from my house. The entrance is about chest high. After trying a few trapouts in my own home town and seeing how much attention they can demand I decided to not go after the one that's 25 miles one way. I think my trapout (Bucket Swarm Follow Up) is sort of working - they're maknig honey in my box - I haven't seen the queen in that box yet. I walk to that tree from my house - so if nothing else I'll gain a little honey. I have two more trees that are close enough to get starts out of if I can steal a queen cell from one of my hives. All this is brand new to me and I have a lot to learn. Thanks for the video.

[@628DirtRooster]

I'll take them on once in a while but they can be time consuming for sure. I've done a couple dozen trap outs and this is the first one that has gotten the best of me. I like the challenge they pose.

[@southernexposure123]

You mentioned your dad wanted to continue because of the challenge. How did he do?

[@628DirtRooster]

***** Haaa. I need to do a follow up video on that. He gave up too and with good reason. He had taken the cone off that I put on and another colony swarmed into the original space that I trapped them out of. He trapped the original colony out of the right side branch and they moved about twenty feet up the tree to a new hole then after he removed his cone another colony swarmed into the lower hole on the right side branch. In the end there were three colonies in that tree.

[@southernexposure123]

That would be an interesting video. Anyway its a hot location for getting bees. If it wasn't so far to drive it would be worth keeping a box at the entrance of each hive and just take the honey.

[@Danny65673]

They may be too stupid to figure out how to simply go back into the hole they departed from, but they sure are good at finding new ways back into the hive.

[@thebayouboy2]

Sometimes you get em,sometimes you dont...kind of like credit, and a couple of other things I know of. Good vid,,,Thanks for posting,

[@628DirtRooster]

Ha, that's right. Thanks

[@hairymeatloaf]

One of those things that it seemed like a lot of work to do at first but if you had just put the screen all the way down the first time it could've been done. lol

[@Fireater303]

You may have already answered this, but I didn't see an answer..... When using this method, will the Queen trap out as well? At what point will she leave the hive? How many days would this take when you have sealed the entrance? Thanks for the input!

[@628DirtRooster]

Fireater303 If you have a good seal you can get them out in as little as a week and up to around two weeks depending on the size and strength of the colony. This is just my theory but the queen will usually come out when she is no longer being cared for. That being said, I've only had about a 50% success rate of getting the queen. Also she needs to be able to walk into the box. I've discovered that they will more readily accept and ten frame deep than a nuc box. I've had success with nuc boxes but I've also had them bypass the box and leave. I don't recall ever losing a colony using a full size box. Hope this helps.

[@Danny65673]

I was thinking, why don't you get some clay or other home-clay-like stuff, and just fill in that whole crevice right up to covering up the bottom of the screen-material? You could clear it out after the trap-out is successful. If you used that stuff that crumbles like dirt easily, that might make clearing it out easier. Oh, nevermind, I spoke too soon. You did screen off the whole lower section.

[@ԳայանեՂահրամանյան-օ2ն]

The reason why it failed was because the hive was supposed to be positioned so that the tip of the cone was sticking inside the hive. Eventually the queen would end up in Your box.

[@628DirtRooster]

Գայանե Ղահրամանյան kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5u5oGavo5Zrqbc

[@garyswinney5891]

How do you get the queen out or does she come out with the rest of them

[@denniskillian9757]

Have you ever thought of having the cone go straight into the nuc box with another hole for them to get out and forage. That way they would have to go through the nuc with nice comb and a little honey in there. Seems like they may like the new home better than setting up somewhere else and starting from scratch.

[@628DirtRooster]

The cone through the box is a hassle and doesn't do anything special. When the bees who have been out before return they come back to the place they were already oriented to. When they return to a box without their queen the do everything they can to get back to the original hive. It's only when they give up that they start looking at other options. The size of the box helps determine if they'll stay or not. This was the last trap out I used a nuc box on. I've had much better success with a 10 frame box.

[@markreed6238]

Life would be dull without a missed shot now and again! Great job though

[@628DirtRooster]

If it was easy it wouldn't be interesting.

[@JustMe-JustBecause]

I’m gonna do my first forced abscond Fromm bee tree this weekend. Bulldozer is coming Monday so no time for trap out. How long should I keep the bees locked down after relocating to my yard? I’m familiar with the Dirtrooster 48 hour rule but would this apply? The bee tree is only 300 yards from my yard and since it’s coming down, I was thinking of cutting it open and trying to save some cone. Is it worth the effort? It’s a large colony. They emptied my 4 gallon top feeder in 3 days.

[@billcoley8520]

If that is tin and metal caulk that is some good stuff.

[@walnutvalleyoutdoors5070]

Randy will the queen come out of tree on a trap out or will you have to re queen the hive.

[@MegaDavyk]

Every trapout I have done is just like this, more trouble than they are worth.

[@628DirtRooster]

We usually get them but you are 100% correct. Way more trouble than they are worth. I turn most of them down.

[@samanthasimental3788]

Would it work to use plastic wrap to wrap the tree or would they chew on that.

[@628DirtRooster]

They probably couldn't chew through it fast enough.

[@julieenslow5915]

Rooster....wait. "i'm gonna borrow a hand grenade and blow this tree up." BORROW? LOL

[@628DirtRooster]

Yeah because no one will sell you one. LOL

[@julieenslow5915]

You are too funny!!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Sneaky bees. Win some, loose some. You tried, but you never know. And it IS a way of life, remember.

[@628DirtRooster]

They got me this time.

[@Johnfor3]

Have you ever used a box that bottomless so they can get into it very easy I made a box like that and have had good luck with it on a suborn hive that was in a brick house. I had it set up so I could just slide a bottom in.

[@628DirtRooster]

Never have tried that.

[@Johnfor3]

I think it is more like a natural hive to them and they move in faster

[@628DirtRooster]

John C I will be modifying my next trap out box but it will be so that the entrance of the box is closer to their hive entrance. This was the first trap out I did that they didn't go in the box and I've done quite a few. The bottomless box might be the route I take.

[@mushious]

Beequick in the new hive and hope they go into the box?

[@628DirtRooster]

We talked about that but because of the way the tree was the only thing we could spray would be the entrance

[@gazinta]

You cant borrow a hand grenade. You can borrow the PIN, but the hand grenade must be purchased.

[@JarodShapiro]

Its like Wil E Coyote chasing the Road Runner lol The bees didnt fall for your Acme box

[@blackhead57]

Hey Dirt Rooster, can the Bees chew their way throigh spry foam? Thanks, Paul

[@628DirtRooster]

Yep, pretty easy too.

[@mohamedhachi9312]

628DirtRooster ..what have you maked in box.....thanks

[@628DirtRooster]

+Mohamed Hachi The box has five Langstroth frames with plastic foundations and some lemon grass oil.

[@426superbee4]

Its hard to get em away from brood comb and honey, if you can trap there queen you'll got em hehehe idk either leave them be, and get some swarm off of them or cut the tree down. i seen scouts was looking at the box

[@628DirtRooster]

This guy wanted to be a beekeeper. He's just going to have to settle for having them in a tree.

[@426superbee4]

what i would do too if i like the tree and can get swarm off of them cheers bro

[@jodyreeder4820]

Where all bee's ever trapped? & what size hole did you make, for the trap out?

[@628DirtRooster]

I usually put a hole in the cone that my pinkie will fit in. To my knowledge they are still in that tree.

[@rchopp]

Well that's a bummer, I guess the bees just weren't having it this time..

[@628DirtRooster]

This is a first. Guess I'll have to learn to live with the disappointment. LOL

[@jecustomknives]

Man those must love those trees lol cool vid my friend! :)

[@628DirtRooster]

They sure didn't want to live in what I offered them.

[@justatool]

Is there any type of vacuum made for this type of extraction?

[@628DirtRooster]

***** None yet.

[@uncleharley1]

Had a trapout on an old house where they kept getting back in so I ended up switching to a Hogan style trapout were they had to exit through the trap and were free to come and go I also put a big tarp up to help cover all the holes once they were used to coming and going through the box I dropped a frame of eggs in and installed the cone and they never tried to go anywhere else after that, sometimes you have to get really creative

[@628DirtRooster]

If I ever have another one give me trouble like this I'l have to give that a try.

[@amathonn]

I'd say the frame of eggs/larvae is the secret.

[@AftabSatti-d4v]

What is time this praces

[@628DirtRooster]

I don't know what this means.

[@joegravel2488]

may i ask why those boxes are not bigger (like 4 feet by 8 feet )

[@majesticroofingllc927]

your cone exit where upper then being pointing to the nuc.

[@yoinkrust]

are u in america or australia

[@628DirtRooster]

Brendan Morton We're in America

[@pappysride]

How do you get the queen out?

[@628DirtRooster]

Phill Jowers She walks out and hopefully walks to the box. Sometimes we don't get her for whatever reason and we just requeen the colony.

[@NatashaFenwick]

did you ever get the bees out?

[@628DirtRooster]

Got them out of that hole but they moved farther up the tree.

[@ikeishaoliver2407]

They don't want to cut the trees down too many holes for the bees, you gonna lose this one

[@628DirtRooster]

I did lose that one. The bees went up to another hole. I'm working on one now though that I pretty much have done. There will be a video.

[@TheRedneckprepper]

I guess some times ya win n some times ya have to move on . mother nature ! look i think i can post comments !

[@628DirtRooster]

So glad you dodged the tornadoes. Hope all the rain didn't wash you out.

[@matchfishinguk6986]

Queen at 4.17

[@JOCKATEO]

should have covered the tree with plastic tarpaulin

[@628DirtRooster]

LOL

[@Briannajea]

what about the queen

[@628DirtRooster]

Sometimes you get her and sometimes not.

[@lost94133]

put a queen in the box you bring

[@628DirtRooster]

+lost94133 They won't accept her.

[@johnlamarca9439]

Won't a smoker get them out? And into your man-made hive? Just smoke both trees.

[@628DirtRooster]

No that won't do it.

[@426superbee4]

hehehe i don't chase bee's they come to me lmao

[@matthewpillsbury7403]

why didn't you just screen the entire area all the way down from the start?

[@larkbird9247]

first thing I thought of, too!

[@jessicaporter3492]

he said he didn't really want to do that but I'm with you, he should have just gone and done it anyways.

[@keithcoffin9161]

would it do any good to put a brood frame and a frame of honey in the box Randy ?

[@justtube4602]

Was it really successful?

[@628DirtRooster]

Yes and no. We got them out of one hole in a tree only to have them move to another. The tree had so many places for the bees to run we just gave up on it. So in the sense that we trapped them out we were successful. They just outsmarted us another way.

[@dafrogtoad]

Sigh..SOMETIMES...

[@PopsShack]

I think we can chalk this one up to the bees. There's no way you can win here.

[@628DirtRooster]

Yes Sir!

[@628DirtRooster]

Pop's Shack Sometimes they just aren't worth the effort.

[@captainjjz7141]

What about the queen? How do you get her out?

[@markwelsch940]

Thanks for another great video! Did your Dad win or did the bees beat him too? I had a similar problem with my first tree trap out in 2019. It was an old maple tree with many cracks into the hive almost 10 feet long from top to bottom and 5 feet from side to side around the tree. Lucky for me I could get lots of old metal screens for free from local hardware stores where they fix screen doors and windows. When I was done, that tree had more screens on it than most houses! I would not give up and finally got all of the bees out of that tree. I learned to look very closely at cracks in the tree and if I couldn't see where it ends, assume bees could get through it to the hive. After several weeks of trial and error I filled that hive with smoke, hoping I could all of the cracks with smoke coming out of them. To my surprise the only place smoke came out of was on the other side of the tree from the bee hive entrance and about 9 feet lower. There was a large, hollow opening where a large branch had been removed many years earlier. I put a screen over that 8 inch hole immediately. But I never saw one bee show any interest in that hole. Maybe the cracks inside the tree were large enough for smoke, but not large enough for bees, to get through.

[@mmdirtyworkz]

Would it be possible to put the "tunnel/funnel end" of the wire inside the trap box? That way they would have to go through it and might like it more as they explore it?

[@628DirtRooster]

Doesn't really help. They will always try to go back to the original hive until they realized there is no hope and then they explore other places to live. This can take days. I've set up my trap and come back two days layer to place a box and still caught them.

[@mmdirtyworkz]

628DirtRooster ok, thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!

[@sallietillman1997]

I like to know how you make the trap, I have tree need to do trap out as well, mine tree is more nice, my tree is just round hole I use my bee vac but did not get all of them, like to do it this time with trap out.

[@beebob1279]

Can't win them all.

[@jessicaporter3492]

I think I would have picked a new bee trapper to do this job after all this time.

[@danameable]

at least you got swarms still to cold up here grrrrr that's it make room i'm moving in

[@628DirtRooster]

Stop and pick up some milk and laundry detergent on the way. It'll save me a trip. LOL

[@danameable]

lol

[@papasplace2]

We live and learn.... who'd have thunk it.....lol Take care

[@628DirtRooster]

I've been shut down by bees. That's just insane.

[@billcoley8520]

Omg to funny

[@thatchersthatcher4449]

I made a tunnel from the tree to the bottom board of my box. The bees then traveled through it get in and out of the tree. Two weeks later they moved the queen into my box and I got a new hive.

[@628DirtRooster]

Nice! It's always fun when they go that easy.

[@amathonn]

Have you ever succeeded with just lemon grass oil and no brood in your trapout box?

[@628DirtRooster]

Yes, I typically only add old brood comb or freshly waxed foundations and maybe some lemon grass oil.

[@smokeydabeecharlescoleman8365]

That's too funny!!!

[@628DirtRooster]

+Smokeydabee Charles Coleman This was the last time I used a nuc for a trap box.

[@Tatorhead1234]

Impeach trump and on your channel....

[@628DirtRooster]

What??

[@Tatorhead1234]

@@628DirtRooster sorry, I mean to say "you had an impeach Trump ad on your video".

[@628DirtRooster]

@@Tatorhead1234 Oh! LOL I didn't know where you were going with that.

[@AlexanderSilver1996]

Been practising with your editing again? haha

[@628DirtRooster]

Alexander Silver Ha! Had to cover DaFrogToad's face. He's shy. lol

[@auricom8472]

Smart Bees

[@628DirtRooster]

+MIDNIHT SUN For sure!

[@watchmanwatcher]

Are these first year learners? A good mentor could show you how easy it is if you learn to do it right.