Removal of bees from brick pillar

[Rich0909]

Had a call Sunday afternoon from an elderly lady who had a swarm arrive on Friday on the side of her driveway entrance pillar, bees gradually entered the pillar over the weekend.
I went to have a look and it is a one and a half brick square pillar about 3' high with a concrete capping. There is a small gap in the cement under the cap where the bees are entering. I reckon the hollow center of the pillar can only be about 13cm / 5" square.
Plan A is to remove cap (cement is old and weak so shouldn't be hard), remove any attached comb they have built and attached bees in to skep. Place skep over top of pillar, drill hole at base of pillar through to core and smoke into this to drive them up.
Anyone have any better ideas or advice? The lady would like to keep the gate pillar so demolition not an option!

Rich

 

[YorkshireBees]

Had a call Sunday afternoon from an elderly lady who had a swarm arrive on Friday on the side of her driveway entrance pillar, bees gradually entered the pillar over the weekend.
I went to have a look and it is a one and a half brick square pillar about 3' high with a concrete capping. There is a small gap in the cement under the cap where the bees are entering. I reckon the hollow center of the pillar can only be about 13cm / 5" square.
Plan A is to remove cap (cement is old and weak so shouldn't be hard), remove any attached comb they have built and attached bees in to skep. Place skep over top of pillar, drill hole at base of pillar through to core and smoke into this to drive them up.
Anyone have any better ideas or advice? The lady would like to keep the gate pillar so demolition not an option!

Rich

I don't think you will need the smoke. If they have not been in there that long and you remove any comb you find attached to the cap I bet they will probably walk into the skep without the smoke.

 

[oliver90owner]

As YB. I reckon that would suffice, especially if there is some comb fixed in - and more especially if it contains open brood.

Beequick into the hole at the bottom might be more effective than smoke, but care with either as they might just abscond!