Trap out advice please

[Black Comb]

Bees are in a larder wall getting in and out through the air grid.
There is no chance of dismantling any stonework, which is old slate and a real swine to seal.
I've got a piece of foam over the grid which is now sealed all round (they tend to eat through this) and they come out into a box containing 2 porter escapes.

What do you advise after this?
shall i just let them out and not back? - perhaps placing a nuc nearby (2 -3 feet will be nearest) to mop up the foragers?

I can place the nuc (with all it's bees) underneath the trap-out box but I guess this will lead to fighting as the foragers emerge?

The nuc contains a lovely queen that's building up nicely and I don't want to put this at any risk.

The grid is at waist height so no access problems.

All suggestions welcome.

 

[Dishmop]

Easy enough to catch them as they leave but what about the queen? at what point will she leave? if at all? or do you not want to get her?

 

[oliver90owner]

No problem, by the sounds of it, of starving out the colony, by removing all foragers as they leave the wall. Just hope they don't have too much stores in there and use it all up.

You will need to cover the grill with a fine gauze to prevent access for future re-colonisation.

You can prevent the queen from absconding (unlikely anyway) by including a piece of Q/E in the system, and any foragers collected by another colony will only reinforce it. Good as long as healthy. Remember it may be varroa-ridden in the wall.....

Just write down all the things you observe, and then it is easy to list against each, a method of getting round any problem which may appear, even if only on paper.

Regards, RAB

 

[Black Comb]

Thanks.

No doubt the queen will eventually die off but all the bees will be saved.

So, is the nuc located close to the exit sufficient?

Thanks
Peter

 

[oliver90owner]

'3 feet, 3 mile' rule would apply, but closer is better and a bit more than a metre would likely work OK, as long as they don't actually cluster around the old exit and stay there!

Remember it may not take long to fill a nuc (with foraging bees) from a full colony.

I am, of course expecting you are only attracting the returning foragers to the nuc.

Regards, RAB