Bait and switched.

[Zweefer]

I had two hives at one yard that both died over winter (one starved with honey about an inch from the cluster, and the other got wet).  Not the point of my story though...

I went to the yard to remove the boxes and get them prepped for the next occupants, when I saw several honeybees around a one hive.  I quickly got another box ready with ten frames of honey from another dead out with plans to give them an extra bit of food in case it got cold again (still freezing at night up this way).

Opened the hive to have a quick look see and found a dead cluster of bees.
Upon looking further, I found several bees in said hive, but no signs of a queen, nor queen activity.

Looked at the girls coming and going, and although I have never attempted bee lining, was able to see them heading towards the forest near the property.   I think a feral colony found the unused stores in this hive.  I am tempted to let them rob it so they can build up and then try and track down the hive...

I have about 25 frames of honey in storage, so that isn't really an issue.

Just sucks I went from the exaltation of my bees are still alive to the unhappy realization I was right the first time.

[Bakersdozen]

That would be interesting Zweefer.  Investing a frame or two of honey to learn something new might be fun.  Aren't we a peculiar lot?

[Zweefer]

Yes we are.   I moved the frames though because I plan to keep bees there again, and don't want a stronger hive thinking there is free food at that location... Might spell doom for the package that gets out there in a month or two...

[Zweefer]

Guess what I just found!!!!!!

[Zweefer]

Video and another photo.  Of course it is in one of the biggest trees in the immediate area...


EDIT : changed from Vemo to YouTube as video wasn't working...

[Lburou]

Z, sorry to hear about your bee failure.  I read a recommendation to put the entire super of drawn comb in a sealed garbage bag (not a thin one), freeze it and store it.  It works for me!  When you freeze the super inside the bag, there is no condensation on the frames after thawing, and the bag keeps the moths out as long as you don't tear the corners.  Freezing a super should be easy for you up there (:understatement:).  Again, sorry for your losses, hang in there. 

[brooksbeefarm]

I would remove the hive if i was going to put another one there and set a swarm catcher hive about 100 ft from the feral hive with empty drawn comb.Like Lburou said freeze the honey frames and keep them for the new start up hives. JMHO. Jack

[Zweefer]

Now that I know the location, the hive that was moved, has been removed (if that makes sense?).

So brooks, your recommendation is to leave the feral hive, and just hope to catch a swarm off it?

[Perry]

Catch a swarm off it, or if you are adventurous, try a trap out.
I have 2 dead outs and the last time I was in a yard that had one of them there was more activity than you could shake a stick at. Pretty deceiving (the robbers).
Excellent job on bee lining, you did very well.

[brooksbeefarm]

Zweefer, Yes, that's just me. I have caught several swarms from feral hives by setting swarm traps in the area of feral hives, at my age i don't try to do trap outs over 10 ft. off the ground any more , never had much luck doing trap outs 15 to 20 ft. up in trees anyway, they always find another entrance somewhere . I have two different neighbors that have a feral hive in there yards (high in a tree) that have called 3 times each in the same year for swarms from there feral hive, so found it's better to set swarm traps than doing trap outs. Jack

[Lburou]

In my mind's eye, I saw a PVC pipe in that opening, turning 90 degrees down and coursing to a box at waist height full of a drawn comb and a cone screen.  The box would be full of bees in no time.  Of course, you'd have to seal around the PVC pipe as it enters the tree.  See the recent thread on Cleo Hogan trap out Added: Plus iddee's thread and video on trapouts.  I'd wait until spring there in WI.

[LazyBkpr]

You already realized what I was going to say. Teaching them that there is food at the hive location you want to re use might not be a good idea....
   As far as trying to catch a feral swarm? I prefer not to have the competition with my bees if possible, so I DO trap out feral hives when I find them that close, and add them to my own collection. Chances are, they were from one of my hives to begin with. Set them up like Lee said, give them eggs, they will make a queen and you have another hive. It looks like a smaller branch, but its hard to tell how big the cavity is. You might get a couple boxes of bees out of it. A good start to a couple more hives!
   "All four of my Wayne's bees hives survived the winter, so I will be making queens for a LOT of splits this year from them. Provided things dont continue to go horribly awry as spring progresses. Two of them already have your name on them."

[tedh]

Wayne's queens?  Oh man add me to the list!   Ted

[iddee]

Com'on, Ted. You know those southern bees won't live up there.   

[Zweefer]

Wow. Don't know what to say to that Scott.... Thanks.

Now about this whole trap out thing... I'm in.  Will start reading all I can on it, will welcome any and all advise from here on out! 
I assume I need to wait until I have other bees that I can steal a frame of eggs/larvae from before starting this? 

[iddee]

http://www.worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,29.0.html

[Zweefer]

Thanks idee. I don't say that enough. 
Thank you.

[Zweefer]

In my mind's eye, I saw a PVC pipe in that opening, turning 90 degrees down and coursing to a box at waist height full of a drawn comb and a cone screen.  The box would be full of bees in no time.  Of course, you'd have to seal around the PVC pipe as it enters the tree.  See the recent thread on Cleo Hogan trap out.  I'd wait until spring there in WI.

That sounds like a plan!  Does the size of the pipe matter?

[tedh]

One of our strongest hives, if not THE strongest, is the Wayne's hive here at my house. It was a mild winter but even with that I'm gladly going to try to put "all my eggs in one basket" and requeen all our hives with Wayne's Queens.  Wouldn't argue with anyone: Northern/Southern bees,  but I personally, am unafraid!     Ted

[Lburou]

In my mind's eye, I saw a PVC pipe in that opening, turning 90 degrees down and coursing to a box at waist height full of a drawn comb and a cone screen.  The box would be full of bees in no time.  Of course, you'd have to seal around the PVC pipe as it enters the tree.  See the recent thread on Cleo Hogan trap out.  I'd wait until spring there in WI.

That sounds like a plan!  Does the size of the pipe matter?

I suppose the air handling capability of the pipe might matter.  It needs to allow the hive enough air to survive and at the same time direct the bees to suit your plans.  With a long pipe, you could do one of two things that come to mind:  1) Incorporate a small window of screen at the original entrance, or, 2) Drill small holes in the first two feet of the pipe closest to the original entrance.

I suppose a two inch pipe would be enough to  go that far and still get air to the colony, but a 1 inch ID pipe with a small screen vent at original entrance would do.  Put the pipe with vent in place early and let the bees get used to it, then,  when you are ready, add the length of pipe down to where you can articulate it with a box.  Unless you can borrow iddee's scaffolding...