Welcome back to the Bee Sanctuary! Today we’re in Dainfern, dealing with a colony of African honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata) that has claimed a beautiful, ancient tree. To preserve the tree’s structural integrity and natural beauty, we decided against a destructive cutout and opted for a trap-out.

A trap-out is a game of “all or nothing.” If the bees have a back door, the front door trap won’t work. Here is how we managed a tricky installation and the “reboot” required to make it successful.

Phase 1: Identifying the Entrances

Bees are master opportunists. While they were primarily using a main hole at chest height, this tree had several suspicious cavities:

• The Smoke Test: I puffed smoke into the main entrance to see where it would exit. If smoke drifts out of a branch 10 feet up, it means the internal cavity is interconnected, and the bees will simply switch exits once we block the first one.
• The Hollow Branch: One large branch sounded completely hollow. We had to assume it was part of the hive’s “territory” and prep to seal it off using Fabu-fill (polyester insulation).

Phase 2: Building the Gasket and Cone

Because a tree isn’t a flat surface, attaching a square bait box is a challenge.

• The Custom Gasket: I created a foam-and-mesh gasket around the main hole to ensure a flush fit.
• The Double-Cone System: For extra security, I used two one-way cones—one at the tree entrance and another inside the bait box. This allows foragers to leave the tree but makes it nearly impossible for them to navigate back in.
• Baiting the Box: I filled the trap box with frames of fresh wax sheets. The goal is for the “homeless” foragers to settle onto these frames and begin building a new home while they wait for the Queen to join them.

Phase 3: The 30-Day Reboot

When I returned 30 days later, I saw the classic sign of a failed trap: bees were still happily flying in and out of the tree through a previously unnoticed gap near the top and a crevice on the side.

• The Sting of Realisation: While inspecting the new holes without my full suit, a guard bee gave me a “welcome back” sting right on the lip! It was a sharp reminder that scutellata don’t appreciate a “failed” landlord.
• The Full Seal: I had to “reboot” the trap. This meant stuffing every single crack, nodule, and hollow branch with as much Fabu-fill as possible. I effectively turned the trunk into a sealed vault, forcing every single bee to use the one-way cone.

Phase 4: Final Collection

Success in a trap-out is measured by the Queen’s movement. Once she realizes her workers are all living in the “new apartment” outside and there’s no food coming in, she eventually follows them.

• The Queen Guard: I fitted a guard on the front of the box. This ensures that once the Queen enters the box, she can’t lead a secondary swarm away to another tree.
• The “Clean” Exit: After another few weeks, the tree was silent. We removed the equipment, cleaned the propolis and wax from the bark, and successfully relocated a very strong swarm to the apiary.

The Verdict: Persistence Wins

Trap-outs require multiple visits and a keen eye for “bee leaks.” By being more stubborn than the bees and sealing the tree properly, we saved the colony and left the tree exactly as we found it.

Want to see the “Fat Lip” from that guard bee sting?

Check out our Trap-Out Failures & Fixes Video for a real look at the hazards of the job. Don’t forget to Subscribe and hit the Like button to support our mission!