This hive has been in this tree for over 3 years. I used #8 hardware cloth to make a cone with an opening at the end big enough for a bee to exit while removing dead ones. Since I don’t know how big the hive is, It’ll probably take a few weeks to complete. If the nuc fills up too quickly, I’ll put another box in it’s place and then combine those bees to one of my other hives. So far they have been very gentle to work with, no suit or smoke needed during my set-up.
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Hi Bruce
I was just wondering if your trap out technique is working & where did you find your information on the trap out method. I am about to have a go at one myself & all information to help me would be wonderful. The hive is in a horse stable tree & the owner said I could try to remove them as he is going to kill them if I do not succeed.
I do not want to see that happen & I could use the bee's to expand
The colony turned out to be quite large, took nearly 3 boxes away full that I added to other hives, before the queen left and entered the last box. I transferred full frames from the last nuc I had on the tree to one of my flow boxes, plenty of brood. I really didn’t expect to get the queen, but was pleasantly surprised I did.
Make a cone out of #8 hardware cloth and nail(roofing nails) it over the entrance. the opening at the tip of the cone should be about the size of your pinky finger. Then look around the tree for other possible entrances and screen them over. After the cone is in place, watch the bees to see if they figure out a way to crawl back inside, any little crack and they will exploit it.
This trapout took almost a full month to complete, afterwards I also sealed the tree to prevent recolonization.
If you need more info, there’s plenty on the web, check youtube, I’m sure there are “how to” videos there…
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Thank you heaps Bruce… 
Another question ?? How do you add the first captured bee’s to your other hives at home.
My biggest problem is I live on a Cattle Station 100 km from Darwin & am unable to contact or talk with other keepers, so am a self taught novice and am also a foundation member of flow hive.
regards
Allen
I put a screen between them, with newspaper on top of that. Mainly because the first time I did it, they chewed though the paper quite fast and half the bees flew back to the tree a few blocks away. So adding the screen between the boxes and a feeder on top, I let them sit inside for several days before removing the screen and joining the colonies.
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Thank you Bruce for your reply & information. I am in the middle of my first capture & the first week is going well, they are using the box OK.
regards
Allen
Rookie question but I’m getting ready to do my first trap out. Is there a reason that the bees that leave through the screen cone can’t find their way back through the same opening?
TYIA
Robert
If you extend the cone away from the entrance, the bees will go back to that entrance they are oriented to. Make sure the end of the cone is small & prickly. If you place a frame of open brood right next to the entrance, the returning bees wont take long to be attracted to the open brood. Do this early morning so that you get all day for a good lot of bees to get trapped out.
Once the frame of open brood is completely covered in bees, place it inside a brood box, flanked with fresh foundation. Then place the brood box entrance as close as possible to the trap-out entrance. Also leave a gap in the lid closest to the trap-out.
It wont take long before bees start coming & going out of the brood box. Once that happens, the new trapped out bees will get the idea to go into the brood box.
It’s really good when a new lot of bees come out to do orientation flights every day. Those bees are real easy to lure into the brood box, plus gives it a good boost in population.
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Thank you! I’m putting it together now, but one other question. Open brood comb from any hive? Because I’m probably not going to be able to get any of their’s …it is in a block wall
Yes, from any hive is fine. 
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Hi Rob, as @Dawn_SD said, brood from any hive. The ideal frame of brood would be one that contains sealed & emerging bees, as well as some young larvae (open brood) that needs caring for & some eggs that the bees can make a queen from because you wouldn’t expect the queen to come out from the wall. It wouldn’t matter if the frame had a light covering of newly emerged bees as well. They are always the hardest to shake off anyway.
Pick a nice sunny day when lots of activity is likely to happen.
A couple of things to monitor: Make sure that the bees don’t find another entrance to start using. Also make sure that the funnel doesn’t get blocked with dead bees.
Silicone is a good thing to mask the smell of any other spots the bees try to use to get in.
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