Hello All,
 
             I have a question that I'm sure has been discussed many times
on the list. I was asked today if I could retrieve a very active hive from
the wall of a garage. I went and looked at the hive which is located
adjacent to an external staircase on the building.
 
The hive has several entrance/ exit holes and has been resident here for
what I was told has been "several years ".  There appears to be a "main"
entrance located near the top of the hive and several smaller entrances
several feet below the main entrance.
The owner of the building will not allow me to make any holes or remove any
boards from the structure.
 
My plan of attack is to block all of the  entrances except the main entrance
at the top of the hive with silicone caulking. Then place a cone fashioned
out of window screen over this entrance to allow the bees to fly out but not
return to the hive. I have a single brood box hive which I will set on the
step directly next to the coned entrance for the returning foragers to call
home.
 
Now my questions, since I won't be able to retrieve the queen I imagine I
will need to put a queen into the hive I plan to set up on the step. When
should I add this queen ?  How long do I leave the hive on the step to
ensure I have most of the hive ? As the queen in the old hive will remain
actively laying, will the bees ever stop emerging from the hive ? I remember
seeing something about having the bees actually "rob" the honey out of the
old hive. How is this done ?
 
Thanks in advance for all your wisdom.
 
Greg Z
Mystic, CT
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