Kerry Clark, replying to Blair Sampson, wrote:
 
>    It's not quick and easy, but there is the method of placing a nuc with a
>    small colony in it, next to the entrance of the "wall" colony, then
>    covering the entrance with a cone of screen material, with a small
>    exit near the nuc's entrance.
>
>    Bees will leave the wall colony through your bee escape cone, but not be
>    able to find the little entrance upon returning; so they will join the
>    nuc colony.
 
This method can work for well established colonies, not just recently
arrived swarms.  However, you'll need more than just a nucleus box to
take the larger number of bees.
 
It is also said to be possible to extend the technique to get the honey as
well as the bees.  I've never tried it so I'm just reporting what I've
read.  The method goes something like this:
 
After you've got all the workers to join the second hive the queen in the
wall dies.  Now remove the cone, or whatever you may be using as a
one-way 'valve'.  (I've also heard a Porter bee escape suggested.)  The
bees will quickly rediscover the old hive and rob it of all the honey.
Once they've finished, remove the second hive and seal up the entrance
hole in the wall.
 
--
Malcolm Roe                            Phone  :  +44 442 230000 ext 5104
Crosfield Electronics Ltd              Fax    :  +44 442 232301
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