April, 2016.

Release the bees and remove the comb from the box.

Avoid timing the first round trip made by returning bees

– "dancing" on arrival at the nest – time taken to find the bait station again

More accurate estimates of distance to the colony can be made if bees are marked and then left for awhile until the round trip becomes routine.

Cross lining--not as easy as it looks due to confused bees

Bees prefer:

Living tree

Entrance ~ 15' above ground

2 square inch opening

So, you've found the bee tree . . . .

– Leave feral colonies alone. They contribute to genetic pool of survivors, and provide drones to mate with your queens.

– Gives you an idea of where to put swarm traps.

– Fun just to track them.