A Push-pull Protocol to Reduce Colonization of Bird Nest Boxes by Honey Bees

The overall goal of this procedure is to prevent honey bee colonization of bird nest boxes by using insect repellent in the bird nest boxes and a pheromone lure in the swarm trap boxes. This method can help solve the conservation issue of Africanized honey bee hybrids competing for cavities with cavity-nesting birds. The main advantages of this technique are that it's safe for the birds, deters honey bees without the need to kill entire colonies or swarms and deters blood-feeding ectoparasites.

We first had the idea for this method when we had to deal with an Africanized honey bee colony in a screech owl nest box here in South Florida. Visual demonstration of this method is critical as the implementation of this procedure varies according to the environmental and bee colony circumstances. Before placing the swarm trap box, add one milliliter of a two to one mixture of citral and geraniol into a 1.5 milliliter snap top polypropylene microcentrifugation tube and wrap the tube in aluminum foil to protect the lure from light.

Then store the lure in a dark place at room temperature. To install the swarm trap on a post, fix a nine by nine centimeter pressure-treated 2.4 meter long post into the ground, 10 to 15 meters from where the bird nest box is located. Next, use at least two screws to secure a 1.3 centimeter thick 20 by 20 centimeter pressure-treated wooden hanging board in the middle of one side of the trap box.

With the top of the board, set 10 centimeters above the top of the box. Then place a screw approximately five centimeters below where the top of the hanging board will rest and attach the hanging board to the post such that the trap box is 1.5 to three meters above the ground to allow the safe and easy removal of the box after colonization. To install the swarm trap box on a tree, first drill a five millimeter hole in the upper back corners of each side of the box and thread a wire through the holes.

Next, select a tree approximately 10 to 15 meters away from where a bird nest box is located and secure the wire around the tree 1.5 to three meters off the ground. Then confirm that the box is level and will not tip over. When the swarm trap box has been secured, use a pushpin to puncture the cap of the tube of lure and place the lure at the bottom of the trap box near the entrance.

Then use a 3.7 liter hand pump sprayer to coat the entire inside of the bird nest box with a freshly-prepared permethrin for poultry or caged birds until the liquid runs off the sides of the box. If the swarm is to be utilized, allow the bees to fully colonize the trap box for about two weeks. Then at night when all of the bees are inside, don the appropriate protective equipment and use a small towel to plug the trap box entrance.

The next morning collect the box, move it to a new location at least four kilometers away and remove the towel. If destruction of the bee colony is warranted, as soon as the colony is discovered, plug the entrance hole with a small towel and remove the box. Seal the trap box completely in a plastic bag and leave the colony in the full sun.

After several days remove the dead bees and comb. If the use of an insecticide is preferred, as soon as the colony is discovered, spray the inside of the trap box with an insecticide spray and plug the entrance with a small towel. After 24 hours, remove the dead bees and comb.

Of the 77 swarms caught in this representative experiment, 75 were in swarm traps. Only two owl nest boxes were colonized, both of which were untreated. Significantly more bees chose swarm traps over untreated or treated owl boxes and several swarm trap boxes were colonized by bees more than once.

Once mastered, this technique can be completed in under one hour if it is performed properly. While attempting this procedure it's important to remember to be safe. Always place the swarm trap boxes where they will be easy to remove and relocate them at night when the bees will not be active.

This procedure can be modified to accommodate a wide range of bird species and habitats. After its development, this technique paved the way for researchers in the field of conservation to explore tools for managing the bee swarm colonization of bird nest boxes in recovery programs of endangered parrots. After watching this video you should have a good understanding of how to set up bee swarm trap boxes and to safely remove and relocate or destroy the bees that have colonized the trap box.

Don't forget that working with Africanized honey bees can be extremely hazardous and that precautions such as wearing bee suits and gloves should always be taken while performing this procedure.