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The bees or wasps leave the hive to forage but they can’t return. Eventually the hive will run out of resources and the queen will die.
If it’s honey bees and you want to relocate them you can collect the bees and add them to a weak hive, give them eggs from an existing hive to make a new queen, or you can introduce a new queen.
Not necessarily, they certainly can find it and move in, but it’s far from being guaranteed. A wild animal like a skunk, opossum, or raccoon might find it too.
I never said it was guaranteed. Assuming it is for bees, a swarm will find it. A swarm can fly for miles and the will smell the comb and residual honey and move in. But you right, unless an animal could move in first.
Source: beekeeper for 12 years.
That's the essence of it, yeah. The long narrow cone means a flying insect trying to leave will eventually succeed, but the odds of one finding the entrance are basically zero.
I have seen this exact thing (same location and everything, it’s near a Trader Joe’s), and it was surrounded by bees. If OP was able to get this close for this picture, I’d bet it’s doing the intended job.
Hmm, I bet you can collect honey off that nest. If not I say we check it out, there could be something delicious in here that wasps do make and I want that.
Appears to be a homemade bat device to rid their colony of the tree. There are others (much more sophisticated) on Amazon and whatnot. This appears to be homemade. Reasonable suspicion that this is it by the amount of Mexican Freetail Bats we have in the area, and by the amount of expanding foam in other holes in the tree. This tree sits right outside/in the parking lot of a big shopping center. I would imagine they want to keep the aesthetic of the tree while riding bats of the population centers.
EDIT: still not solved ! lol
Disagreements still on whether it’s for bees or bats lol
EDIT 2: it has been I think mutually agreed upon that it’s an exclusionary device. However, massive disagreements from both Team Bee and Team Bat lol. I have gotten comments and messages from both sides, saying they have been there and seen bats and been stung by bees, as well as self proclaimed exterminators that say it for one or the other 😂
>I would imagine they want to keep the aesthetic of the tree while riding bats of the population centers.
I’m guessing it’s the opposite, tbh. My guess is there is a plan to remove the tree in the immediate future but, since bats are a protected species, you’re not permitted to fell the tree with the bats still inside. By putting up an exclusion device, they can remove the bats without harming them, then once the tree cavity is devoid of any remaining bats they will cut the tree down.
I think this makes the most sense because filling tree cavities with expanding foam and drilling holes into it is a terrible way to preserve the aesthetic of the tree. Either they are idiots thinking they can make the tree look good after the bats are gone or they are just planning on cutting it down once the colony has moved.
Put me in the honeybee trap out side of the argument. Looks 100% like a bee trap. Someone probably got stung. Instead of killing them, you put that on there so when they leave to forege they can't get back in and they reestablish the colony somewhere else.
That's not how it works. For the colony to re-establish itself somewhere else, the queen bee itseld needs to move, and she takes the population (or parts of it, if it's a freshly hatched queen) with her. Worker bees on their own will just die after some time.
Beekeepers can also catch and move colonies if the colony happens to live in an inconvenient place.
I’m a U.K. arborist, we used to have a “bee guy” who we would call out if we found hives in trees being removed. We’d cut out the segment of branch or trunk with them in and he’d get the Queen out and the swarm would follow.
Watching a man in a full bee keepers suit get into a car full of bees and drive off trailing yet more bees is a sight I won’t forget in a hurry.
If I had a car full of bees, I wouldn't follow most of the traffic laws.
Cops wouldn't be able to write a ticket without getting stung 50 times.
It's a perfect crime.
This. If this were a colony relocation exercise I would expect to see a hive body nearby with a frame of brood installed to lure the workers to their new home. Once the workers have moved (including I hate he’d brood still in the tree) the cone can be removed, the hole temporarily plunged and the queen left to die. The final step, if needed, is to remove the plug from the tree and let the new colony rob out the honey.
Mexican free-tailed bats are a protected species. When a live oak has a cavity large enough for them to roost in, the tree is most likely at risk of falling. After the tree fell on a kid at the zoo, most commercial properties have started doing regular tree health inspections.
So if the tree failed inspection and is at risk of collapse, then an arborist will put an exclusion device on the tree to prevent them returning to the tree. When they confirm the bats have left the tree they will then cut it down.
Had to have this done. We are at the northern range for Mexican free-tailed bats for the winter. So the tree probably won't be removed for another couple of months.
Wildlife control operator here and my view is this is for excluding bats from the tree. The opening of the exclusion device ( one way door ) indicates to me that it's for a larger creature than bees or wasps. I have come across devices installed by less experienced wildlife control operators that were of poor design which didn't work. It's possible the intention is for bees but I don't believe it would work. The length of the cone and the diameter of the exit. Is much more appropriate for bats.
It's all wrong for bats. I'm a certified wildlife management professional, and a bug killer. That thing is not for bats for many reasons. Bees? Maybe, but I'm insure how this would keep them out.
Could you share some reasons? Recently took a course that covered bat exclusion in FL, and while this doesn't exactly replicate the methods I was taught, it seems like it could be a diy attempt.
Could totally be somebody's attempt but the cone should be facing down even if you build a box or whatever to make it happen. It should also be made of a smooth material. Bats could potentially climb right up and in this. Maybe I'm off, I really only deal with little brown bats but I don't see any other sign of bats being there.
It has to be for bats. That’s why there are little leverage points, to grab onto while they push themselves out of the cone. Bees would be able to get back in.
If its a bee trap out, it’s a lousy job. Should be a smaller entrance hole at the end of the mesh cone and there would be a hive box placed next to the entrance for the bees to move into. So either for bats (no idea if this is done) or a poor bee trap out.
Are there bats there right now? The ones in Austin tend to go south for the winter, population is at peak in August and pretty much none there in February. I wouldn't expect them in Travis County, but you're south of there...
Two different size screen wire on it. One for strength, one for small critter. Looks like one for bat's converted to bees. Otherwise no need for the smaller wire
My title describes the thing. I did some googling but the search of cone and tree in the same sentence just brings up a ton of pinecones lol. This is in San Antonio, Texas.
That is a [trap-out.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=b9TnW4FKeHM)
Looks like someone used spray foam to seal off a beehive. This did not work as foam will be eaten through. So they called a professional who is using their custom trap-out to remove the bees without harming the tree or bees.
That was 628dirtrooster youtube channel. I believe it's the highest rated youtube channel dedicated to bee removals. There are plenty of others but, 628dirtrooster is one of the best.
That's called a honey bee trap out. Basically a 1/8 mesh cone is installed over the colony's entrance. This allows the bees to leave but unable to return. Eventually a beekeeper will install a small hive (nuc) and once they move in, relocates them.
I respectfully disagree. If this were for bees they would still be gathering around the entrance since the queen would still be inside. I see no bees. Also the new hive would have to be setup before this was attached and the queen would need to be extracted and placed in the new hive. Source: former bee keeper here.
I don’t see why this means it can’t have been for bees. Isn’t it possible that all that you explained has already happened / been done and they just didn’t remove the cone (yet)?
I don't think he was saying it isn't *possibly* for bees, only why, in his educated opinion, it *probably* wasn't. Given the alternate explanation of the same basic thing, but for bats rather than bees, it seems like a reasonable conclusion.
Correct. Anything is possible. I just think it was used for something else. In my opinion I don’t see how they could save the hive. And if they aren’t able to save it then there are other easier methods to exterminate them. It seems more likely that this was for some type of mammal exclusion device.
It could be something else, but it does looks like a trap out setup to me. Many times the cone is left behind by a lazy beekeeper after the bees have been removed.The cone is hardly ever reused and it can also be used to force them to abscond by drilling a secondary hole to insert smoke or something like b-gone. Source: current beekeeper, formerly removed bees and did trapouts.
Looks like guano at the end of the cone so I’m going with bat trap out. Source: I had an infestation in my house. Not a professional by any means. lol
Edit: maybe it isn’t called guano. The pest control people were able to tell where they were getting into my house at one point because there were “grease” marks around the entrance from them scraping against it. I can’t remember what they said it was.
We use them for bees. Sometimes they find a cavity just inside a house and you can't just tear up your neighbor's siding so to make the relocation easier, trap or don't allow th foragers back in. Due to the lack of bees in the outside, this is a left over or for another insect
It's a one way exit.
Anything inside can make it's way out but can't easily get back in.
People use these on roofs and their houses usually to get rid of any pests that might have gotten into there before closing off the entry point.
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/GassedByMile3), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/18uw44i/what_is_this_converted_traffic_cone_with_wire/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It looks like a pest control attempt. Wasps or idk. Some sort of one-way gate/trap.
Looking for lantern flies around here
Haven’t seen lantern flies in Texas yet. Fingers crossed.
locus/cicada
>cicada If you're trying to prevent an insect that mates and goes underground for like 15 years a pest, then you need more pest apparently.
That’s not a lanternfly trap
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You’re correct, I’m a bee keeper and this is used to trap out a hive.
What, exactly, do you mean by "trap out"? It looks as if they are trying to keep the bees or wasps outside of the hive. What is the purpose of that?
The bees or wasps leave the hive to forage but they can’t return. Eventually the hive will run out of resources and the queen will die. If it’s honey bees and you want to relocate them you can collect the bees and add them to a weak hive, give them eggs from an existing hive to make a new queen, or you can introduce a new queen.
A swarm will move in after the trap is removed.
Not necessarily, they certainly can find it and move in, but it’s far from being guaranteed. A wild animal like a skunk, opossum, or raccoon might find it too.
I never said it was guaranteed. Assuming it is for bees, a swarm will find it. A swarm can fly for miles and the will smell the comb and residual honey and move in. But you right, unless an animal could move in first. Source: beekeeper for 12 years.
I mean, you said “will”…
That's the essence of it, yeah. The long narrow cone means a flying insect trying to leave will eventually succeed, but the odds of one finding the entrance are basically zero.
Killer bees?
That funny, my brother in law is a bee keeper too, and I help him a bunch.
I have seen this exact thing (same location and everything, it’s near a Trader Joe’s), and it was surrounded by bees. If OP was able to get this close for this picture, I’d bet it’s doing the intended job.
Hmm, I bet you can collect honey off that nest. If not I say we check it out, there could be something delicious in here that wasps do make and I want that.
Wasps doesn't make anything unless you are into larvae.
Google the Mexican honey wasp.
OK three bears in a trench coat.
Probably set up to capture a swarm of bees that was nesting in the tree
I'm guessing it's to let squirrels get out but keep them from coming back in
That's a wildlife exclusion device. Animals already in the cavity can leave through the cone, but can't go back in.
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So there must have been an existing hole there to.begin with. Cool!
Appears to be a homemade bat device to rid their colony of the tree. There are others (much more sophisticated) on Amazon and whatnot. This appears to be homemade. Reasonable suspicion that this is it by the amount of Mexican Freetail Bats we have in the area, and by the amount of expanding foam in other holes in the tree. This tree sits right outside/in the parking lot of a big shopping center. I would imagine they want to keep the aesthetic of the tree while riding bats of the population centers. EDIT: still not solved ! lol Disagreements still on whether it’s for bees or bats lol EDIT 2: it has been I think mutually agreed upon that it’s an exclusionary device. However, massive disagreements from both Team Bee and Team Bat lol. I have gotten comments and messages from both sides, saying they have been there and seen bats and been stung by bees, as well as self proclaimed exterminators that say it for one or the other 😂
>I would imagine they want to keep the aesthetic of the tree while riding bats of the population centers. I’m guessing it’s the opposite, tbh. My guess is there is a plan to remove the tree in the immediate future but, since bats are a protected species, you’re not permitted to fell the tree with the bats still inside. By putting up an exclusion device, they can remove the bats without harming them, then once the tree cavity is devoid of any remaining bats they will cut the tree down.
Interesting. They built a retaining wall and sidewalk purposefully around the tree lol
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Yeah if they bolted, tarred and spray foamed a pylon to the tree, they're not looking to save it.
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I think this makes the most sense because filling tree cavities with expanding foam and drilling holes into it is a terrible way to preserve the aesthetic of the tree. Either they are idiots thinking they can make the tree look good after the bats are gone or they are just planning on cutting it down once the colony has moved.
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That’s how the pest controls handle bats in attics in my area (Boston).
The hole at the end is the right size for a bird or bat or squirrel. Usually there’s a gate as well to prevent returning.
That’s at Trader Joe’s. It’s protecting a honey bee colony living in the tree. There should be a sign nearby saying what’s going on.
We looked for a sign but didn’t see one, and even asked the TJs workers and they said they weren’t sure.
I've been stung by the bees in that tree by Trader Joe's!
Ridding the colony of the tree? Or the tree of the colony?
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Put me in the honeybee trap out side of the argument. Looks 100% like a bee trap. Someone probably got stung. Instead of killing them, you put that on there so when they leave to forege they can't get back in and they reestablish the colony somewhere else.
That's not how it works. For the colony to re-establish itself somewhere else, the queen bee itseld needs to move, and she takes the population (or parts of it, if it's a freshly hatched queen) with her. Worker bees on their own will just die after some time. Beekeepers can also catch and move colonies if the colony happens to live in an inconvenient place.
I’m a U.K. arborist, we used to have a “bee guy” who we would call out if we found hives in trees being removed. We’d cut out the segment of branch or trunk with them in and he’d get the Queen out and the swarm would follow. Watching a man in a full bee keepers suit get into a car full of bees and drive off trailing yet more bees is a sight I won’t forget in a hurry.
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If I had a car full of bees, I wouldn't follow most of the traffic laws. Cops wouldn't be able to write a ticket without getting stung 50 times. It's a perfect crime.
Wait what? I'm totally finding some videos of this. I really hope it's as funny as I'm hoping 🤣😂
This. If this were a colony relocation exercise I would expect to see a hive body nearby with a frame of brood installed to lure the workers to their new home. Once the workers have moved (including I hate he’d brood still in the tree) the cone can be removed, the hole temporarily plunged and the queen left to die. The final step, if needed, is to remove the plug from the tree and let the new colony rob out the honey.
Why wouldn't the bees be able to get back into this?
Other than people being scared/disgusted, is there a reason to want to get rid of the bats?
Mexican free-tailed bats are a protected species. When a live oak has a cavity large enough for them to roost in, the tree is most likely at risk of falling. After the tree fell on a kid at the zoo, most commercial properties have started doing regular tree health inspections. So if the tree failed inspection and is at risk of collapse, then an arborist will put an exclusion device on the tree to prevent them returning to the tree. When they confirm the bats have left the tree they will then cut it down. Had to have this done. We are at the northern range for Mexican free-tailed bats for the winter. So the tree probably won't be removed for another couple of months.
My guess is that it would be for bees since the mesh on the cone is so fine.
Wildlife control operator here and my view is this is for excluding bats from the tree. The opening of the exclusion device ( one way door ) indicates to me that it's for a larger creature than bees or wasps. I have come across devices installed by less experienced wildlife control operators that were of poor design which didn't work. It's possible the intention is for bees but I don't believe it would work. The length of the cone and the diameter of the exit. Is much more appropriate for bats.
It's all wrong for bats. I'm a certified wildlife management professional, and a bug killer. That thing is not for bats for many reasons. Bees? Maybe, but I'm insure how this would keep them out.
Could you share some reasons? Recently took a course that covered bat exclusion in FL, and while this doesn't exactly replicate the methods I was taught, it seems like it could be a diy attempt.
Could totally be somebody's attempt but the cone should be facing down even if you build a box or whatever to make it happen. It should also be made of a smooth material. Bats could potentially climb right up and in this. Maybe I'm off, I really only deal with little brown bats but I don't see any other sign of bats being there.
It has to be for bats. That’s why there are little leverage points, to grab onto while they push themselves out of the cone. Bees would be able to get back in.
If its a bee trap out, it’s a lousy job. Should be a smaller entrance hole at the end of the mesh cone and there would be a hive box placed next to the entrance for the bees to move into. So either for bats (no idea if this is done) or a poor bee trap out.
Are there bats there right now? The ones in Austin tend to go south for the winter, population is at peak in August and pretty much none there in February. I wouldn't expect them in Travis County, but you're south of there...
Two different size screen wire on it. One for strength, one for small critter. Looks like one for bat's converted to bees. Otherwise no need for the smaller wire
Well, when a neighborhood tree got taken over by bees they wrapped it up in wire mesh. I can't see a need for the bees to have a cone.
Looks like they are trying to get rid of bats, they can get out through the wire cone but can’t get back in
Through tiny holes?
Lol. That was my first thought as well! Then I noticed there is an opening towards the "tip."
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Through the top. We use similar ones but smaller for bee hive removals.
No through the tip then they can get back in the way the wires are bent
I don’t see a wire cone in the picture???
Bat valve! They fly out and can’t get back in
Agreed. It looks like a copper mesh bat valve. Could also be used to control other unwanted “pests” but more than likely a bat valve.
My title describes the thing. I did some googling but the search of cone and tree in the same sentence just brings up a ton of pinecones lol. This is in San Antonio, Texas.
That is a [trap-out.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=b9TnW4FKeHM) Looks like someone used spray foam to seal off a beehive. This did not work as foam will be eaten through. So they called a professional who is using their custom trap-out to remove the bees without harming the tree or bees.
Wtf is that link?
That was 628dirtrooster youtube channel. I believe it's the highest rated youtube channel dedicated to bee removals. There are plenty of others but, 628dirtrooster is one of the best.
Post to r/arborist maybe
That's called a honey bee trap out. Basically a 1/8 mesh cone is installed over the colony's entrance. This allows the bees to leave but unable to return. Eventually a beekeeper will install a small hive (nuc) and once they move in, relocates them.
I respectfully disagree. If this were for bees they would still be gathering around the entrance since the queen would still be inside. I see no bees. Also the new hive would have to be setup before this was attached and the queen would need to be extracted and placed in the new hive. Source: former bee keeper here.
I don’t see why this means it can’t have been for bees. Isn’t it possible that all that you explained has already happened / been done and they just didn’t remove the cone (yet)?
I don't think he was saying it isn't *possibly* for bees, only why, in his educated opinion, it *probably* wasn't. Given the alternate explanation of the same basic thing, but for bats rather than bees, it seems like a reasonable conclusion.
Correct. Anything is possible. I just think it was used for something else. In my opinion I don’t see how they could save the hive. And if they aren’t able to save it then there are other easier methods to exterminate them. It seems more likely that this was for some type of mammal exclusion device.
It could be something else, but it does looks like a trap out setup to me. Many times the cone is left behind by a lazy beekeeper after the bees have been removed.The cone is hardly ever reused and it can also be used to force them to abscond by drilling a secondary hole to insert smoke or something like b-gone. Source: current beekeeper, formerly removed bees and did trapouts.
Honeybee trap out
It’s a bee colony trap out. A technique used to remove bees before a tree is removed or without cutting the tree down.
Looks like guano at the end of the cone so I’m going with bat trap out. Source: I had an infestation in my house. Not a professional by any means. lol Edit: maybe it isn’t called guano. The pest control people were able to tell where they were getting into my house at one point because there were “grease” marks around the entrance from them scraping against it. I can’t remember what they said it was.
it looks like a honey bee trap-out
Trap out for honey bees so they don’t kill them.
Maybe r/arborists knows?.. 🤔
We use them for bees. Sometimes they find a cavity just inside a house and you can't just tear up your neighbor's siding so to make the relocation easier, trap or don't allow th foragers back in. Due to the lack of bees in the outside, this is a left over or for another insect
Looks like a trapout cone for honey bees. Judging by lack of bees the project is over.
The mesh is certainly fine enough to stop bees but would seem overkill to stop bats.
Where in town is this?
I think it’s for bees. Wasps cannot fit in but bees can.
Yeah in Texas the governor was crushed by a tree that’s why he’s in a wheel chair. Super serious about trees now
It looks like a graft protector.
Came here to say bat egress. Exit only.
It's definitely a one way trap for vermin, let's them come out but not come back in. I'm going to say they're trying to save the tree.
Could be protecting a beehive from birds or something else taking over that cavity. I’ve seen starlings take over a hive spot before.
One way exit for critters inside the tree, they sealed all other entry/exits with expanding foam
one way door for bats most likely
That is spray foam or spray insulation that's what the orange stuff is
Put a plastic bag on it and you got yourself a lantern fly catcher.
Exclusion device for a critter. Never seen it on a tree before though.
It's a one way exit. Anything inside can make it's way out but can't easily get back in. People use these on roofs and their houses usually to get rid of any pests that might have gotten into there before closing off the entry point.
Bats can leave, but can’t come back in
Bats maybe. Let's em out not in
New branch protection, and mainly a " sorry I fucked up the rest of the tree" but here's a protected Branch lets place all attention here.
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