For future reference, since the options here were trap-out or exterminate, why would a trap-out be better? They would both leave the comb in there?
Perhaps with a trap-out the bees eat a good portion of the stored honey during the process?
You called it.
As for the bees in the trap out colony go, their genetics will not survive, but they will live out their lives with the purpose of creating queens from stock from the colony you give them. In essence, they get to live out their lives, happily, with purpose.
One may believe exterminating a colony and being done with it is an option. Far from it.
Bees are amazingly tenacious social insects, masters of survival. I have dealt with my fair share of colonies that have been sprayed 'til the cows came home to no avail.
Iddee, is a master of trapping out bees, and if you observe his comments, he says over and again that removing a colony by performing a cut out is the best option, trap outs come in second.
Exterminating a colony and sealing it up in my opinion should never, ever be an option. I have been there, I hate to say, so I know first hand that in most cases you are going to receive call backs from the customer that the bees are still there.
They have ways of surviving that most people could not ever understand.
I refuse to take any job where I cannot perform a cut out, or a trap out cannot be done successfully, due to an endless amount of exit/entrance holes that could not be sealed.
With a trap out or a cut out there will be scent left behind that will be attractive to future swarms. The challenge once these procedures are completed becomes sealing and caulking potential entrance holes so that other colonies cannot gain access.
This is a job that is simpler said than done, trust me on this one. Buildings have so, so many different openings in them that sealing every last hole could take a life time. But, in most cases if you are thorough enough with your bee proofing you usually can keep them from coming back for some time to come.
Leaving a bunch of honey in a void space to drip out, ferment, and attract ants and other critters, let's not go there.
Perform the cut out, do a trap out, or walk away, this is my best advice.
...JP