3 miles 3 week rule

[oliver90owner]

The 3 foot 3 mile rule is a catch-all rule, not a LAW. Generally (there may be the rare occasion it may fail - but not seriously so) it is for those who cannot work things out for themselves. Learners, etc.

I would be very confident that a hive moved about mile and a half, within a huge area of OSR, would not return to the original site because the bees would not forage further than half a mile or so, never overlapping with previous flight lines.

Just need some common sense applying to the individual situation.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

As long as we don't have an EU DIRECTIVE we're OK.

 

[Swarm]

Back on topic?

 

[itma]

My newB understanding of the "3 week" bit in the title is that it has to do with moving the colony back "near" its original home.

I think the meaning is that if you wanted to move a hive 50 yards or so, one way of doing it would be to move it more than "3 miles" (to be sure) away from home, and leave them there for a minimum of "3 weeks" before bringing them back to 50 yards from where they started.
My presumption is that this would be to do with the memory, and ultimately (flying) lifespan of the worker.
True/false? Other views?



Interesting to learn that its OK to move a clustered wintering hive without these restrictions.
Any special precautions, or just cautions, for such a mid-winter move?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Any special precautions, or just cautions, for such a mid-winter move?

Be careful you don't slip over and hurt youself if it's icy.

 

[itma]

Be careful you don't slip over and hurt youself if it's icy.

(But wisdom noted, experience respected, etc!)

I was thinking more about particularly gentle hand carrying (rather than wheelbarrow for example) and NOT picking the nice warm day ...

Or doesn't it matter much?

 

[Gardenbees]

(But wisdom noted, experience respected, etc!)

I was thinking more about particularly gentle hand carrying (rather than wheelbarrow for example) and NOT picking the nice warm day ...

Or doesn't it matter much?

I'm sure they'd be okay as long as the cluster didn't get too shaken up.

I wonder if some bees are better than others at this: Buckfast types seem particularly good at orientating themselves. Or is that just my imagination? On the rare occasions when I've moved mine, they seem to do better than the Italian bees I had years ago (who tended to mill around helplessly at the old entrance site even after a tiny move).

 

[plumber rob]

i moved 2 hives about 2 months ago and it was 5 miles away left them for exactly 2 weeks and moved them to the new site which was 30 meters north of starting site mostly all was ok but had several hundred bees at each old locations. I put a branch in front of each hive at the new location and they reorientated themselves and after a couple days the returners stopped.
i also put a large pot planter full of flowers on the old sites for the returners to feed on lol

hope this helps Rob

my bees are carnis