Bees and Puppy are no go - Must move hive

[JohnnyD]

Hi All

I must move my hive tonight from the garden, our new puppy has been stung 3 times now, even though i have it cordoned off.

Its going to oxfordshire tomorrow morning, what time should i seal the hive tonight/tomorrow morning, and should i do anything special when the hive is in its new location, the move is 60 miles away.

Many Thanks

JD

 

[VEG]

Close it up late tonight and move as early as you can. Once in its new spot open as soon as you can.

 

[Tom Bick]

After they have stopped flying you can block the entrance.

Depending on the size of the colony and the time you move them you will have to consider over heating.

If on omf and providing you allow airflow through it, perhaps sit the hive on batons you may be ok again given time of day and size of colony.

If a large colony and moving say mid day you perhaps should consider a travel screen.

One bit of advice when you have moved the bees and have them in the new location let them stand for a few mins before you open the entrance.

 

[busybee53]

You must seal the entrance tonight when all the bees are inside. Either with the special foam you can buy, or by turning the entrance block over so that there is no gap for the bees to get out of, or another means.

Tomorrow morning the hive will need to be secured so that the various parts do not come apart while they are in transit. Secure straps or special clips are available for this.

If the journey is long the bees should have a proper screen put on top to allow ventilation. You may also need to spray them through the screen with water to keep them cool. You will need to consider whether they have enough stores to keep them going till they are in their new site.

They will likely need feeding when they get there, check with a good book how long after siting you should feed them. And how soon to let them fly (unless you get more information on this forum). Bear in mind that they may not all be inside and a few stragglers may still be in your garden.

Hope you get more advice soon. Good luck.

 

[Swarm]

I was just considering '60 miles away'. That would be 120 mile round trip to inspect. A bit far?

 

[kighill]

If the dog is still ok and still daft enough to go near the bees leave the hive at home.

Unless you are planning to move nearer to the new location it is guaranteed that you will leave at home an item you need for your inspections.

I have had several puppies over the years and all learn to avoid the bees, my Cocker Spaniel now sits at the top of the garden and stays put whenever she sees me put the bee suit on. I also have a young Border Terrier who does not go near the hives, but does occasionally play with bees when they come near the house, this will stop when she learns it is not a good idea.

We use the opportunity to teach her the NO word.

Your puppy will learn to keep away. Provided the puppy has not come to any harm having been stung you should not have a long term problem.

 

[viridens]

Although a stung puppy is distressing for all concerned, they soon learn to treat hives with respect- some sooner than others...
It took more than a dozen stings in the case of a particularly dim spaniel.

 

[Swarm]

My own dog is very well trained, she goes all the way down the garden to do her business. She wanders casually around the apiary and has only been bothered this year by one colony that was Q- at the time, usually they ignore her and when she sees the suit she knows it's time to stay away.

She does leave me some little presents in interesting places. "I got away with it .. Can you?"

 

[Ed Woods]

Get rid of the puppy.

Problem solved.

 

[Winker]

I have german shepherds, they dont learn! Its their mission in life to chase and snap at anything that gives off a buzzzzing sound. One has been stung 3 times this year, but still he snaps, snap, snaps if anything comes near him buzzing

 

[WelshPaul]

Lol I have a toy poodle, but we don't cut him like a stupid looking poodle, we give him a sheep cut so most of the time he looks like a rasta, it's really funny because if the bees have a go at him they just get stuck in his wool coat till I rescue them.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.666947,-3.017346

 

[oliver90owner]

by turning the entrance block over so that there is no gap for the bees to get out of, or another means...
.....If the journey is long the bees should have a proper screen put on top to allow ventilation.

Two things to consider here.

Get the operations into sensible order and don't seal up a hive for any extended period of time.

A travel screen needs fitting before the hive entrance is closed, and never close up by sealing the entrance with a solid block unless there is alternative ventilation. A large colony in a small box can be in trouble very quickly, even more so, on a warm day.

RAB

 

[Gardenbees]

unless the puppy is allergic to bee stings or has very severe reactions I wouldn't worry.... Like Winker, I have a German Shepherd who purposefully snaps up bees, especially big bumble bees, whenever she can - even though she knows I disapprove. Stings just don't bother her. I just make sure that she can't actually approach within a few feet of the hive.

 

[mystil]

I put my springer in the house when I inspect.

He only seems to have got stung once so far. He got a bee in his fur and my other half heard a huge yelp, and saw a black and white blur as he ran to the back door of the house. Now he ignores the hives.

Hopefully lesson learned.

How old is the puppy? He might learn that the hurt comes from those big boxes and he should stay away. Maybe you could put up a barrier if he is going too close (piece of solid wood).

 

[itma]

I appreciate that the family might need convincing and be applying domestic pressures, BUT - even the daftest dog will learn very quickly - AND, not having flaked out yet, the puppy would seem to have no catastrophically adverse reaction to being stung (so the learning process shouldn't involve mortal danger).

My greyhound isn't thick, but he is very inexperienced in the ways of our world, so he does stupid things.
He does chase flies, even if it means knocking stuff over.
I haven't managed to train him out of that behaviour pattern.
But unless I am suited, he trots past a hive without much concern - or interest in comings and goings.
However, whenever I put my suit on, he wants to go indoors or away.

He'd learned by his second beekeeping session to tell the difference between flies and bees - and to run away from bees and beekeeping ... (he watches wasps but doesn't go for them).

Longterm, I'd be good for the puppy to learn ASAP. It'd be terminal (for something) to have your bees 60 miles away.
The practical difficulty lies in convincing the family that its not cruel to the puppy to allow it to learn about the world. -- By taking your bees away, that isn't going to prevent the puppy meeting any other bees, wasps and whatever.

 

[rae]

Our German Shepherd took 2 stings to work out that bee hives were bad news. When we inspect, she sits under a tree 100 yards away. She's bright enough to recognise a generic hive - if we have an empty one being fixed (or whatever) she won't go near it. She also knows that when we get the white kit on...it is time to go and sit under her tree.