Best time of day to move a hive

[Otleybee]

I am moving hives in advance of setting up a new Apiary on a patch of land between my garden and my neighbour. Both hives need to move about 6 feet. I know about the less than three feet or more than three miles bit.

The bees were out flying on Saturday afternoon and I moved one hive about 2 feet as part of a series of moves to get them in the right place. I watched for a hours or so and all the flying bees found the new site and moved in.

I then thought that I maybe should have moved then at night when they had all stopped flying. I did not do this as I was worried about disturbing them from their cluster.

So is it best to move them during the day or at night for these short distances?

 

[RoofTops]

Move them when they are not flying - early morning or evening. I suggest put on a veil as they are likely to come out and see what is happening and may take exception to being evicted from their current plot.

I wouldn't rush them - make the move in small jumps of no more than 2 feet if possible. If you are also turning the hive do it no more than 45 degrees at a time and if you have time make the moves every few days.

The risk is that in low air temperatures bees will succumb while they fly about looking for the new postion of the hive. Not a problem in summer but when it is cold they will keel over quickly.

I'm turning a couple of hives at the moment and even after a week they are still trying to get into the hive where the entrance used to be. They have long memories - the position of the hive is imprinted during their first orientation flights.

 

[Firegazer]

So I guess you don't mean "2 ft each day" you mean "2 ft then stop until most of the bees have re-learnt their new location"?

Are we saying this pause is around a week or so, or longer?

FG

 

[oliver90owner]

One point to note.

If these two hives are adjacent and being moved sideways, there may well be considerable drifting with bees finding themselves in the 'rearward' of the two hives. So may be better to move one hive to it's new position (by stages) before moving the other. I've not a clue of their spatial arrangement, but you can see it clearly!

Regards, RAB

 

[Otleybee]

So I guess you don't mean "2 ft each day" you mean "2 ft then stop until most of the bees have re-learnt their new location"?

Are we saying this pause is around a week or so, or longer?

FG

I was thinking of at least a week for the pause. Given that it is only about three moves I could do one move a fortnight and get them in position for the start of April.

 

[Otleybee]

One point to note.

If these two hives are adjacent and being moved sideways, there may well be considerable drifting with bees finding themselves in the 'rearward' of the two hives. So may be better to move one hive to it's new position (by stages) before moving the other. I've not a clue of their spatial arrangement, but you can see it clearly!

Regards, RAB

I had actually thought of that Rab. You are quite right in that if I move the rearward hive it would be on the site of the forward hive. So three moves for the forward hive and then three for the rearward hive. Some of the bees tried to get into the rearward hive but not many.

 

[RoofTops]

What I was suggesting was given the low temperatures the normal 3 foot rule probably needs a bit of adjustment. When I've moved hives before I find the bees take a while to work out where it now is and during this period flying bees tend to congregate around where the hive used to be. How quickly they find the entrance depends on a number of factors, including whether the hive is moving backwards away from the entrance or forwards. With the latter what you don't want is for the bees to start congregating behind the hive as they will then struggle to find the entrance - which is on the opposite side. When it is moving backwards the entrance is always facing where the bees congregate so they will find it more quickly.

With the hives I am turning, or rather have already turned, they were turned through 45 degrees then about 3 days later moved the final 45 degrees. It is now a week after the last move but bees are still trying to get in the side, where the entrance used to face. They find their way in after a bit of a delay but given the temps are down in single figures today the more they hang around the worse for them.

I don't think there is any hard and fast rule (as in most things beekeeping) - the bees will still remember where the hive used to be for quite some time so the slower you move it the better.

In the case under discussion I would suggest a couple of feet every 3 days but there are factors such as the presence of bushes and other features on the ground which may influence things.

My suggestion is simply to move the hives as slowly as possible - given the total move is only 6 feet I don't see this being a problem. In summer and if the hive was moving straight backwards 6 feet it might be possible to get away with the move in one go if the ground all around was clear - but I wouldn't think this would be wise at this time of year.

 

[Midland Beek]

..... anytime when they are not flying.