Moving a hive 70 metres...

[jezd]

Given that I cant move a hive inside the 3 metres to 3 mile rule, what is the timescale a hive needs before its borught back home - I assume its around 5-6 weeks for those flying bees that may still remember the old location.

Cheers

Jez

 

[Poly Hive]

It doesnt work like that as there is a continuous stream of bees taking up duties and flying to work.

Personally I like to have two out apiaries so that I can move from one to the other.

Can you not take them away to a spot three miles away, leave them for three weeks and then bring them to the new location?

Failing that you are looking at moving them a few feet every couple of days so in a 6 weeks you can achieve it. I would also suggest a powerful marker on the hive to assist in a slow move. A screen block on edge for example.

PH

 

[jezd]

Sorry, I think I may have written my question poorly, I have other sites I can use but wondered how long I would need to leave the there before it can come back to the new location 70m away from the original site.

I think you are saying 3 weeks?

Jez

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes. 3 weeks. Time for the flying bees to die off which know the old site.

PH

 

[Finman]

.
My friend moved 200 metres a hive and he lost all flying bees. They went to old site and died. Bees remember over 1 moth the old site, when I have returned the hive to home yard and in wrong site.

Asumption 5-6 weeks is about right.

 

[jezd]

thanks, I think 6 weeks covers it looking at the lifecycle of worker bees.

Jez

 

[Poly Hive]

They fly for 6 weeks?

PH

 

[Finman]

They fly for 6 weeks?

PH

Yes, and on average

 

[Mission]

In some circumstances they can be moved shorter distances with little problems.

I moved a hive just half a mile last week. I moved the hive in the evening and then placed a series of bamboo canes at the hive entrance, and a few feet in front of it. This forces the bees to re-orientate themselves as they leave the next morning. The canes provide an instant visual reference as the bees leave. Knowing something has changed they spend a little time re-orientating and as such learn the new location of their hive.

I left a closed apidea with some nurse bees and a queen cell in the original location of the hive to pull in any bees returning. These were taking from the hive they day before it was moved. There were less that 30 bees on the outside of the Apidea at the end of the day.

I accept that this is not the normal practive, but if needed it can be done with practically no loss of flying bees.

 

[Poly Hive]

I agree Mission.

Finman I disagree. On average worker bees, in summer last under 28 days and probably 25 is good.

In the uk THAT IS.

PH

 

[jon]

They fly for 6 weeks?

PH

A lot of the books say three weeks but many bees fly much longer than this. I have noticed this with nucs if you make one up with a queen of a certain colour and bees of a different colour. There are still bees foraging long after the 3 weeks stated in many books. I have read in various places that AMM bees have smaller colonies but the bees live longer.

 

[match]

I don't know how much of an old wives tale this is, but I've read that if you go along at night, when the bees are all inside, and give the hive a really good shake up or knocking with a stick, they'll be far more likely to reorient when they start flying again in the morning.

The theory goes that in the wild a large knock or shaking comes from their natural nest (a tree) falling over. They'd need to reorient in the morning to see where they'd fallen over to.

Wouldn't put any money on it, but if you're forced to do a short move, then it wouldn't do any harm to try it!

 

[honeyman]

I was shown a trick of stuffing the hive entrance with grass and turning the hive the opposite direction. The bees then need to remove the grass before they can leave and seem to reorientate themselves. Works for me.

 

[jezd]

I was shown a trick of stuffing the hive entrance with grass and turning the hive the opposite direction. The bees then need to remove the grass before they can leave and seem to reorientate themselves. Works for me.

I'm guessing this would work with a 70m move? you think....

Just want to get these angry bees (only 1 hive) away from the house and kids asap.

Jez

 

[honeyman]

Should do. The main thing is for moves >3ft<3miles you need to use some other intervention to get the bees to reorient themselves. Trapping them in the hive for a time, moving the orientation of the entrance and disrupting their immediate view are all forcing them to realise things have changed.

 

[Poly Hive]

It may well work but its not a promise. (stuffed grass)

Angry bees? Garden + kids??

Disaster recipe. Maybe not today or tomorrow but down the line its going to happen.

The answer is probably petrol. (Don't comment on this please as it is the only safe remedy for the above mix)

Then again how angry is your angry?? I consider vicious bees to sting me in the hundreds, each time. So how angry are yours?

PH

 

[Mission]

Move them away from the kids and requeen them.

Petrol is a little harsh poly!!!

 

[jezd]

It may well work but its not a promise. (stuffed grass)

Angry bees? Garden + kids??

Disaster recipe. Maybe not today or tomorrow but down the line its going to happen.

The answer is probably petrol. (Don't comment on this please as it is the only safe remedy for the above mix)

Then again how angry is your angry?? I consider vicious bees to sting me in the hundreds, each time. So how angry are yours?

PH

Waves coming at me in 50's, I am going to move them this weekend I think.

x fingers.

Jez

 

[Poly Hive]

Waves coming at you?

Are they stinging? If not they are not that bad.

Its all a matter of degree..... a thousand stings is not fun, (yes beeen there) and one on the end of the nose is excruciating. Degrees.....

PH

 

[oakwell_1]

Jezd .. how did the move go ? did you do the grass at the entrance thing?
may have to do the same soon.