Moving bees across the garden

[Rose of Jericho]

We are new to beekeeping in France. We have a large garden but very much surrounded by trees. We sited our first hive at the top of the garden well away from neighbours, road and lawn under some pine trees. A local beekeeper has advised us that the site is in too much shade. The easiest would be to move the hive forwards about three metres in three stages but then it would be in an area of lawn that would be difficult to maintain and in danger of falling apples. A better spot for garden maintenance would be about 13 metres sideways. Here it would get sun morning to late afternoon. Advice on how to move to the latter location would be very welcome please.

 

[MuswellMetro]

We are new to beekeeping in France. We have a large garden but very much surrounded by trees. We sited our first hive at the top of the garden well away from neighbours, road and lawn under some pine trees. A local beekeeper has advised us that the site is in too much shade. The easiest would be to move the hive forwards about three metres in three stages but then it would be in an area of lawn that would be difficult to maintain and in danger of falling apples. A better spot for garden maintenance would be about 13 metres sideways. Here it would get sun morning to late afternoon. Advice on how to move to the latter location would be very welcome please.

wait until a cold day in January and move it then, a short move this late in the season will make little difference to brood size/honey but may distrub the bees/loose bees

why worreid about shade, would have thought in hot sunny france you would need shade in mid summer..too hot for the bees in full sun

 

[oliver90owner]

Move them a couple metres a day. Job done in a week. Just make sure bees are not getting lost. If so move them back a metre. Should be absolutely no problem moving a metre a day, but more is easily possible with care.

If on a wide open entrance, moving 1/2 a metre is nothing, after all.

Regards, RAB

 

[MuswellMetro]

Move them a couple metres a day. Job done in a week. Just make sure bees are not getting lost. If so move them back a metre. Should be absolutely no problem moving a metre a day, but more is easily possible with care.

If on a wide open entrance, moving 1/2 a metre is nothing, after all.

Regards, RAB

you must be younger than me, a 14x12 ,floor and stand and a few supers this time of year...i would need a sky hook...call it old age, so my veiw does not disagee with want you say, if you can lift it ok but in moving hives KISS and weight is more my way at my Age

Pity you now will all have to wait and extra five years for your OAP bus pass wheras i get free OAP bus, tube within the M25 24/7 plus off peak free trains

 

[oliver90owner]

MM,

Got my bus pass nearly two years ago.

On the flat, two people....

Or a set of wheels and carefully does it. Who knows what he has available. Front end loader on a tractor, teleporter, pallet truck, piece of board and a few pieces of scaffold pipe or even just a trolley jack. Lots of innovative ways to move a hive! Might not be any supers on it as first colony.

Advantage of being brought up on a farm, I s'pose.

Regards, RAB

 

[Polyanwood]

I found a low level trolley about 6 inches high in skip. I've been using that for the colonies that need moving. Good luck wiht moving the bees.

 

[Rose of Jericho]

Last night at about 2200 the hive was moved sideways about 1 metre. This morning there is a lot of activity around the hive. It maybe that as a novice we are being confused but the bees seem agitated and more are flying in the area of the hive. The hive was on posts with a board on top of the posts. This morning some bees were congregating round the original site and settling on the board. We have taken the board off the posts and positioned it as a ramp leading up to the hive. Most of the bees on the ramp have walked up the ramp into the hive. However we are concerned that they may be preparing to swarm. What should we be looking for and is there any advice people can offer. We had considered moving another metre tonight but should we let them settle before attempting the next move.

 

[sherwood]

It is more likely that the bees are out re-orientating themselves. Past flyers will always return to the old site from flights and then will make their way to the new site.
Try moving an entrance from one side of the hive to the other the bees fly back to the old entrance then form an orderly queue walking across to the new entrance this can go on for 2 or 3 weeks but they will usually find their way home.

 

[oliver90owner]

What should we be looking for

Queen cells.

Regards, RAB