Moving bees advice

[retired bill]

I need to move my bees and I need some advice the place where I can move them is 2.6 miles from where they are now would this be a problem due to the 3 mile rule.

Thanks

 

[Finman]

I need to move my bees and I need some advice the place where I can move them is 2.6 miles from where they are now would this be a problem due to the 3 mile rule.

Thanks

I use 3 km rule. If some hunred bees return to the old place, that is not problem . Put a nuc to gather them... If needed.

 

[Teemore]

I need to move my bees and I need some advice the place where I can move them is 2.6 miles from where they are now would this be a problem due to the 3 mile rule.

Thanks

Linear distance or road distance?

Moving a hive or hives a short distance can lead to bees flying back to their original site but the further you move them, the less likely it is that they will return to the old site. The exception is during the winter when you will have greater leeway for moving bees.

Even if moving bees a relatively short distance, there are things you can do that will help the bees reorientate, such as leaning a very leafy branch in front of the hive entrance or by putting some grass into the entrance which the bees will remove as it dries out. Having the entrance point in a different direction compared to their old site will also help. This has been discussed in greater depth in the past so you can use the fourum search facility for additional tips.

This season I had to relocate hives at short notice due to the onset of structural building work at one of my out apiaries. Some of the stocks were only moved a little over 1 1/4 miles as the crow flies and I encountered no problems with returning bees. I did take the precaution of shading the entrances with foliage and the original site was monitored around noon the following day. No "lost" bees were sighted!

The bottom line is that if you need to move the bees and have only one site available, move them.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

If forage is poor, then the bees will be travelling further than at some times of the year. However 2.6 miles as the crow or bee flies should be OK and I can't think you would lose many at all.
(Famous last words I know!).

 

[enrico]

Also depends what is in between, woods, hills, houses etc. If they can see their old home then more of a problem, place them at a different orientation to the sun in their new home and there shouldn't be a problem. The three mile rule is just a sort of guess in my opinion anyway!

 

[retired bill]

Moving bees

Thanks all some sound advice it has come at very short notice I will take on all that has been suggested.

Thanks
Bill

 

[Amari]

I think the 'three mile rule' should be binned. I transfer between two apiaries a mile (as the bee flies) apart with no problem

 

[Beefriendly]

I think the 'three mile rule' should be binned. I transfer between two apiaries a mile (as the bee flies) apart with no problem

Or perhaps better understood?
Bees carry maps of their local topography in their heads, so bees at apiary "A" and foraging at site "B" have hive location and directional map to forage at "B" and also a map of way back from "B" to apiary "A" and their hive.

Now move a hive from apiary "A" to apiary "C". Bees will automatically re-orientate (forget branches and leaves over entrances), they are now in a different location and will relocate to that location. The problem arises when they start to forage at same place i.e "B"...they remember their way back to their old site.
So to be 100% sure, 3 miles will ensure they never visit their old stamping grounds. In reality it can be much less.....Like yourself I move hives less than a bee mile with little problem. The only returners are those overnighters who make their way back as the sun warms them up in the morning.