Moving bees, whats the story?

[itchyhives]

Want to move my bees from the Midlands down to Somerset. Remember my dad wanted to move his bees a few years ago to Essex, the hives were inspected by the bee inspector before he could move them.

The Question is do I need to inform anyone to move my bees such as Defra or can I just do it. Also any transport advice welcome. 2 Hives to be moved a National and a 14x12.

 

[Heather]

Dont need to inform anyone.
Strap all boxes together well, all sides. Block entrance day before and seal over with tape too. And if car not too hot then just a ventilation travelling mesh over the top box should be fine. If a warm day ensure car well ventilated.
Travel with the frames facing front to back so the side of the frame parallel with the side of the car so any sudden braking doesn't swing frames back and forth and so damage bees (queen!)

 

[enrico]

As far as I am aware no permissions are needed however it is good practice to contact your new bee inspector as soon as you arrive to let them know where and who you are.
To move them they need plenty of air around them so get a mesh roof if at all possible and use a mesh floor. If the weather is warm then carry a spray of clean water with you and spray them occasionally on a long journey. The water will help them keep cool and give them something to drink. Plug the entrance with a piece of foam and strap the hive in both directions to stop it coming apart. Never forget you may be involved in an accident. It might be bad to be trapped in your car but it would be worse if it was filled with bees!!!
When you get to the other end make sure if possible that you place the bees where you will want them to stay for good and don't forget nectar flows and temperatures can differ hugely in different parts of the country so keep a careful eye on winter stores.
Finally, keep you bee suit handy when you are travelling. The bees will use the smallest of holes to get out of and once one finds its way out they all will. STOP immediately and plug the hole if you get even one flying bee. If you are on the motorway then open the windows and leave at the next exit!
best of luck

 

[itchyhives]

Thanks guys good stuff.

 

[oliver90owner]

You don't have to have them inspected but better to have it done than move disease. Enquire to LBI as he/she may know of any local problems with disease, and do your own careful checks even if they are OK without coming to check.

If the box has a full complement of hoffman frames, direction is fairly irrelevant.

Travel screens fitted is the best way to go and if mesh floors, stand hives on battens.

Keep your beesuit in the front of the car if the bees are in the back.

For a long journey like that I would screw a strip of ply over the entrance, if on OMF, to be sure that tape is not being relied upon as a means of keeping them in.

Have a 'bees in transit' sign in your back window - it may deter tail-gaters.

Have a dilute sugar solution available, to spray over the bees if they get too hot.

Cover the screens with a light coloured towel, or similar, if very sunny (breathable but reflective).

Anticipate a very long journey time and be relieved when delays do not occur!

Regards, RAB

PS Same wavelength, Enrico. Apart from LBI - in my view better to be checked before moving, than later, after finding there is a problem, as the bee inspector at the destination end may not be too happy!

 

[greatbritishhoney]

For safety's sake I'd actually wear my beesuit when transporting bees in the car (not with the veil pulled down of course). If you have an accident or even if a few bees escape you may not easily be able to stop and deal with it. You don't want to be rumaging around trying to get your beesuit on in a cloud of bees on the hard shoulder of the M5.

 

[BKF Admin]

What great advice from members.
I was trying to find a flaw as I have moved a few hives in my time,but everything has been covered
Its threads like this that make the forum so worthwhile.

 

[Adam]

"can I just do it". Also any transport advice welcome.

Yes, you can just 'do it', but I wouldn't if I was you. I'd say the ethical man would simply sell his hives where they are, and re-establish where he arrives. That way, he won't move / pollute the local gene pool upon arrival. I know a number of beekeepers who strongly believe this is a good way to endear yourself with your new beekeeping neighbours. The way to piss them off is to bring stock in from elsewhere and spoil there drone-flooding / local queen rearing etc.

Adam

 

[Poly Hive]

Indeed Adam... but........

Are there bees available in the new location or is it back to the old issue of nothing to be had?

PH

 

[itchyhives]

Ok so if I move them I will be wearing my suit, sign in the back, spray handy, mesh on top and entrance blocked night before. They are hoffman frames but will arrange them on battens as OMF. I agree Rab was thinking I would screw the boxes together as quite a long journey. Will notify LBI at both locations and just get them looked over before I move them anywhere I think.

Really hadn't thought about the ethics of moving them and altering local gene pool but now you've raised the point will definitely put some thought into what I might do Adam. How about if I re-queened with local stock when I moved them down instead of selling and starting again? Could I try to cull my drones and go for mated queen or am I over complicating the situation.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Its threads like this that make the forum so worthwhile.

I agree, but this one won't run to 100 pages

 

[Chris B]

2 hives of Warwickshire bees (assuming healthy) are not exactly going to cause loss of sleep to any of your new Somerset colleagues. To get this in perspective, we are almost into auction season. BKA's run these auctions, they advertise wider than their own counties and a lot of the bees end up moving some distance, certainly across county boundaries. So if BKA's aren't bothered about it why should you be? Keep your bees and take them with you.
(Or you could advertise in Bee Craft - you never know, somebody in Somerset might buy them, and then you could buy them back later as local bees )

 

[itchyhives]

Was planning on re-queening anyway so may see if I can find some nice local queens, will move my hives as planned then. Might even pick up a load of cheap buckets on the way past Mashfields Bakery.

 

[richardbees]

There's been a lot of very useful practical advice on here.

BUT I think it is awful that a hobbyist beekeeper feels that he might have to ask permission to move a beehive, as opposed to just asking advice on how to do it. Can anyone else see how this reflects on the brainwashing effect of the deluge of EU regulations we've been forced to swallow?

Even our national association just rolls over and instructs us on the EXACT wording we're permitted under EU regulations to use on our honey Jar labels to sell our honey locally within our neighbourhoods!

....wtf is going on in this country?

 

[Tom Bick]

No Sorry Richard they just asked a question of something they wanted to do and just wanted advice.

 

[richardbees]

Tom

No, itchy clearly thinks that he might need permission:

"do I need to inform anyone to move my bees"

Can you not see how we've allowed legislation to intrude into even our hobbies? I'm surprised that our 'national association' hasn't yet started to devote the front cover of the quarterly newsletter to "Health & safety rules for beekeepers"

richard.