Wait for a really cold snap when bees are clustered and not flying - ideally move them after a week or so of the cold weather and hope it lasts a bit longer - bees will naturally reorientate after this period of inactivity so you should not get more than a handful returning to the old site if any
of course, laying a few magic twigs across the entrance will do no harm if it makes you feel better
of course, laying a few magic twigs across the entrance will do no harm if it makes you feel better
I'm reporting my own experience. Perhaps you'd like to offer a constructive response as to why, in your wisdom, you disagree with doing that?
Wait for a really cold snap when bees are clustered and not flying - ideally move them after a week or so of the cold weather and hope it lasts a bit longer - bees will naturally reorientate after this period of inactivity so you should not get more than a handful returning to the old site if any
Just moved 4 hives while they were still 'flying'. Moved three 1.7 miles and one 0.7 miles from their original location. Just shut the entrances 6-00pm the night before the move when they were all 'home' and opened them all as soon as they were in the new situation (noon next day). Put a box out in case they came home and two of us monitored the old site out of interest. Did not see one bee return to the original site. You can read into that what you will I suppose.
cold weather -bees not foraging but flying a short distance to dump their guts then returning thus not much chance of them encountering an area they foraged recently and remembered from the original location
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