Moving hives

[clv101]

Over the next six weeks I need to move six hives to a new apiary around 100m away. They are currently on stands in pairs.

I'd really like to avoid taking them off site if possible so I'm planning to wait for a period of forecast bad weather (to minimise flying?), then move one hive from each pair to the new location (so flyers go back to the previously adjacent hive), then a week later move two remaining hives, leaving one left, then a few days later move that last hive to the new location.

Any thoughts? Is there a better way, without going off site? What's the likely impact on losing some flying bees at this time of year?

 

[masterBK]

Your plan can certainly work. Can I suggest one modification in case you do get some good weather( weather men can get it wrong occasionally) . When you move last hive leave a super (with roof on top) to pick up any returners and in the evening after flying finished put it on top of one of the hives at new site.

 

[oliver90owner]

Far better not to rely on forecasts. Wait until the bees have not been flying for a couple of weeks and then move them all at once, before they resume flights.. Precautions to encourage re-orientaion are good, as well.

 

[Poly Hive]

If you can bet on one thing as pretty much a certantity and that is the forecast will be wrong. I say this after 28 years in a business where the weather was critical and the forecasts were very expensive. If we had gone with them most of the time we would have achieved nothing.

As for your move. Just move them and put an obstruction over the entrance and that's it job done.

KISS

PH

 

[birdsandbees]

Far better not to rely on forecasts. Wait until the bees have not been flying for a couple of weeks and then move them all at once, before they resume flights.. Precautions to encourage re-orientaion are good, as well.

I agree, I've moved hives shorter distances than the recommended 3 miles and either hung a conifer branch over the entrance for a couple of days or blocked the entrance with a piece of foam for a day, both seem to have caused the bees to re-orientate to the new site and only a very few were seen at the old site (literally less than ten bees) which did disappear so I assume found their way back to the new site.
the other way I have moved the position within the same apiary was to relocate temporarily over three miles for a three weeks then back to where I wanted them, this one amazed me as to how good a bees memory is! when moved for only two weeks in the summer I still had bees return to the old position.

In cooler weather when bees are less active I'd go with the above advice of a back up home just in case and go for the conifer branch as an add on.

 

[Tremyfro]

I'm moving a few hives this winter too. Two a few feet forwards.....so they should be fine but one to the other side of my Bee Yard...about 20 feet...I'm hoping for a cold snap to move that one...or cold wet weather...lol...sure to get more of that. The last time I moved a hive...I didn't use anything in front of it to confuse the bees and make them reorientate...as the weather had been cold windy and wet....there were no returners....thankfully.