Moving my hive

[Lou from Aus]

Hi All,

So I moved house a month ago, still access to the empty old house where my hive is at the moment. I've read up on moving the hive - distance, do it at night, all that stuff. Went up there this evening, tried to seal off the entrance and it didn't seal properly. Well they were MAD!!! Lots of them flowed out all over the front. Husband and I just went 'see ya' and left them to it - tomorrow is another night. Any tips please? I'm close to just giving up and selling the lot!!

Thanks,
Lou.

 

[Beefriendly]

Hi All,
Any tips please? I'm close to just giving up and selling the lot!!

Thanks,
Lou.

Seal it properly before moving them. Not difficult. Foam/Duct Tape/ etc.
How did you manage to get it wrong?

 

[Goran]

Hi All,

So I moved house a month ago, still access to the empty old house where my hive is at the moment. I've read up on moving the hive - distance, do it at night, all that stuff. Went up there this evening, tried to seal off the entrance and it didn't seal properly. Well they were MAD!!! Lots of them flowed out all over the front. Husband and I just went 'see ya' and left them to it - tomorrow is another night. Any tips please? I'm close to just giving up and selling the lot!!

Thanks,
Lou.

I always use piece of sponge. Stuff it in entrance, bees never go through.
If the problem bearded bees in front, when we are moving hives - we smoke around entrance with " puffs", not directly inside a hive. The bees retreat inside ( majority, few ones remain outside), the ones on the entrance which are still visible I push with a sponge inside. If this can help.

 

[Hachi]

Just moved one of mine from the garden. 1st hive, I messed up the sealing in and out they came. Tactical withdrawal 5 minutes later went for no 2 hive. Out came the entrance reducer (under floor entrance) whipped it over quick and shoved it in. Made it! Spent a few minutes getting the masking tape stuck down to all the right places.


Took them to their new winter home, messed up the taking out of the entrance block thingy. They poured out well p*****d with me. Decided that wasn't good enough so went in again. Got it out and ran like **** a few followers but all's good with the world.

I've found the entrance close up must be a fluid process and right first time otherwise they get p****d real quick. I've left one hive in the garden until tues evening when I'll try again.


Try not to worry it happens to the best of us at times.

 

[Millet]

Hi All,

So I moved house a month ago, still access to the empty old house where my hive is at the moment. I've read up on moving the hive - distance, do it at night, all that stuff. Went up there this evening, tried to seal off the entrance and it didn't seal properly. Well they were MAD!!! Lots of them flowed out all over the front. Husband and I just went 'see ya' and left them to it - tomorrow is another night. Any tips please? I'm close to just giving up and selling the lot!!

Thanks,
Lou.

Half an hour ago i have just moved a six frame Nuc bursting with bees..i sealed the entrance securely with mesh and drawing pins and strapped it together with a cargo strap.. that nuc is totally sealed and safe to move into a full hive tomorrow..make them bee tight when moving them or feel the pain..

 

[BeeSpace]

My second colony (acquired two weeks after my first nuc) was a massive colony with three supers. We had to separate it out on the morning of the move to fit it all in the car (despite it having been sealed the night before) so with three of us, some swift movement with crown boards slid between boxes and sheets, we wrapped each component in a sheet and taped it up. Left a few bees behind, but it was much, much better than I ever imagined it would go!

That was my husband's first time in a beesuit...both he and the bees are still here, thankfully.

 

[Lou from Aus]

Seal it properly before moving them. Not difficult. Foam/Duct Tape/ etc.
How did you manage to get it wrong?

Wow. Thanks. Real helpful.

 

[Millet]

Wow. Thanks. Real helpful.

Beefriendly is being helpful and realistic..close them up properly before moving otherwise you are in for a world of hurt..

 

[Newbeeneil]

I moved 4 hives recently.
I strapped them up in the evening then at 6 the next morning.... 4deg C .... I used wooden strips and gaffer tape to seal my under floor entrances, loaded the van, drove 7 miles to new site and released. They were a bit feisty after the trip but soon settled down.

 

[Lou from Aus]

Thanks all, appreciate the tips.

 

[Millet]

Hi All,

So I moved house a month ago, still access to the empty old house where my hive is at the moment. I've read up on moving the hive - distance, do it at night, all that stuff. Went up there this evening, tried to seal off the entrance and it didn't seal properly. Well they were MAD!!! Lots of them flowed out all over the front. Husband and I just went 'see ya' and left them to it - tomorrow is another night. Any tips please? I'm close to just giving up and selling the lot!!

Thanks,
Lou.

Open them back up with your bee suit on at whatever time of the day..leave them one day and block the entrance with varoa type mesh during the dark hours..if you do not have open mesh floors yuo will need a travel screen.. believe me they sure get hot inside when locked in..

 

[Anduril]

I've sprayed the entrance with water to get them inside and used foam to close the entrance any that stay outside I brush off and then move the hive to the car. This year instead of spraying I have been using sniper tape.

 

[Millet]

I've sprayed the entrance with water to get them inside and used foam to close the entrance any that stay outside I brush off and then move the hive to the car. This year instead of spraying I have been using sniper tape.

All that seems wrong to me.

 

[Anduril]

All that seems wrong to me.

They think it's raining and it slows them down.

 

[Millet]

Mine fly in the rain.. if i was to close them up in the day time they would be a very good chance i would have a nice cluster of bees on the under mesh floor waiting to give me a good kicking when they are loaded into the car... or even worse when i am driving with no bee suit on..

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Mine fly in the rain.. if i was to close them up in the day time they would be a very good chance i would have a nice cluster of bees on the under mesh floor waiting to give me a good kicking when they are loaded into the car... or even worse when i am driving with no bee suit on..

L O L If I'm transporting bees I drive in my suit

 

[Millet]

L O L If I'm transporting bees I drive in my suit

Funny enough i am moving one today which is a 1hr 30min drive.. i could not be done with wearing my bee suit for the full journey.. imagine the looks i would be getting on the motorway...

 

[thorn]

It's always fun when moving a hive, to find that you're sharing your car with a few escapees. Perhaps, Millet, you should get one of Thorne's hats with veils, and keep it on the seat beside you. Grab it when the first darling appears in your rear view mirror. It's probably one that overwintered beneath the floor, but it might be an indication that something slipped as you accelerated away from the traffic lights.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Funny enough i am moving one today which is a 1hr 30min drive.. i could not be done with wearing my bee suit for the full journey.. imagine the looks i would be getting on the motorway...

The looks you get are the best part of the journey

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

i could not be done with wearing my bee suit for the full journey.. imagine the looks i would be getting on the motorway...

Plus the chance of getting a ticket for driving with obscured vision.