New colony movement advice

[Joniboy64]

Hi everyone, this is my first post on the forum. I have kept one colony of bees for two seasons but sadly last summer i lost them to wasps. I am now fortunate to have two colony's donated to me, however the donor needs the hives back at some stage. I have a some queries that I would value your advice on. The bees will need to be moved to a new location around 6 miles away from their current location. I can temporarily just lift the hives and transport them to their new location, but at some stage i will need to move the bees into my own hives. My questions is can the bees be moved to their new location and transfer hives at the same time, or do i need to let them settle at the new location and then transfer hives once settled say in a couple of months time? Also what is the best advice to protect them from bees this year? Thanks in advance for your help here. J

 

[Ian123]

Your bees can be moved to the new location and pretty much transferred to your equipment any time, they do not need a period to settle other than a couple of hours.
As to wasps strong colonies do not normally succumb unless you left the front door completely open. Keep your colonies strong or balanced even relatively small nucs with plenty of adult bees and a small entrance will see off most intruders. I’ve noticed lot of new beeks panicking about entrance width congestion and constantly fiddling, it’s not necessary!

 

[Joniboy64]

Your bees can be moved to the new location and pretty much transferred to your equipment any time, they do not need a period to settle other than a couple of hours.
As to wasps strong colonies do not normally succumb unless you left the front door completely open. Keep your colonies strong or balanced even relatively small nucs with plenty of adult bees and a small entrance will see off most intruders. I’ve noticed lot of new beeks panicking about entrance width congestion and constantly fiddling, it’s not necessary!

Thanks Ian, great advice, one further question, would you wait for warmer weather to move them or just go for it any time?

 

[Ian123]

I wouldn’t move them any distance if it’s really cold. Fine if you’re moving them a short distance in your garden but not bumping miles down the road. I’d probably leave it till you can inspect, you may even be able to reduce boxes if they’re doubles or any excess honey frames. May make the whole trip easier.

 

[Poly Hive]

Would you move house in mid winter stark naked? So yes weather plays a part, actually a massive part in beekeeping so to be good to your bees please don't even think of transferring them until the weather has really warmed up so say late March early April. Yes you can move them any time they are all at home, but the transferring needs warm weather.

PH

 

[Ely]

Edited. Wrong end of the stick

 

[ericbeaumont]

can the bees be moved to their new location and transfer hives at the same time

As has been said, wait until inspection time before moving and transferring.

Reason for waiting to move: until temps. are 10C+ bees are likely to cluster. If you move them into a warmer vehicle the cluster will disperse and be unable to re-form when you unload into a cold field.

Even supposing you were to move them in an open pick-up and the temps were constantly below 10C throughout the move, transit vibration would disperse the cluster which would be unable to re-form, because bees cannot move at such low temps.

best advice to protect them from bees this year?

I guess you mean protect from wasps, though weak colonies will just as easily be attacked by honey bees as by wasps.

In late summer wasps will predate weak colonies; some years wasp attack is minimal, some years constant, depending on the survival of overwintered queen wasps and a good spring to establish strong nests.

Reduce entrances in late summer to one or two bee spaces; check out under-floor entances (UFE) which help because wasps dislike narrow access to honey bee nests. Plenty to search here - some use electrical conduit to bring any wasp straight up into the middle of the nest.

Resist the urge to kill wasps or nests (wasps are good pollinators and natural crop pest killers) but aim to keep strong colonies: that means a colony on double brood with several supers, all rammed with bees. If you allow the colony to tiddle along it is more likely to be a target.

 

[JamezF]

Would you move house in mid winter stark naked?

There's probably a video of it somewhere on the internet...

James

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Not NEW colonies, so not quite the right thread. However -

On the one hand, some say that you can move your bees in a time of frost and ignore the 3 feet-3 mile rule. On the other, there is the risk of loosening the cluster which could be a very bad thing for the bees.

I really do need to move some colonies some distance - varying from about 10-100 metres. Comments?

 

[JamezF]

I really do need to move some colonies some distance - varying from about 10-100 metres. Comments?

I moved a colony a few weeks back when it was cold and they seem fine now. I'd just try to be gentle with the movement of the hive. A hive barrow makes live much easier if you have to go more than a few metres.

If the bees are actually flying then obviously it's not so simple.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not NEW colonies, so not quite the right thread. However -

On the one hand, some say that you can move your bees in a time of frost and ignore the 3 feet-3 mile rule. On the other, there is the risk of loosening the cluster which could be a very bad thing for the bees.

I really do need to move some colonies some distance - varying from about 10-100 metres. Comments?

just do it - better in a cold period as you want the bees to not fly for a period before (or after) the hives are moved. Just do it very carefully, I've moved them by barrow for quite a distance like this, twice, the length of a field or more. I think the concern is, if you are moving them any kind of distance during a very cold snap, in a vehicle, you are bound to shake the hive a bit, however careful you are, thus disturbing the cluster

 

[Ian123]

Not NEW colonies, so not quite the right thread. However -

On the one hand, some say that you can move your bees in a time of frost and ignore the 3 feet-3 mile rule. On the other, there is the risk of loosening the cluster which could be a very bad thing for the bees.

I really do need to move some colonies some distance - varying from about 10-100 metres. Comments?

I think most of us have drawn a difference between moving a few meters gently talking advantage of a period of cold, rather than bumping miles down the road.

 

[Poly Hive]

If I were doing it (and I have) as said move as gently as possible and frankly any "builders barrow" will work as a hive barrow, I used one, said builders barrow to move many colonies to and from the heather but back to your issue. Yes move them then prop a board or some branches over the entrance so when they begin to fly out they meet the obstruction and realise matters have altered and that they need to relocate.

PH