Opinions on moving bees @ this tempurature

[preyingmantos]

At this time of year will it be suffice to just foam up the entrance? my old man seems to think they will overheat and melt the comb like a nuclear reactor even when its barely 5c outside. I think to put a screen would do more harm than good.

anyone any tried this before? surely the hive cant get that hot with no or little brood and some ventillation trickling in from the foam and 2 feeling holes in the crown board, even if we travel with them 70 miles or so...???

 

[REDWOOD]

if your bees have an open mesh floor then no problem, but if they are on a solid floor you dad is right, a traveling screen would be advised

 

[itma]

And if you have a spare mesh floor, you could use it upside down, on top of the brood box, as a travelling screen. Just make sure that its entrance is sealed!

Naturally, there would be a considerable difference between travelling on the back seat of a warm car, and outside on the back of a pickup truck...
In the cool, no worries. In the warmth, different story.

Also 70 miles might be an hour up the motorway in clear traffic, a few hours through the lanes (go like a granny with bees on board), or all day if you get stuck in the wrong holiday traffic jam.

 

[preyingmantos]

solid floors on a flatbed truck. mesh floors are out the question but we could top screen them. my concern is we will disturb the tight cluster and freeze many of our precious bees. there are multiple roots to our destination so getting caught up are minimal.

 

[dpearce4]

solid floors on a flatbed truck. mesh floors are out the question but we could top screen them. my concern is we will disturb the tight cluster and freeze many of our precious bees. there are multiple roots to our destination so getting caught up are minimal.

You have answered your own question there. If you think its that cold then you have no problem, go for it. Seal them up, leave the roof on and they wont get to hot or cold in this weather especially as they are in the back of a flatbed truck.

 

[richardbees]

Welcome Preying!

That almost fits right into one of my top 10

"No phone, no pool, no pets...
solid floors on a flatbed truck.
I ain't got no cigarettes...
.......King of the road

imo this is the best time to move a hive. They'll have sufficient ventilation if you pin a piece of mesh over the feed holes in the crownboard.

Try not to jar them when you drive your Chevy "Silverado" over the roots!...
richard