Re locating bees

[fullframe45]

I am in the process of purchasing a colony with Queen,brood etc they are presently in a national cedar hive. I will be re housing them in a poly brood box and the new site will be aprox three to four miles from their original site.I know to wait for a warm day and close em up or branches in front etc etc for a cpl days in their new location, But is there anything i should know.This will of course depend on my inspection first. Thank you

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If the new location is three miles away from their current apiary, no need for any black magic or magic twigs, just put them on the new spot, open them up and let them reorientate. You can put them in to the new poly brood at the same time if you want, but if you wait for them to settle first, at least you'll have fewer bees in there to distract you

 

[Ian123]

The distance you’re moving is enough that you won’t need to obstruct the entrance so don’t bother.
Ratchet straps are good… sponge is handy for the entrance and a roll of duct tape never goes amiss.
The most important thing when moving is providing ventilation, smaller colonies can be moved if on a mesh floor and the vents in the crown board covered with mesh. Big colonies may need a full vent screen covering the whole box.
Ventilation is important err on the side of caution for what it’s worth even with your relatively short move.
I was always taught to place hives so frames run front to back of the vehicle. So no slapping when you break. Given most are on Hoffman frames now it’s not really an issue if it ever was!

 

[fullframe45]

Im Just waiting for a warmer dayThank you.

 

[enrico]

If you are transporting them inside a vehicle keep a bee suit handy. I wear my suit and have a veil to hand. You can never trust the car coming in the opposite direction and an accident is bad enough without being stung to death!!!!

 

[fullframe45]

All theese comments no matter how small they seem are valuable ,and better to be on the safe side as you sugest. Thank you

 

[ericbeaumont]

waiting for a warmer day

Don't wait.

Cooler days are better for travel. Agitated bees produce heat when closed & transported, which is the reason for top screened ventilation.

 

[North End Bees]

Im Just waiting for a warmer dayThank you.

Move them in original box to the intended spot on the next available day, regardless of weather.
Then swap the frames into the new box on the next warm day.

 

[oliverkelly]

Be careful when locking big colonies in. I moved two full (8 frames of brood plus stores) colonies last week in poly 14 x 12. I was only moving them less than a mile so kept them locked in. When I went to unlock them 72 hours later, one colony had basically collapsed. Almost all dead from what looks like heat stress despite open mesh floor and temperature of 9 - 10 degrees in the day.

I can only think that the stressed locked in bees generated too much heat. I cant think of another reason for the collapse, as they had plenty of stores. Some areas of the comb had melted and collapsed. Very upsetting.

The other colony was fine.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Be careful when locking big colonies in. I moved two full (8 frames of brood plus stores) colonies last week in poly 14 x 12. I was only moving them less than a mile so kept them locked in. When I went to unlock them 72 hours later, one colony had basically collapsed. Almost all dead from what looks like heat stress despite open mesh floor and temperature of 9 - 10 degrees in the day.

I can only think that the stressed locked in bees generated too much heat. I cant think of another reason for the collapse, as they had plenty of stores. Some areas of the comb had melted and collapsed. Very upsetting.

The other colony was fine.

Why did you lock them in for 72 hours? Is that a recognised time scale for bees to forget there orignal position?
With the weather we have had this week my girls are hardly flying anyway so I would just move them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Why did you lock them in for 72 hours? Is that a recognised time scale for bees to forget there orignal position?

Not what I've read anywhere.
Just another one of the invented 'facts' we've had floating around for years probably.

 

[fullframe45]

Just finished moving them to new location.For once this rainy weather helped all the girls were inside .A stip of foam in entrance and strapped up and placed in my vehicle .Ten minutes later in new location with small space for them to look out over a wet field. Will transfer into new Brood box tomorrow as weather looks better.

 

[drex]

I moved 3 hives, 360 miles last month, in my car. Open mesh floors, home made travel screens on top. Even so they generated so much heat, I stopped twice and gave a light water spray. All OK on arrival.

 

[enrico]

Be careful when locking big colonies in. I moved two full (8 frames of brood plus stores) colonies last week in poly 14 x 12. I was only moving them less than a mile so kept them locked in. When I went to unlock them 72 hours later, one colony had basically collapsed. Almost all dead from what looks like heat stress despite open mesh floor and temperature of 9 - 10 degrees in the day.

I can only think that the stressed locked in bees generated too much heat. I cant think of another reason for the collapse, as they had plenty of stores. Some areas of the comb had melted and collapsed. Very upsetting.

The other colony was fine.

If you ever have to lock bees in ( and moving isnt one of them) they need to be sprayed with water every few hours for them to help regulate temperature

 

[Cuckmere couple]

i moved 4 hives 2 miles and to a field surrounded by OSR and it doesnt seem many returned to original site that i can tell