Time to settle after move

[Oakbear]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of moving from my garden to an out apiary, and there's a couple of fields near me which are an option.
Problem is they're well within 3 miles (about 1/2 mile tops), and obviously more then 3 feet away!

So i was thinking could i move them temporarily over 3 miles, then move them to the new site, near my garden? Would that work?
How long would they have to be 'away' for?

 

[oliver90owner]

Might depend on how big your garden is!

Ideally move them away for a couple of weeks and then to the new site.

However, dependent on your layout, you could get away with much less. If you can move hives so they are close together and then move one of them to the new site. Close the 'new-site' hive for a day and stand an obstacle immediately in front to get the bees to re-orientate. Any flying bees returning would return to the hive now positioned on the same site in your garden. Organisation of hive capacities could mean that only the last hive may be a real problem.

Get a sheet of paper and map out possibilities.

Now, having trawled through your previous posts for the important information it appears that you only have one colony? Not so much a hardship to move it twice?

RAB

 

[Oakbear]

Thankyou.

No just one at the moment, so no hardship, hence my idea of moving.
Just wanted to check how long it would need.

 

[RoseCottage]

Rab,
This is a little confusing ...everyone talks of 3ft or 3miles but also people talk of preventing them flying for a couple of days and forcing a re-orientation flight by putting something in-front of the entrance.

Are you suggesting the hive at the old site is empty and acts as a collection point? If not won't returning bees be slaughtered?

I have a.move to make too about a mile and some thick woodland to navigate home through. If I could avoid taking the girls to the out airy 6 miles away I would...

Your thoughts are always appreciated,

Sam

 

[oliver90owner]

RoseCottage,

It would only be foragers that might return to the old site. A hive on that site will normally accept 'foreigners' as they are laden with goodies for the hive (and will continue to forage from that base).

No different than moving the queenless colony to the other side of the old hive position after one week (to collect most of the flying bees) when carrying out an artificial swarm.

Regards, RAB

 

[susbees]

Wait til the end of the season? Or move and block up with grass once moved?

 

[Midland Beek]

If you are moving hives less than half a mile, I would err on the side of caution and take the hives away for a good month.

Either that, or move them in the dead of winter.