Transporting Poly Hive

[herefordshirehoney]

Hi,

Just trying to get prepared as my 2 nucs should be ready after I get back from holiday hopefully, we will then move them into the langstroth poly hive's hopefully the day before or a few weeks before. I've read quite a few of the threads about moving hives just wanted to check a few things.

I have foam prepared to block the entrance. Should I tape it in too (not tried tape ontop of the painted poly hive, didnt want to rip most of it off afterwards taking it off.....). I'm hoping to get an old curtain net to wrap them both in too depends what i can find though.

I'm moving roughly 11.5miles from my mentor's apairy to mine. The Swienty hive's dont have crownboards, however they do have a plastic innercover. Should I just tape this to the top (it's quite flexiable plastic with perforated holes in) not sure if this is enough ventellation is enough....

At this distance if its a cool night will I need to stop and spray if taking it steady? Is it just water in gardeners spray bottle, and how much would you spray.

I know some of this will be answered by the person im getting the nucs off but wanted to make sure i know first too.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

I should also meantion its an open mesh floor but the Swienty Swi-Bo open mesh floors do seem smaller than the normal langstroth woodern one's ive seen.

 

[Luminos]

When I saw the title, I thought you were taking Poly Hive somewhere...

Can't advise you about poly hives, but I drove one lot of our bees several hundred kilometres in a wooden nuc box.
The temp was about 23C (at night), and I was advised to pour a couple of capfuls of water through the mesh, every hour, or when they were buzzing more loudly. (This was a cap from a standard 1.5 litre Evian bottle). Hope this helps.

 

[BeeJayBee]

11 1/2 miles won't take very long, unless you get caught in a traffic jam. There will probably be enough ventilation through the om floor, especially if you move them in the evening.

For the entrance, could you stuff it with foam and hold it in place with a ratchet strap rather than tape? You'll need two straps to hold the rest together, at 90 degrees to each other, so nothing can slide. Tighten them, leave for a few minutes and then re-tighten because sometimes the strap stretches and loosens a little.

Fill the brood boxes with frames, and perhaps dummy boards, to make sure they can't slide from side to side. Or you could tape them inplace. Put the hives in the vehicle so the frames run front to back (in live with the direction the car moves). That will help to stop them slapping against each other when you corner or brake.

You could put one of these http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17406 in your car, which would help explain why you're driving so carefully.

Would it be easier to move the bees in their nuc boxes, and put them into the new hives on site?

 

[herefordshirehoney]

K thanks - sounds like i need some more straps!

 

[Poly Hive]

I am not going anywhere thanks let alone Aussie. Been there... shudder.

Two straps per hive.

No need to spray for 11 miles! I have never sprayed even over 100 miles.

Foam will self adhere.

Never seen these CB's you mention so no comment on them.

Just take it easy on the corners.

PH

 

[drstitson]

having had experience of transporting PH's in PHs they are fine shut up overnight including a 150 mile drive.

seriously though, as per PH -

OMF is only ventilation needed for such a short journey.
the "travel screen" up top in overkill.
no need to spray either.

DOI: have successfully transported hives >1000 miles in early continental summer conditions. Just required a spray every 4-6 hrs (ie 250 miles) and were fine at other end. They did have open travel screens though.

 

[Finman]

.
I move all the time hive and alone.

I have never sprayed them.

How I do it:

- warm air. I start in the morning and then when I arrive, it should be warm, that bees can at once fly.

- I do not work at night, no for cecades. Only harms.

- If bees are flying, I may put a nuc on the site and foragers can go into it.
or they may go to next door hive.

- When you have a mesh floor, you need not stransport mesh on the top.
- Take care that they get air in the car.

- The most important is load securement tie- that you may tighten the hive that it does not open even if you push brakes during driving.

http://images.search.conduit.com/Im...e&ctid=CT3176986&searchsource=1&start=0&pos=3

- If the hive is inside the car, modern cars often have air cooler. If you do not, use window open or something that hive does not over heat.

- if the hive is hot tempered, it may heat up quite badly. Look and listen during trip what is going on. My bees do not show much opinions during transport.

BUT DON'T FIRST POUR WATER INTO HIVE!

 

[Finman]

DOI: have successfully transported hives >1000 miles .

hAVE YOU SO MUCH DISTANCES IN UK?

 

[Finman]

and I was advised to pour a couple of capfuls of water through the mesh, every hour, .

Terrible advice! It kills brood

 

[RoofTops]

They should be fine for a short trip but bees do overheat very quickly in a poly hive if it is a strong colony. I took bees to the heather once, got lost so it took longer than expected (about 2 hours) when I opened up the bees came pouring out of the entance and gathered in a great beard. This was a very strong colony stuffed with bees and they were the same Swienty hives you are using.

ITLD recommends a travel screen with plenty of clustering space below it for these hives. I made my own but now use the plastic propolis screens you can get from another supplier with a different design of poly hive where the roof can be inverted to give ventilation.

Remeber with a LS the entrances should face either the front or back of the car so the frames lie in the correct way for travelling.

 

[Hivemaker.]

If the colony is strong i would advise to use a travel screen as well,they can very quickly melt down with the heat they generate,especially with the temperatures as they are at the moment.

 

[Langstroth]

Honestly, dont worry about taking any special precautions when moving them 11 miles, open mesh floors will be fine. I move my hives around quite alot and only bother with the travel screens if doing more than an hours driving.

 

[Luminos]

Terrible advice! It kills brood

It's the advice I was given *shrug*