When to move hives?

[Finman]

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Jep. To nurse whole year and then move to best pastures! That is critical movement - are pastures best.

When beestock is calm, it is nice to move and open hives in the morning.

My memories about German Black Crossbreeded are not so lovely.

 

[Normandie]

The deed is done. I stood and watched the hive for 10 mins before we closed it up and there was no inward (or outward) activity but it was well-dusk and there was a chill wind. We got them safely back to their new pastures (a cider apple orchard) and they were clearly (by the sound of them) a little perturbed about their move. So we thought we'd let them settle while we have supper and then go and open up. Thanks for the advice about the veil - but we're still sufficiently new and cautious so would have done so.

We're very excited (partly because they appear to have over-wintered successfully) but the adrenal gland wasn't too exercised as we've a little trailer and put the hive in that - safely strapped down. Call me Ms Risk-Averse but the idea of us and a hive of concerned bees in a one car worries me.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

2007 I took 8 hives to the borage in my trailer. I never like driving with my trailer even when going to the tip becuase I have a detachable towbar and I am always checking my rear view mirror to make sure it has not dropped off (I am sure I would hear the noise)


So despite only moving them 15 miles down the road, but I stil spent most of my time looking in the rear view miror to make sure they where still there.

I have vissons of being on the ten oclock news for some major road crash and bees escaping everywhere

 

[gtb]

we are planning to do the sheet of glass thing

What's that for? Never heard of people using glass during a move.

What I have done when moving a few miles by car is...

Day before, replace the crown board with a solid board (I have pitched roofs so its easier to strap down a board), strap up, get stuff ready.

Get up early (dawn, e.g. 5:30am) on the moving day and put in the foam entrance strip before the bees are up and flying, move the hive (on a small trolley), heave into the back of the car, then trolley into the right spot at the new location. Remove foam and leave for a few hours, to settle down, then replace crown board and roof.

The advantage of doing it early morning is that the day is getting lighter as you go, and unforeseen delays are not such a big deal. I have also tried evening moves, but by the time you are finishing in the pitch dark at 11pm you can be quite fed up, tired, stumbling over uneven ground, annoying the neighbours, and so on.

 

[Normandie]

The glass idea came from here...

Another dodge is to reduce the entrance to half and prop a sheet of glass in front of the opening, the departing foragers bump into the glass and it makes them pause and think "that's different what else has changed" they then reorient them selves and are less likely to return to the wrong location

...and it seems to have worked very well. There's massive activity around the hive this morning with bees encountering the glass and flying back to the hive and going in. I've been watching closely. LOL. Then others (or maybe the same ones) are coming out and flying straight around the glass and off into the orchard.

We're thrilled to have the bees somewhere we can go and observe them easily and as often as we like without phoning first (as, until now, we had to go via the landowner's house to get to the hive) and without a 30 minute drive each way.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I prefer hive moves in the evening,the reason being on fine warm mornings you can have large clusters of bee's hanging out the entrance and all over the front of the hive,can be buggers to get back in,secondly they have all night to settle down and come out in the morning in there own time, and orientate themselves. allways use a travelling screen on big colonys, they generate a lot of heat and can cook to death in a very short time.

 

[gtb]

I have vissons of being on the ten oclock news for some major road crash and bees escaping everywhere

Like this last year :

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/thousands_of_bees_swarm_cars_o.html

 

[Finman]

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Last year (?) it was in Los Angeles that a bee truck collided in the city and 400 hives were in collision. Firework sprayed soap water on bees and pushed them into sevage. Here is one http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wo...-Canadian-Lorry-Crash/Article/200807115018669

I have learner that when I move hives, the power of wind is huge when I drive with normal speed.
Load must be tied very well.