Author Topic: moving bees (Read 9309 times)

egglady · « **on:** April 08, 2011, 03:02:38 pm »

just donw my first bee inspection of thisyear and girls have survived well i'm pleased to say.

i'dlike to move them to a different location within my garden (huge garden), can anyone remind of the 'rules' please. i seem to remember 3 feet or 3 miles, but not sure if that is specific or just a generalisation.

thanks

oh, and also best time to move them as well

Andrew · « **Reply #1 on:** April 08, 2011, 03:20:17 pm »

This article says a bit about moving bees

http://www.gobeekeeping.com/lesson%20five.htm

lazybee · « **Reply #2 on:** April 08, 2011, 03:44:14 pm »

Yes that's the saying. I'd go a bit more than 3 miles though as I've had bees turn up back to the old location (with nowhere to go) at just over 3 miles. The best time to move them is early in the morning. I used to put a ratchet strap around the hive the night before and put an entrance block in. Then early before they start flying stuff a piece of foam sponge in the hole and put them in the back of the Land Rover (could get six in ) then drive them to the new spot. gently unload and just before leaving put out the sponge stopper and leave them for a couple of weeks. If you need to travel further with them you will need to have a ventilated roof screen. I found though if everything is done in the cool of the morning they aren't needed. One tip though if you put them inside your car ALWAYS drive with your bee suit on ready to don the hood in case of the great escape !! some always get out.

I once had an 'incident' in the middle of Beccles in Suffolk me and a mate where moving some hives on his trailer to the rape fields. We stopped at the traffic lights in town, I glanced in the mirror and had that OH S**T moment. One of the brood boxes had slipped off it's floor. We both had to suit up and sort it out right there, most of the bees just clung to the brood box. We didn't hang about I can tell you.

egglady · « **Reply #3 on:** April 08, 2011, 09:07:52 pm »

oh this is such a nuisance, i'll just have to do the moving a hive width every night or morning for WEEKS then as moving 3 miles is just not an option...oh well, i had a spare 30 seconds somewhere $:-\$

Beewyched · « **Reply #4 on:** April 10, 2011, 09:56:53 pm »

Do you have a bee-friendy friend (

) nearby? (over 4 miles away

) that you could move your hive to for a week or so, get the new site ready & move em back?

egglady · « **Reply #5 on:** April 10, 2011, 10:47:30 pm »

Quote from: Beewyched on April 10, 2011, 09:56:53 pm

Do you have a bee-friendy friend ( ) nearby? (over 4 miles away ) that you could move your hive to for a week or so, get the new site ready & move em back?

actually i just might do now you mention it! hmm, might go down that option - thanks for that

Billy Rhomboid · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2011, 01:22:17 pm »

I agree 100% with what lazybee said. We moved a couple of our hives last week in fact, from our original location to our new field about 5 miles away. Went very smoothly.
The only slight thing is you don't half get some funny looks when you pull up alongside people at traffic lghts. Especially in our case as we have an ex-MOD landrover and the look of surprise truning to alarm on other motorists faces is quite a picture as they see two white-suited and helmeted people driving very cautiously in a military vehicle...

egglady · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2011, 09:13:28 pm »

made me smile at the thought of it

Anke · « **Reply #8 on:** April 12, 2011, 09:28:12 pm »

Yes, I have driven with my beesuit on and hives in the boot of the estate car... the looks from other motorists are priceless....

Egglady - good to hear your colony survived after all! I did my first full inpsection at the weekend, and found that my weakest hive (single broodchamber and new queen from the summer), hadn't made it after all... although bees were going in and out, these were the robbers from next door.... but on the bright side - two very strong hives with brood nests in both brood chambers (they were overwintered in double boxes, united them in autumn)

egglady · « **Reply #9 on:** April 12, 2011, 09:55:58 pm »

good news there then Anke, pity about the one though

onwards and upwards.

am in the process of building up my second hive just in case i need it this year!!! i live in hope eh???

LASDER99 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 15, 2011, 03:01:50 pm »

Quote from: Anke on April 12, 2011, 09:28:12 pm

Yes, I have driven with my beesuit on and hives in the boot of the estate car... the looks from other motorists are priceless....

I got attention from "the plod" last year and was stopped..

"What is in the box sir ?"
"Bees"
"Would you open the box please?"
"No"
"Err......"

A quick tap on the side of the nuc confirmed the fact with buzzing, along with a BBKA membership card.
"I thought hives were bigger" said one plod so I gave him a story about these were young ones just hatched and being taken to a new colony and I couldnt afford them to get cold so hurry up....

Blue light escort for the 4 miles home and they bought 4 jars off a very confused wife while I hid at the bottom of the garden !

Beewyched · « **Reply #11 on:** April 15, 2011, 10:12:54 pm »

Like something from a TV sketch ... you've made my night

Plantoid · « **Reply #12 on:** May 19, 2011, 01:10:02 pm »

Quote from: egglady on April 08, 2011, 03:02:38 pm

just donw my first bee inspection of thisyear and girls have survived well i'm pleased to say.

i'dlike to move them to a different location within my garden (huge garden), can anyone remind of the 'rules' please. i seem to remember 3 feet or 3 miles, but not sure if that is specific or just a generalisation.

thanks

oh, and also best time to move them as well

I've often move hives around an apairy by taking the complete hive off the stand and rebuilding ion my bee barrow then moving the hive a three or four feet every 20 minutes.. most forraging bees will have completed a forage joutney or two by then and taken the hive location into their heads to be able to find it on the next forage trip return .

It is not so effective in cold , windy or wet weather .
I was interesting to see how the bees came back to the old location and flew around for a few seconds till they picked up the scent of the moved hive.

Plantoid · « **Reply #13 on:** May 19, 2011, 01:24:00 pm »

Quote from: lazybee on April 08, 2011, 03:44:14 pm

Yes that's the saying. I'd go a bit more than 3 miles though as I've had bees turn up back to the old location (with nowhere to go) at just over 3 miles. The best time to move them is early in the morning. I used to put a ratchet strap around the hive the night before and put an entrance block in. Then early before they start flying stuff a piece of foam sponge in the hole and put them in the back of the Land Rover (could get six in ) then drive them to the new spot. gently unload and just before leaving put out the sponge stopper and leave them for a couple of weeks. If you need to travel further with them you will need to have a ventilated roof screen. I found though if everything is done in the cool of the morning they aren't needed. One tip though if you put them inside your car ALWAYS drive with your bee suit on ready to don the hood in case of the great escape !! some always get out.

I once had an 'incident' in the middle of Beccles in Suffolk me and a mate where moving some hives on his trailer to the rape fields. We stopped at the traffic lights in town, I glanced in the mirror and had that OH S**T moment. One of the brood boxes had slipped off it's floor. We both had to suit up and sort it out right there, most of the bees just clung to the brood box. We didn't hang about I can tell you.

I'd go with suggesting move your bees after dusk .. set every thing up in the day except for the block or top screen .. ..it's cooler for longer . The bees will also be able to pick up scents of their new location as the new day warms up to 50 oF .
We found that using the led headlight with the red lenses or lights on we were able to work through the night if required (40 hives of four supers to heather from North Cambridgeshire to North Yorkshore ) .

Having moved hundreds of hives miles and miles to heather , fruit crops , rape and borrage doing night runs & trailers I put it that if there is a problem you usually have time to sort it as it is cooler for longer .. normally there is also less traffic and people around .. should you get a break down or be involved in an RTI in your morning suggestion that means you cannot drive away within a few hours your bees will suffer & you may have to off load the hives by the road side in to a handy field .