Author Topic: Moving a hive in mid winter (Read 3805 times)

JFW67 · « **on:** December 21, 2022, 06:43:10 am »

Hi All,

I have a hive which I need to move because where it is will have stock moved in shortly. I’ve looked at ways to protect the hive but it’s not really practical.

I am aware in general hives should be moved incrementally or over two miles to avoid disoriented bees returning to the old location.

Does this apply in winter when they will not be flying now for a month or two?

I’m only aiming to move them about 15 meters.

ZacB · « **Reply #1 on:** December 22, 2022, 05:09:31 am »

3 feet or 3 miles.

If you’ve got to move them then there is no option - you have to move them. By moving them 15m you will find bees will return to the old spot. Ideally I’d move them 3 miles away and then move them back when fully flying later in the year. As a minimum if not doing this and you do move them 15m then I’d put a load of canes directly in front of the entrance or a branch with lots of twigs leaning over the entrance just to try and push the point that things have changed.
All of the above is irrelevant if you could guarantee a big freeze for a couple of months but that isn’t likely - it was 13 degrees here on Monday!

JFW67 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 24, 2022, 05:52:46 pm »

Hi ZacB,

Thanks for the reply. I had not thought of obscuring the entrance. I can also rotate the hive itself so double the potential confusion for them.

I’m on the Irish north coast and we have had some pretty cold spell lasting a good week or more. I was thinking I would aim for moving them when one of these is forecast . . . . Cold spells for us are pretty reliable to predict by following the pressure systems across the Atlantic. However, the imminent moving of sheep into the field has been postponed so I’ve a little more time to play with.

Thanks again.

John

Womble · « **Reply #3 on:** December 24, 2022, 09:54:18 pm »

John, if it's just sheep in the field that's causing the bother, could you fence around the hive and just leave it where it is?

harmony · « **Reply #4 on:** December 25, 2022, 04:21:18 pm »

I was going to make the same suggestion as Womble. As for confusing bees, good luck on that one

JFW67 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 27, 2022, 10:56:42 am »

Thanks for the input Womble and harmony.
Annoyingly fencing them off where they are is not a good long term situation.
Thanks again

wodkwi · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2023, 08:04:41 am »

Quote from: Womble on December 24, 2022, 09:54:18 pm

John, if it's just sheep in the field that's causing the bother, could you fence around the hive and just leave it where it is?

I also found that fencing the bees would be the best option. But if you move a fairly short distance, it will take a while for the bees to get used to and return to the correct position.