How Far Away

[topbee]

I am working on moving some of my hives across the road to a strip mine that is just full of sweet clover. The place is about 1/2 mile or better away from my house. Will I have a problem with bees returning to my house in great numbers? I was figuring on loading them on my trailer and moving them to a friends house about 2 miles away, waiting about 3 days and moving them to the strip mine. It would be nice to just move them to their new home, but I don't want to lose too many bees in the process. Help!

Tony

[Michael Bush]

If you leave one weak hive at the old location and move all the strong ones to the new location and put a branch or something in front of the entrances to trigger reorientation, you won't lose any bees, you'll just strengthen the weak one. The if you want you can take that previously weak hive two miles away for a few days and then to the new site. But frankly if it's only 1/2 mile away and no other pressing reasons, I'd leave them where they are. That's in their range to forage as it is. The bees never seem to mind as they will pass up things closer to fly 1/2 mile or more to something they prefer.

[Mitch]

I would not move them for only a half mile.This is something i see my bees do every year.I have apple trees just 20 feet from the hives,they do not work my tres but do the neighbors 400 yards away.I think they just fly over mine.I allways get some basswood honey and at the closest that is a half mile.I think they will get the sweetclover from where you are.

[topbee]

The goal of the moving was to get the hives away from the house. I realize the distance they will travel, but with all the activity of people i.e. kids and friends my wife has asked if I would consider moving half or better to a near by location.

So Mr. Bush you think if I move them that half mile away I can just put something in front of the entrance to reorientate their internal compass?

My wife is worried that since she is having all these people coming over is may become more of a saftey issue instead of a novelty, if you know what I mean.

Thanks

Tony

[Michael Bush]

As of today, I have about 35 hives in my backyard. They are about 100 yards from my door. One of them is in my living room. Guests have never had a problem with them.

But if you want to move them, I'd do it like I just said. Leave the weakest one for last. Move the rest directly and put a branch in front. Some will return to the old location but most will reorient as they leave and figure it out. The ones that don't will boost your weak hive. Then, after a couple of days, you can move the weak hive direct to the new location with a branch in front of the entrance and leave an empty hive at the old location. For a couple of days you'll have to close up the empty box and take it back to the new location with a branch in front (again). After one day almost all of them will know where they live. After two days all of them will know where they live.

Or if you like, you can move the weak hive two miles away for a couple of weeks and then to the new loation. But I don't think the end result will be any better doing this.