I hadn't heard of this?

[A Devries]

A friend of mine works at an outfitting supply store selling backpacks, hiking boots and flashlights that sort of stuff. She had a guy come in looking for a good lighting system so he could check his bees at night. From what she understood open the hives and check for eggs. Would this work?I'm not about to go out and try this. From what I've read this would be a bad thing. Looking for your thoughts.
Albert

[Michael Bush]

By all means try it. But please wear a beeproof suit and plan on someone else to have one also to find all the bees that won't get off of you so you can get back in the house.

I only opened a hive at night once. It was a very bad idea.

[tarheit]

I've filled hive top feeders, or jars set up where the bees can't get out at night, but never have opened one at night. I can't imagine it would be a great idea, and I'd be sensitive to the cooler temperatures at night.

I have enought trouble trying to find the hive tool I dropped during the day http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

[beeman 202]

Since the bees use the sun for directional navigation, all bees out of the hive will be "lost". Bees will land and cling everywhere, crawling into who knows what.

Very bad idea, bordering on ludicrous.

[mark williams]

Please do as Michael said,And then (when you are able).let us know how it went>>>>Mark

[Robert Brenchley]

I've opened newly sited hives at night; if they're still diturbed they crawl all over the place. Make sure whatever you're wearing is beeproof.

[Michael Bush]

I know you said you weren't going to, but the best way to learn is to try it. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

[WineMan]

I know a fair number of folks that work bees at night. Particularly when making splits. However, not much attention is paid to eggs or where the queen is at in those instances. Just keep stacking deeps with 2-3 frames centered in them until all the frames are used up. Then come back and pull the deeps off and stick the frames into nucs or keep them in the deep.....move them to another yard and add cells. Its just a fast way to equalize bees.

Not sure that I would want to use a light to do much inspection in the dark. They tend to buzz all around lights. Maybe a dim light might not be so horrible but I only get a mental image of bees flying to the light.

I cant see eggs very well unless there is good sunlight so I often use a small flashlight to see on those rainy days. Havent ever tried it at night though.

[A Devries]

I think this is an experince that would be best shared with someone whom you can easily out run. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/wink.gif

[beegee]

When I was helping my commercial friend with his bees, we moved A LOT of bees at night. It was not fun. These bad girls did not like us disturbing them. I check on my bees late at night when I walk the dog and they don't like the flashlight too much.

[sampa]

I just finished moving a hive from a 3 medium langstroth to a long TBH style hive. I'd like to go on the record that doing this at night is perhaps the dumbest thing I've ever done smile.gif

So far anyway. I got them moved over, but I got stung about 6 times with my suit on. After I got stung in the nose, I figured out where they got in and duct taped it. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Any idea how long it'll take the ladies to calm down? I'm expecting them to be hot for at least the next couple of days.

sam (the very dumb beekeeper)

[Robert Hawkins]

sounds like something RW would do.

Hawk

[Michael Bush]

>Any idea how long it'll take the ladies to calm down? I'm expecting them to be hot for at least the next couple of days.

They get over it in a hurry. It's just night that was the problem.

[beedeetee]

Quite a few years ago, I happened to look out and see a black bear sniffing my hives. I ran out and chased it away. I don't remember why it didn't occur to me right away, but about 7:00 that night I thought that there was a slight chance that the bear might come back.

By 9:00 there was a pretty good chance that he would be back and by 10:00 it was certain and I was in a panic.

I got suited up. I decided to move the hives into a fenced area that I have to keep deer out of my fruit trees. I would have to carry them about 200 feet.

They were double deeps. I put my flashlight in my pocket and picked up the first box. As I was carrying it (bracing it against my waist), I realized that I really couldn't see where I was going with just the light from the house. I put the hive down and got the flashlight out and realized that I still couldn't see. My veil was covered with crawling bees.

In fact from my waist to my head was solid bees just crawling around trying to get in. I didn't know what to do. I was moving their home and now they weren't in it.

Anyway, it was a long night and a lessoned learned. I used to move pallets of bees at night into our orchard without much problem. It was cool and we didn't get into the hives, so a few would fly, but they mostly stayed put.

The bear did come back that night and tried to climb the fence. I heard the wire pulling throught the staples and got up and chased him off again.

[Robert Hawkins]

so that's the way we handle bears in the 21st century? Just run out and yell?? Maybe wave our hands a little?

I'm learning a lot here.

Hawk

[MGBee]

Albert:

I just moved 4 hives from NC mountains back to my yard.(my first experience moving bees)

Got them set up in the yard at 10:00 pm and started to remove screens at entrances. The truck lights were on high beam on the hives.

The bees boiled out of those hives, and as others who have posted here say, they flew until they found something to stick to -- ME.

Miles

[dickm]

Bees can't see red. Try a red light and report back.

Dickm

[chief]

I just posted a post about my hive extraction that lasted into the night. Huge mistake!! I used a head lamp but that dosn't work well with a veil on. Live and learn I guess.

[sc-bee]

I did it once!!!! (moved at night without screening) EVERYONE SHOULD TRY IT ONCE!!!!!

[Joel]

Hawk, I do that with my bears all the time. My wife won't send the dog out because whe's 17 years old and she's afraid she'll get hurt. I guess I'm dispensible! But they are black bears. In your neck of the woods what you describe is the universal sign for "It's supper time" due to the unique breed you may end up dealing with.

For night work I would suggest one of the head lamps like the coonhunters wear. That way you will be able to clearly see all the bees that will be stinging you shorlty and the stingers will be confined to a small area around the light making them easy to find and pull out of your scalp!

[notaclue]

I wonder how well they would show up under a carbon light? That's what we used to use for night hunts before I got bunged up.