memcnult
12-10-2007, 06:04 PM
We moved this fall, and although I was planning on waiting until January-ish (when it'd be at its lightest) to move the hive, I decided to do it ASAP after checking on them last weekend and realizing their perfect setting (in a 'tunnel' formed by a shed and a fence) had stopped getting ANY sun and was cold and wet -- no good, even here in the San Francisco area.
I read every thread about moving I could find on here and found them very helpful, so I thought I'd add my own account. I got to the hive at about 5pm, it was just getting truly dark and was about 50 degrees out. All the bees were inside, no sign of a single one anywhere. I first smoked the bottom (screened) board and entrance, then waited for about 3-5 minutes. I started with the front entrance, and covered the opening (which had been reduced to ~4 inches a few months ago) with brown paper bag, then taped it on. I tried using the blue painters tape per a recommendation on here, but it wouldn't stick to the hive at all, so I switched to duct tape. A few more puffs of smoke, then I cracked open the telescoping cover, which the girls had glued on pretty well. The noise/motion of getting it off caused quite a few bees to start coming out the top hole, so I slapped a piece of paper bag over that and held it down while my helper handed me tape. At this point I walked away to calm my nerves a bit, and came back only to realize I had forgotten about the small top entrance at the front. Whoops! I smoke the crap out of it to try to convince them all to hurry inside and taped that up as well. At this point there were probably about 10 bees flying around, and several trying to sting me. I knew any out of the hive at that point were doomed, so I killed them. :(
The rest was easy on the nerves, hard on the back. With a screened bottom board using a dolly won't work, unless you've got one of those extended bottoms on the dolly, which I don't. We strapped the hive together (it's one deep, one medium) and between the two of us just carried it the 100 feet or so to the truck. Drove the mile and a half to the new house and carried it to its new spot. This morning I opened the top and WOW, lots of bees eager to come out, even though it was only in the mid 40's or so. I placed branches w/ leaves on them (just cut the day before) pretty close to all the entrances, which hopefully will be enough to re-start their homing systems and make sure they re-map their new home, because I won't be able to get access to the old spot today, or anytime this week. I've heard varying things - some people say anything over a mile is ok, others that less than 2 miles is a problem. I guess I'll find out. I think the surroundings both immediately outside the entrances and above/around the hive are different enough to set off some re-mapping pretty quickly. Keeping my fingers crossed, anyhow. The ones that ventured out this morning seemed to be making the loops & circles that indicate it.
It was especially interesting to get to examine the cinder blocks under the screened bottom board on either side, where the hive overhung them. Some mites for sure, which made me sad (I haven't treated, but will do a drop count this week), some larvae - it was neat to get to check it out up close and personal without worrying about bothering the ladies.
I read every thread about moving I could find on here and found them very helpful, so I thought I'd add my own account. I got to the hive at about 5pm, it was just getting truly dark and was about 50 degrees out. All the bees were inside, no sign of a single one anywhere. I first smoked the bottom (screened) board and entrance, then waited for about 3-5 minutes. I started with the front entrance, and covered the opening (which had been reduced to ~4 inches a few months ago) with brown paper bag, then taped it on. I tried using the blue painters tape per a recommendation on here, but it wouldn't stick to the hive at all, so I switched to duct tape. A few more puffs of smoke, then I cracked open the telescoping cover, which the girls had glued on pretty well. The noise/motion of getting it off caused quite a few bees to start coming out the top hole, so I slapped a piece of paper bag over that and held it down while my helper handed me tape. At this point I walked away to calm my nerves a bit, and came back only to realize I had forgotten about the small top entrance at the front. Whoops! I smoke the crap out of it to try to convince them all to hurry inside and taped that up as well. At this point there were probably about 10 bees flying around, and several trying to sting me. I knew any out of the hive at that point were doomed, so I killed them. :(
The rest was easy on the nerves, hard on the back. With a screened bottom board using a dolly won't work, unless you've got one of those extended bottoms on the dolly, which I don't. We strapped the hive together (it's one deep, one medium) and between the two of us just carried it the 100 feet or so to the truck. Drove the mile and a half to the new house and carried it to its new spot. This morning I opened the top and WOW, lots of bees eager to come out, even though it was only in the mid 40's or so. I placed branches w/ leaves on them (just cut the day before) pretty close to all the entrances, which hopefully will be enough to re-start their homing systems and make sure they re-map their new home, because I won't be able to get access to the old spot today, or anytime this week. I've heard varying things - some people say anything over a mile is ok, others that less than 2 miles is a problem. I guess I'll find out. I think the surroundings both immediately outside the entrances and above/around the hive are different enough to set off some re-mapping pretty quickly. Keeping my fingers crossed, anyhow. The ones that ventured out this morning seemed to be making the loops & circles that indicate it.
It was especially interesting to get to examine the cinder blocks under the screened bottom board on either side, where the hive overhung them. Some mites for sure, which made me sad (I haven't treated, but will do a drop count this week), some larvae - it was neat to get to check it out up close and personal without worrying about bothering the ladies.