Moving Hives Short Distance In Winter

[NeilV]

I have 2 hives that I need to move about 75 yards. I have used the method shown on Michael Bush's page and it worked fine, but that was in warm weather. I don't want bees to go back to the original home and freeze.

Suggestions/advice?

Thanks,

Neil

[scdw43]

Two feet or two miles. I have moved hives, stuck trees, bushes in front of hive and laid sticks on the landing board, bees still go back. I have heard that if they can't leave the hive for several days that they automatically reorient, but I don't know this for a fact. I dont know what your weather is like but you might consider closing them up for a day or two if you have a SBB and it is cool enough. Good luck.

[Josh Carmack]

I have moved them several feet, or several yards, or even miles while doing nothing but moving them. I only once noticed a problem, when I left a hive sitting in the back of my old truck for a couple weeks, every time I would pull the truck back into that yard a bunch or foragers would start to pile up at the back of my truck in the same location they were in the bed. That lasted for several days and then it stopped, otherwise no trouble.

[WI-beek]

Why do you need to move your bees now? Cant you wait till spring?

Being where you are in Tulsa OK, if you move them on a warmer sunny day I dont see them freezing to death. As a matter of fact acording to your forcast for the week I dont see one day that worries me other than maybe thursday.

I think you are fine if you do it with temps above 50f