Hauling Bees---Best/Cheapest Way

[Justin3]

So what is the best/cheapest way to haul bees if your getting into larger numbers of hives. I have about 25 now and would like to work up to 100 or so. I am talking about supering, moving hives into alomond pollination etc.

Do you put them on 4-way pallets and buy a used bobcat with mast and load on flatbead 1 ton truck...

or...

Use flatbead with somekind of boom on 2 way pallets.

or....

some other method. I'm sick of moving them with my BACK!

[Ishi]

Cheapest way is to find a Bee truck with a boom that moves 1 hive at a time.
find one with leveling hydrolics if possable. Next is build a boom if you have the equipment to do so. If you need pics let me know.

[Justin3]

Pics would be great!!

[Stonefly7]

Justin,

Everybody uses something different. Not knowing your what you have available to invest, it's hard to say. Do you plan in the future to expand to 500 or a K?

I found a flat bed, either gas (V10) or diesel, your preference, pulling a trailer with a Bobcat w/t forks, and pallatize w/t screen BB a viable solution. You can move in & out fast if needed.

Your back will thank you later.

Kind regards

[NEWSOM HONEY FARMS]

Plan according to what your doing in the future, your right next door to the almonds. Find a mentor or have a friend help you. If your only going to reach a maximum of 100, I would go rent a trailer. Good luck.

[pahvantpiper]

Booms don't work too well in the almonds. I'd use a forklift.

[carrojb]

Take a look at this method if your going to try to stick to a one man operation in the field,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h54MdnOcJvU

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

I am looking at getting a 1 ton and hand lifting for now....maybe a loader next year?
Hint- renting a loader 2-3+ times a year is MUCH cheaper than buying and maintaining one!
Mike

[Tom G. Laury]

Listen to Ishi. You can move bees cheap & easy with a boom.

[GageFamilyBeekeeping]

Cheapest way is to find a Bee truck with a boom that moves 1 hive at a time.
find one with leveling hydrolics if possable. Next is build a boom if you have the equipment to do so. If you need pics let me know.

Could you post pics?

[BMAC]

I vote on renting skid steer with forks. I rent one on a night only basis for just over 100 bucks per night. I only use it when I am 900 miles from home (renting is cheaper than pulling mine). If you want to move 100 hives I use a 16 (usable) ft gooseneck flatbed. I can easily fit 144 colonies on it though DD pushes me past the 26K CDL so I dont generally go over 96 colonies on it. 1 more pallet would not matter. If you look into the financial side you will notice running pallets is cheaper than BB and T lids.

Food for thought. What falls into your business plan?

[loggermike]

Booms don't swing well around almond trees. And a boom truck doesn't get far on muddy orchard roads.

I love booms and have used them for many years. But almond pollination is more efficient
when the hives are on pallets.But going to pallets created a whole new set of problems for me (most of which can be solved with money-lots of money).

[GageFamilyBeekeeping]

.... DD pushes me past the 26K CDL....... If you look into the financial side you will notice running pallets is cheaper than BB and T lids.

Hi, sorry for the ignorance, what is BB, DD and T lids?

[BMAC]

BB = BOTTOM BOARDS, DD = DOUBLE DEEPS, TLIDS = TELESCOPING LIDS. Sorry folks too much time in military, it made me abbreviate everything. If I dont abbreviate it Ill turn it into an acronym.

[rocky1]

Boom is great for some applications, but as pointed out above, not necessarily so in orchards of any nature. Other pollination, cucmbers, squash, watermelons, etc. farmers sometimes like the bees spread around a bit, sometimes in the middle of the field, forklift is a better application there as well. If you're stuck... Boom doesn't do you any good; forklift can and often does get you out. Mine did twice last week. Forklift may have other applications around the farm, or provide part time work landscaping also.

Both will save your back, one is attached to your truck eternally with limited application, the other is considerably more versatile. Going the forklift routine is certainly more expensive, but it also affords more opportunities for return. Although it was many years ago, when we bought our first bobcat, dad hired out to do the dirt work on 1 construction project and paid for the machine. Food for thought!

[GageFamilyBeekeeping]

.......running pallets is cheaper than BB and T lids.

So I'm still a little confused, are you saying that if you use pallets you don't use a bottom board? How can that work out? I get the telescoping lid since you probably use migratory covers, which I use as well.

[BMAC]

When you run on migratory pallets you are running 4 colonies per pallet. The bottom board portion is built into the pallet. I can build a pallet for just under 30 bucks per pallet. A few cuts a couple dozen nails and there is a pallet ready to use. Last time I checked you can buy 4 bottom boards for around 28 bucks. That is 2 less than the pallet. I think most new telescoping lids run for about 15 bucks per. Each migratory lid runs about 5-6 bucks per. Looks more economical to me to have them on pallets vice bottom boards.

[Stonefly7]

Pallets are a win win win. Plus you can make them using screen bottoms, which has been great for us. The Bobcat w/t forks as noted is awesome. A 170 will work based on what you can afford. Plus as noted, throw a bucket on and make some side change to pay it off. Good idea BMAC!

[alpha6]

Cheapest way would be by hand using a mule and wagon...only cost would be the grass in the winter. With fuel the way it's going I might try this myself.

[jim lyon]

You like the screened pallets Tim? I know a few who tried them got frustrated because they kept poking holes in them with pallet forks.