Best way to turn hive 180 degrees?

[Seymore]

I started a nuc in the opposite direction from the parent hive. I'd like it to face the sun now. What is the best way to do this? Is spring better than now - when they don't come out a lot. (But this week supposed to be in the 60s a lot.)

[sqkcrk]

Just go ahead and turn it around. They'll figure things out.

[Michael Bush]

You can do it 45 degrees at a time. Or 90 degrees at a time. Or 180 degrees at a time. 45 will confuse them the least for the longest period. 180 will confuse them the most for the shortest period...

[Seymore]

Thanks, guys. Since it is so cold right now, I just flipped it 180. I figured fewer would be coming out at a time so that might minimize some of the traffic jams. I stuck a pot of mums in front of it so they would want to reorient anyway.

[Kirk Osborne]

Interesting thought ... would turning the hive 180 degrees help in a robbing situation?

[ralittlefield]

I doubt it. In a robbing situation they are all over the hive looking for ways in.

[Joes_bees]

I agree, I think they'll figure it out if you just flip it 180.

To play devils advocate...
Is it possible if a bee makes a quick trip out on a day that's barely warm enough to fly, that they would be confused long enough by the 180 flip that they don't make it back into the hive in time? I'm sure the losses would be negligible.

[jim lyon]

Interesting thought ... would turning the hive 180 degrees help in a robbing situation?

Sure, what works even better, though, is to switch it for even a few hours with a good strong hive but you still need to reduce entrances on both hives just to be sure. If there are many robbers in the weak hive just pull the lid for a minute and give them a good smoke to clear out the majority of the robbers then get it out of there. It is a nice trick to also lean something like a lid up in the main area where they are robbing to confuse them a bit more.

[cerezha]

.. If there are many robbers in the weak hive just pull the lid for a minute and give them a good smoke to clear out the majority of the robbers then get it out of there. ...

Could you, please, explain? I do not understand how it prevent/cure robbing? Do you mean that opening the lid would attract robbers and than "give them a good smoke to clear out the majority"? Thanks God, I did not have this problem, but it would be useful to be prepared!

[jim lyon]

When a hive is being actively robbed it is, in fact, infested with robbers. When you open the lid they can be seen as the "flighty, nervous" bees in the hive and will fly up fairly easily if you give them a good smoke. About the only hope for a hive at that stage is to get most of the robbers out of the hive, move it to a calmer location and further reduce the entrance.