How to set beehives in feilds

**Brandonc** · 12-18-2012, 06:49 AM

What is the best way to set beehives in the feilds to keep them the calmest. Because right now I set four hive to a pallet and when we go to harvest the honey the bees get angry alot quicker and it seems like all the hives are agitated from the time we open the first hive till when we leave. What would cause this and how can i help to pervent it

**Mr.Beeman** · 12-18-2012, 07:30 AM

Sounds like robbing. Not much you can do.

**Acebird** · 12-18-2012, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by Brandonc

What would cause this and how can i help to pervent it

this is one huge difference a new beekeeper will witness between having one hive and two.

I will say the cause is because you are harvesting the honey during a dearth. In a strong flow the bees will just go out and get more nectar. They are too busy to rob.
Another way is to harvest when it is cold enough for them to cluster. Then you will only get the bees from the hive you open. I will suggest to not open more than one hive at a time.
Another method is grab and run ... Smoke the box so the queen goes down to another box and take that box some distance away.

BTW how many hives are we talking about?

**Slow Modem** · 12-18-2012, 10:10 AM

If they're all on a common pallet, if you bump one, you bump them all. Add to that the fact that they can get testy when taking the honey, perhaps that is the problem.

Perhaps you should consider setting them on four separate pallets or stands just to see if it makes a difference.

**Acebird** · 12-18-2012, 10:47 AM

I have two hives on one pallet. It makes it easier to work the hive from the back. With four hives on a pallet two of the hives are going to be facing away from the sun. Maybe that makes them testy.

**Tom B** · 12-18-2012, 06:59 PM

I am a fan of the "grab and run" (never heard it called that, but that is what works for me). I don't run very far, maybe 100 yds or so, then I can brush off the remaining bees and put the filled frames into a plastic tote for transport. The bees will still make it back to the hive (eventually), and I don't have to deal with multiple full hives of disturbed bees. Instead of smoking, I will use a fume board in the late season, seems to get more of the bees out of the box that I want to grab.