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Moving hives across an ocean in the old days

10K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  AHudd 
#1 ·
I'm curious about what methods were used to move bees long distances in the old-timey days, such as crossing the ocean on ships or the Great Plains on prairie schooners. How were they fed and cared for?

On ships, were the hives closed up for days and weeks, or allowed to fly for forage on an open feeder, or something else?
Did pioneers allow them to fly during the day to find a moving hive?

This silly question actually came to me in a dream last night.:rolleyes:
 
#4 ·
I would think that the best time to move bees would be in the winter, So it would be easy to move bees from the USA to northern Europe but from Europe to the USA in the days of sailing vessels poses a problem that the easterly winds are closer to the equator which would be in warmer latitudes due to the north Atlantic high. So I would guess colonies were just closed up and they would just hope some survived the journey. Obviously some did.
Johno
 
#5 ·
Bees came into the country through Jamestown Va. They were but into barrels and closed off. The barrels were then placed into the lowest part of the ship were its dark and cold. Travel during the winter months and showing up in Virginia during spring time. That was the basic history lesson at the State meeting 2 weeks ago.
 
#9 ·
Thanks dr4, that answers how bees were carried across the ocean. At least effective one method. Were there other ways?


OK, I'v found references that say bee trees were found as far west as the Rocky Mountains on the Arkansa River (present day Colorado) as early as 1819-1820.
https://www.readingsjournal.net/2016/03/bee-line-how-the-honey-bee-defined-the-american-frontier/

I've also found reference that beekeepers kept hives in Utah in the 1850s, before the railroad was built west. Let us assume that at least some kept bees were taken from wild bee trees. Also reference that bees were transported to Utah from California by wagon during that period.

http://www.three-peaks.net/uba/2017_UBA_Convention_Day_2_1000_Al_Chubak_History_of_Beekeeping.pdf

So, on the occasions that bees were carried by wagon, how were they cared for? Certainly, crossing the Sierras during winter was near impossible, and wagon trains crossing the prairie did not travel in winter, either.
Were foraging bees able to keep up with a moving hive strapped to a wagon traveling 10-15 miles per day? :scratch:
 
#8 ·
Arbol, I've heard similar claims before regarding Spanish explorers. Truth is that the ship's manifests were very important documents in the day and every item on those ships was noted and a copy retained. The first entry for honey bees occurred somewhere around 1634 and was on a vessel bound for Jamestown, VA. Even the EAS, acknowleges that Jamestown is the the place where it all began.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for your thoughts, JC.

I don't know of any 'beekeepers' in my family tree, though I do know that keeping bees was part and parcel of farming in general by my ancestors.
My father never spoke of beekeeping, but as a child I remember watching him catch a swarm barehanded and gave it to a friend. My mother spoke of always having 'honey sugar' to cook with during the depression, and of eating honeycomb.
 
#12 ·
I'm curious about what methods were used to move bees long distances in the old-timey days, such as crossing the ocean on ships or the Great Plains on prairie schooners. How were they fed and cared for?
Hi Hops,

On ships the bees fed off combs of honey. Over land hives were placed on springboard wagons.

Transporting bees by ship:
https://www.facebook.com/Historical...659953472/1516602111727613/?type=3&permPage=1

Skeps were also placed at the stern of the ship and allowed to fly freely. Sometimes the skep would be placed in a water cooled crate placed in the bathroom at the stern of the ship.

The first shipment of bees into California, Harbison had a great deal of trouble with combs melting and losses during transporting.
https://www.facebook.com/Historical.Honeybee.Articles/posts/1114980781889750

Interesting story about why the first shipment of Italian bees into America failed:
In 1855 Wagner and Edward Jessup, of York, Pennsylvania, made an attempt to bring Italian bees to America. The attempt was a failure due, it is reported, to the robbing of the nucleus of its honey by a ship's officer. At any rate, the bees were dead on their arrival for lack of proper provision.

[/QUOTE]This silly question actually came to me in a dream last night.:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Dreaming of Bees? According to Folklore:

Dreaming of bees at work making honey is considered lucky because bees are industrious. If you dream of bees at work, they are bringing you good luck.

To dream of seeing bees, signifies profit to country people.

To dream of bees working or making honey in any part of a house or tenement, signifies to the occupier dignity, eloquence, and good success in business.

This age old rhyme relates the belief that it is good luck to dream of bees happily working and making honey:

“Happy the man who dreaming sees,
The little humble busy bees
Flying humming round their hive.”

But Beware!! Dreaming of Bees Not Happily Working Could be a Nightmare!

To dream of being stung by a bee means a friend will soon betray you.

If you dream of killing a bee you will have great losses.

To dream of bees flying into their hives means you will have losses through enemies.

To dream of bees resting on a house denotes that some evil would befall it, -a sure sign that it will soon burn down.

The person who dreams of bees entering their house will either soon lose their life or suffer some great misfortune.

To dream of bees flying about your ears shows you being beset with many enemies, but if you beat the bees off without getting stung by them, it is a sign of victory over your enemies.

For the rich to dream of bees, is rather unlucky ; but to the poor they denote comfort, affluence, and success.

Pleasant Dreams!
 
#14 ·
Great sources, Naturebee. Thanks! Can't access facebook from work, but I'll hit those after work. Interesting that they kept them at the stern of the ship, because that's where they were in my dream....
... which was a load of skeps crossing the sea at the stern of a tall ship, then the same place at the tail end of a wagon train of prairie schooners. (maybe the 3-masted schooner and the wheeled schooner are symbolic, too) There was a cloud of bees flying behind the wagon train...
 
#18 ·
I would think put them on a ship in November, dark cool Hold, screen them in and if you are in the new country by spring the bees would have a "somewhat normal" winter. eccept the rolling of the waves.
if pre moveable frame a barrel with a cork hole would make a good hollow spot for bees.

it is an interesting venture to consider.

GG
 
#20 ·
Will bees fly out over water? I have heard not. Perhaps with no landmarks to home in on other than the hive entrance, the ships motion would only register as wind speed. Would they take toilet flights and return to the entrance? Feeding would seem not to be an issue.
 
#21 ·
There were migratory skep beekeepers so I imagine that could work fine and the comb is not too weak. Food could be difficult. I wonder if they would stop brooding when at sea? That would reduce cleansing and resource consumption and increase longevity. Thus may be winter only transport would not be needed?
 
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