[lords88]

I am relocating for a new job from Nevada to Hermiston Oregon, this will be an 8hr+ drive. We have 17 colonies to move in mid/late August. My current plan is to extract all the honey from the supers and place one empty super on each colony that needs the space. the colonies will all be double deep or double deep with a super and be on two way pallets with migratory lids (no upper entrance). I also plan to place 1/8' mesh on the entrance of each colony right before dark, strap them together and load them onto a trailer. Then drive all night to Hermiston to offload somewhere. It looks like I can expect the temperature to be in the 60's at night. I don't want to overheat any colonies. Does anyone have any advice, I have never moved colonies this time of the year or this far.

 

[username00101]

I am relocating for a new job from Nevada to Hermiston Oregon, this will be an 8hr+ drive. We have 17 colonies to move in mid/late August. My current plan is to extract all the honey from the supers and place one empty super on each colony that needs the space. the colonies will all be double deep or double deep with a super and be on two way pallets with migratory lids (no upper entrance). I also plan to place 1/8' mesh on the entrance of each colony right before dark, strap them together and load them onto a trailer. Then drive all night to Hermiston to offload somewhere. It looks like I can expect the temperature to be in the 60's at night. I don't want to overheat any colonies. Does anyone have any advice, I have never moved colonies this time of the year or this far.

I'm curious about this question as well.

What's the maximum number of hives that can be transported without special equipment?

 

[kaizen]

arrange them so the entrances are all facing open air. should be plenty cool for them. if it was going to be hot i'd say no top cover and staple screen over the top.
Maximum number is whatever you can manage. Distance and temp is limiting factors.

 

[Apis Natural]

been there az to medford or use 8mesh screen tops instead of covers, it's friggin hot on the drive day or night even through the shasta district

 

[Michael Bush]

It sounds like a good plan. I always put them on screened bottoms with a screened top. Since my bottom boards have the entrance blocked I put the same bottom on top and bottom. Strap them together well.

 

[aran]

I am relocating for a new job from Nevada to Hermiston Oregon, this will be an 8hr+ drive. We have 17 colonies to move in mid/late August. My current plan is to extract all the honey from the supers and place one empty super on each colony that needs the space. the colonies will all be double deep or double deep with a super and be on two way pallets with migratory lids (no upper entrance). I also plan to place 1/8' mesh on the entrance of each colony right before dark, strap them together and load them onto a trailer. Then drive all night to Hermiston to offload somewhere. It looks like I can expect the temperature to be in the 60's at night. I don't want to overheat any colonies. Does anyone have any advice, I have never moved colonies this time of the year or this far.

I moved my bees just 90 mins last august or so and i made up fully screened covers for the top and drove with them on the back of the trailer with the outer covers off to provide max ventilation. I also gave every hive an additional empty super just for extra space and used number 8 hardware cloth across the front entrances.

 

[enjambres]

You may need to have some kind of inspection done before transporting them- I am not sure about rules out west.

I am assuming your part of NV doesn't have any Africanized Honey Bees? That gene pool should probably not be moved around.

Trucks hauling bees are exempt from some highway rules.

I would want to take my bees, too, if I moved.

Good luck to you!

Nancy

 

[Gino45]

I am relocating for a new job from Nevada to Hermiston Oregon, this will be an 8hr+ drive. We have 17 colonies to move in mid/late August. My current plan is to extract all the honey from the supers and place one empty super on each colony that needs the space. the colonies will all be double deep or double deep with a super and be on two way pallets with migratory lids (no upper entrance). I also plan to place 1/8' mesh on the entrance of each colony right before dark, strap them together and load them onto a trailer. Then drive all night to Hermiston to offload somewhere. It looks like I can expect the temperature to be in the 60's at night. I don't want to overheat any colonies. Does anyone have any advice, I have never moved colonies this time of the year or this far.

You didn't say what kind of vehicle you are using. Flatbed? In my bee moving days we would throw the bees on the flatbed, throw a net (shade cloth) over the top, and tie them down. Load in the evening and go. Unload in the morning. If the hives are crowded they will hang out on the front of the hive to keep from overheating. As long as you have the net and move at night, there should be no problem.

 

[lords88]

My trailer is a flatbed trailer. I would love to just bet them but I don’t have a net at this time. The Oregon Department of Agriculture did not require an inspection to move across the Nevada/Oregon border. I just need to register my colonies before moving them. Northern Nevada has very cold winters and their are no cases of Africanized bees in this area. My colonies are all very docile and easy to work with in just a veil and little smoke.