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Moving a swarm--questions

509 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  cconnell, 
C
I captured two swarms from my own hive, one three days ago, the other two days ago. I want to move them to an apiary three and a half miles away. They both have queens, far as I can tell. I've moved hives before. My question is really swarm specific. Since a swarm isn't really invested in its new home yet, is moving a swarm more delicate than moving a regular hive? In other words, is it more than just prompting the bees to re-orient, is there also the problem of their not being committed to the particular box as well?

I can move them today (this evening at dusk) or I could let them stay in their current location a week or 10 days. But they will have to be moved eventually.
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JWPalmer
If the captured swarm has been in their box for more than a day or two and the weather has been good, they have accepted it. Moving late in the evening after all the foragers have returned should not be an issue. Moving a hive with a virgin queen in the afternoon could be problematic if she happens to be out on a mating flight when you decide to move her colony.
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C
JWP, Thanks for the concsie answer.
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