[Twilsey]

Hi,

I have a hive that package was installed in about 2 weeks ago, I want to move it about 1/4 mile (or 10 houses) down the street. There are two additional hives which will stay at the previous location. Any suggestions to encouage the bees in the moved hive to stay in their new location?

Troy

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

Welcome to Beesource!


> Any suggestions to encouage the bees in the moved hive to stay in their new location?

Close up the hive after dusk so that the foragers are back in the hive. Move the hive, then once the hive entrance is opened at the new location, partially obscure/block the hive entrance with vegetation to encourage the bees to reorient.

If you were to be able to time this with a few days of non-flying weather that would be a bonus, but that may not be possible at this time of year.

 

[enjambres]

Yes, try to make the move (if it can be arranged) just before an expected 1-2 day period of cool, rainy weather where the urge to forage is decreased. And lean some leafy branches, more than you may think, but not enough to suffocate the bees, but not just a twig or two, either, against the hive at the entrance level. You want to make them have to negotiate a "different-enough" pathway outbound so that they re-orient as they leave. The cool extra days inside will help deepen the re-orientation effect.

When moving the bees cover all the exits with firmly attached screening. And tightly cinch the whole assembly together with ratchet straps so there can be no slippage between the wooden elements. The bees haven't had a chance to propolize the joints much yet. But even if it seems stuck enough, an unexpected jarring could break the seals, so better safe than sorry. When I move whole assemblies (admittedly more than just a deep with tops and bottom) I strap the stack together with one set of straps, but use another set for the hoisting so that the pressures from the lift don't add any force to the straps holding the stock togther. Here's a pic from last December (the orange straps hold it together, but the yellow ones are taking the lift strain.

Good luck!

Enj

 

[Honey-4-All]

Hi,

I have a hive that package was installed in about 2 weeks ago, I want to move it about 1/4 mile (or 10 houses) down the street. There are two additional hives which will stay at the previous location. Any suggestions to encouage the bees in the moved hive to stay in their new location?

Troy

Drift.com..... Been there.... done that.

Move them 2 miles away for a week and then move them down the street.

 

[ForrestB]

Drift.com..... Been there.... done that.

Move them 2 miles away for a week and then move them down the street.

No need for all that .

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm

 

[ForrestB]

edit

 

[Twilsey]

Thanks for all of the feedback so far. I a planning to move them this weekend, though the forecast shows in the 70's and sunny. Whenever I do it I will be sure to use the branch out front trick and move them at night. It's just one 10 frame deep started on new wax foundation.

 

[Twilsey]

Going to make the move tonight, two days of overcast rainy and temps in the mid 50s. Gotta go find my branch to stick in front of the hive.

 

[Twilsey]

So it has been two days since moving the hive and all appears to show a successful move. Yesterday was overcast and in the high 60s, today was sunny and low 80s. Both days the bees have been extremely active and as far as I can see they are going out and returning to the hive at a feverish rate with lots of pollen. I removed the grass from the entrance yesterday evening and the branches this afternoon.

I still have a top feeder on but though they are taking some in they have consumed maybe no more than 3-5 cups of 1:1 syrup since the move. Should I leave the feeder on? Seems I'm attracting small ants and the bees are building comb on the feeder screen, not sure what is looks like inside but I'm picturing burr comb issues I will have to deal with next weekend when I perform an inspection.