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Moving hives

2K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  arkiebee 
#1 ·
We are going to move our hives to another spot - not far away - . We have had luck using duck tape around the hive bodies to keep them from slipping instead of the hive staples, & we are going to put them in the tractor loader bucket to move them - I'll be the lucky one to ride with them. I know to wait till dark and plug up the hive entrances. Anything else I am forgetting?
 
#5 ·
Been there done that. :mrgreen: I would recommend closing them up the night before and moving them the next day when i could see what i was doing. I turned one over moving them in the dark, and i'm here to tell you they can see you alot better at night than you can see them. :lol: Jack
 
#6 ·
If I'm only moving them a mile or so, something that I like to do is prop a leafy branch up in front of the entrances to make them reorient to the new site somewhat. I've done it with and without and with had fewer bees return to the old site. Also make sure you move any hive stands, blocks, etc. that the hives were setting on.
I prefer early morning (before daylight) moves also. Sometimes though we just do it when we can.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the advice! Bjorn, you are just TOO funny! I do think we will use the ratchet strap along with the duct tape just to have that much more security, and I do think that moving them early in the morning would be better as well. I just won't "unplug" the entrances till we get all of them moved. ( I just have 6 to move) I have used a limb to put at the entrance when I split a hive last year and put the split just a few yards down from the original hive and that worked great.
OK - it looks like we are moving hives tomorrow & Friday while I am out of school. I'll have the video camera ready just for Bjorn!
My tractor driver is pretty good with that loader bucket. He put me up about ten bazillion feet in the air last year when I was catching that swarm. I really wasn't scared because of the bees, I just don't like heights and I was up as far as the bucket could go!
 
#8 ·
when moving hives by small truck (or as in arkiebee's case a front end loader) remember that a wood bottom board doesn't slide so well on a wood deck, yet the same bottom board will slide like it is greased on a metal deck. when moving hives I like to have some plywood on the deck of my pickup truck bed. you will still need to secure the hive (I use rope) from tipping (side to side I would suspect more than front to back).

and duct tape holds the universe together.
 
#9 ·
Well we got the hives moved and that worked out fine.

How long do I need to leave that hive in the OLD spot to catch those workers that insisted on going back to the same spot? And won't they do that again? Because I am not moving these hives but about 2000 feet?

:confused:

THANKS!
 
#12 ·
I still have that hive in the old spot - & we moved them a week ago now. Maybe I can move it this weekend, but I think I'll move the gates we had around the hives to keep the cows from rubbing on the hives and try to totally change up the landscape as much as possible before we acutally move the hive itself. We are due for a dry streak of weather and at least if some of the bees go back to the old home place they can find a new home to go to before the weather does them in???
 
#13 ·
We moved the hive to the new location and still had a bunch - a huge cluster of bees on the ground where the old hive was - so we moved it back to the old location and I hope all went in last night. I think now since this little hive has caught a bunch of workers, I bet I need to add another hive body to it - would it be TOO quick to put one on this afternoon when I get home from school? because these bees were none too happy with me yesterday afternoon!

I think I will wait another week and move it to my neighbors about 2 miles away and then move it back later to where I wanted it in the first place??
 
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