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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • To: "Starks, Walter" <Walter.Starks AT facilities.unc.edu>, April Rhodes <rhodap1974 AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: "ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org" <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Hive move
  • Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 16:00:38 -0400

Make sure you remove all evidence of the old site when you move them (particularly, remove the entire stand; it may serve as a landmark or have pheromones on it.) Ideally any wayward foragers will go into Search Mode when they return to the spot and nothing is there, then find the nearby hives.

As Walter indicates, don't agonize over it much. Just move them, with the caveat I mention above. At least that works for me. In my experience, losses on a move like you are talking about are more hypothetical or "potential" than actual. If some bees return to the old spot, scoop them up and dump them in the new home. No problem.

Folks who try to do elaborate measures they see on you-tube cause a whole lot more harm than what we are suggesting. I've seen entire hives killed from people doing some of that nonsense.

Randall

On 3/26/2015 2:42 PM, Starks, Walter wrote:
I moved all 3 of mine about 100 feet a few months ago. Did it just before
full dark. Closed the entrances, wrapped a strap around each one and loaded
them on a wagon one at a time. Some people say to block the entrances with
leaves or pine straw when you re-open them. I tried that with mine. Perhaps
it made some difference. Not really sure. The bees just pushed the pine straw
out of the way and proceeded with business. I probably lost about 20 foragers
from each hive. Not bad really. I'm sure you'll see at least a few that
return to the old site.

______

Walter




Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 26, 2015, at 2:09 PM, April Rhodes <rhodap1974 AT gmail.com> wrote:

I need to move my hive about 50 feet to a more sunny area on my property.
From what I've researched, it looks like I should get out early in the
morning before the bees start leaving the hive to forage (or at dusk when
they've all returned), then close off the entrance, load the hive on a wagon
(all boxes at one time if possible), and pull it over to the new location.
Is it as simple as that? Or is there a better way to do this? Thanks in
advance!
-April
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