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Author Topic: Hive Location and Moving a Hive  (Read 1245 times)

Offline crmauch

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Hive Location and Moving a Hive
« on: July 25, 2020, 09:04:40 am »
Do to a number of factors my first hive is sitting about 20 feet (give or take) off my driveway, near were cars are parked.  It's great for quickly checking on the bees, taking feed out to them, etc.  But I know in Spring they have those 'cleansing' flights, and I'd rather not have the cars covered.  About how far should they be from house and cars?  Can I move the hive more that 3 ft. at a time, without causing problems (I seem to remember something about putting a tree branch in front of the hive to force reorientation)?  Let me know what you think.
Chris

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Hive Location and Moving a Hive
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2020, 11:09:16 pm »
Bees homing gps system is remarkably accurate. To within inches of the entrance.  When a hive is moved the bees go back to where it was. They do also adjust to change.
In my experience as long as the bees can see the hive clearly from their primary flight path, it can be moved up to 8ft - 10 ft at a time. There will be wandering flight around the old spot as they circle and search for the hive. Try more or less distance if you want. Also wait 2-3 days between move steps.
It is easy to tell if the move was too far or too soon between steps;  there will be clustering on the ground at the old spot. Clustering means they cannot find it. If you see clustering reduce the distance or extend the time between move steps. If you see wandered flying, no bees on the ground, it is just right.

Hope that helps!
« Last Edit: July 26, 2020, 12:38:06 pm by TheHoneyPump »
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.


Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Hive Location and Moving a Hive
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2020, 12:10:04 am »
there is that pesky 3ft, 3 miles rule of thumb (sometimes 2 ft 2 miles, depending on whom you ask.) But there are work-arounds; just move it at sunset to where you want it and put an obstacle like a branch in front of the entrance to force reorientation.  Easy peasy.  You might get a few stragglers at the old location.  Or, move them several feet a day until it is where you want it. 
I moved a hiive last year about 6 feet per day.  My bees were smart enough to find their hive, even though it was more than 3 feet from its previous location.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: Hive Location and Moving a Hive
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2020, 09:09:33 am »
I think you can move the hive anywhere on your property if you own less then an acre.  I suggest moving it in the evening or very early in the morning when all the bees are in the hive.
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Offline cao

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Re: Hive Location and Moving a Hive
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2020, 06:21:54 pm »
I would say that if you only have that one hive, than you can move it just about however you want.  If you have multiple hive close by than I would move them smaller amounts so they can easily find their way back without going to another hive. 

Offline crmauch

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Re: Hive Location and Moving a Hive
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2020, 02:17:11 am »
Thanks,  when I move them I'm going to do dusk and the tree branch thing.
Chris

Offline Acebird

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Re: Hive Location and Moving a Hive
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2020, 09:23:56 am »
If you have multiple hive close by than I would move them smaller amounts so they can easily find their way back without going to another hive.
If you split a hive and move the queenless half 100 ft away the foragers will have no trouble finding the queen right hive.  Bees can smell ten times better then a dog and a dog would have no trouble finding a bone a 100ft away.  What distance affects is time.  It will take longer for the bees to find their hive the greater the distance until you start getting 100's of ft away.
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