Moving Hives

[djgriggs]

I had a question that I cannot seem to find an answer for and was hoping that someone might be able to help me.

I have two hives each (2 Brood boxes deep). I am needing to move them to a secondary stand about 8 feet away from the current spot. current spot is being shaded be my workshop and does not get direct sun..

When I built my current stand i did not build it with the best efficiency in mind. My question is , Can I break the boxes down 2 / 1 / bottom board. and reassemble once moved ? or would this cause a problem for the bees. It is currently 54 degrees. I am in North Alabama ( hazel Green ) or would it be best to leave the bees where they are at ?

Thank you

[iddee]

Wait until it is 60 plus and sunny, with no wind, and will be 60 or above for the next 10 hours so they can reseal the cracks.

OR get one of these.   https://www.dadant.com/catalog/m00318-hive-carrier-transport-lift

[van from Arkansas]

Hi Don, 54F is cold for brood, don?t open those hive,,, to cold. Wednesday our high is 28F.  We have a cold front moving in.  Yes I am north of you so I don?t know if this latest front is going your way or not.  Either way, still a bit to chilly to open hives at 54F, almost certain you have brood in your hives in N Alabama now.

Hi ID, we posted at the same time.
Blessings

[BeeMaster2]

Don,
As mentioned, it is too cold for that kind of move.
I would not worry about moving them due to sunlight during the winter. You need direct sunlight during the summer due to SHB. They do not hatch during the winter.
A good technique to move them even in winter is to place a ratchet strap around the entire hive,  close up the entrance and use 2 people to pickup the hive and move them. If it is a long distance pick them up and put them in a wheelbarrow or wagon.
I use this technique every year. I close up the hives before daylight and then load them on a trailer and then I keep them on it when away from home.
Jim

[blackforest beekeeper]

problem might be the short distance. they might not find the new location on cleansing flight fast enough to not freeze to death.
also, the hive closer to the old location will get most of the flying bees, if they make it to a hive.

[SiWolKe]

Don,
As mentioned, it is too cold for that kind of move.
I would not worry about moving them due to sunlight during the winter. You need direct sunlight during the summer due to SHB. They do not hatch during the winter.
A good technique to move them even in winter is to place a ratchet strap around the entire hive,  close up the entrance and use 2 people to pickup the hive and move them. If it is a long distance pick them up and put them in a wheelbarrow or wagon.
I use this technique every year. I close up the hives before daylight and then load them on a trailer and then I keep them on it when away from home.
Jim

Once I moved my whole beeyard of 8 colonies 50m far by this method sawdstmakr describes. I closed the entrances while moving them and opened the floor. Waited until evening to do that and opened the entrances late at night.
I waited until a rainy and cold period before moving all hives. I sticked some branches into the entrances in different ways for them to orientate. Worked fine.

I would not move them while they cluster, because the cluster can be shaken down while moved and freeze on the floor.

If you want to move them after breaking them down you can split them in spring and place the splits at the new place. After some time combine again or use them as splits.
Same entrance management as described above. Use three rainy days.

Or place the broken down hives in a cold basement providing ventilation for 24 hours and then place them at the new location, but either put all brood and queen into one box or check the queenless for queencells then if you want to combine again.

If the new place is not far away the lost foragers will find some hives or their home hive to beg in they usually do it before night.

[djgriggs]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I will follow all of the great advice here and not move or attempt to move any hives.

Thank you

[Ben Framed]

Mr Riggs, as soon as I saw this I thought of you .


https://youtu.be/9vWbygbyibA

[van from Arkansas]

Mr. Ben, that video has a cool bee hive body lift.  I liked the auto attachment and detachment of the hive body.  Would surely save me a back ache but not in my budget and little wheels would not negotiate my terrain......  good idea though..

[Ben Framed]

Mr. Ben, that video has a cool bee hive body lift.  I liked the auto attachment and detachment of the hive body.  Would surely save me a back ache but not in my budget and little wheels would not negotiate my terrain......  good idea though..

I am in agree completely. Same here with my terrain. For someone on firm smooth flat land, this may be the trick. Especially for someone who is older, this could really make a huge difference. I have a HEAVY generator that I use for different applications at my home and grounds, for electricity at places to far from electrical outlets, even with the added extention cords, the outlets just don't do it. To far away for electricity required. Pole saws, leaf blowers and other items used at the same time. I  bought a two wheeler with 13" inflatable wheels that make tough terrain a piece of cake. If this equipment that we are viewing is set up properly according to using balance as an advantage, along with the use of larger inflatable wheels, I am thinking, this may be a hit!!

[Ben Framed]

Mr. Ben, that video has a cool bee hive body lift.  I liked the auto attachment and detachment of the hive body.  Would surely save me a back ache but not in my budget and little wheels would not negotiate my terrain......  good idea though..

I am in agree completely. Same here with my terrain. For someone on firm smooth flat land, this may be the trick. Especially for someone who is older, this could really make a huge difference. I have a HEAVY generator that I use for different applications at my home and grounds, for electricity at places to far from electrical outlets, even with the added extention cords, the outlets just don't do it. To far away for electricity required. Pole saws, leaf blowers and other items used at the same time. I  bought a two wheeler with 13" inflatable wheels that make tough terrain a piece of cake. If this equipment that we are viewing is set up properly according to using balance as an advantage, along with the use of larger inflatable wheels, I am thinking, this may be a hit!!

Let me add, I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the comment section. This is a video by A Canadian Beekeepers Vlog. Ian is a very nice and knowledgeable fellow. He has always responded to all questions that I have had for him and always glad to help. If we check out the comment section, the concerns that we have might have already been addressed?

[Haveuseen1?]

I have read, but never tried the following method and it may be more work, but if it works.  I have read that you can move the hive/hives about a foot or so every few days with no impact on the bees.  Might take 7-9 days to get the 8'.  I would imagine you would know if it works after the first move.

[BeeMaster2]

With just 2 hives, I would just move them the 8 feet and not worry about it. Watch what happens it is really neat. I moved one of 6 hives about 6 feet, leaving the old location empty. It took the field bees a couple of minutes to figure it out but every time the field bees returned to the hive they went to the old location and flew a s shape to the new location. This continues for several days. It was pretty funny.
Jim

[Michael Bush]

http://bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm