Best time to move a hive?

[jaycee]

Hi I started 3 hives in the past two weeks.  Two I started from packages with a tall shed immediately to the west and exposed well to morning sun in the east.  The third I started about 2 weeks ago at an opposite corner of my garden.  I caught the swarm and I hadn't really figured out yet where I was going to place it... now I realize that it is shady until 11 AM or Noon and also in the winter I am worried it will be more exposed to the weather without building a windbreak... sooo long story short I want to move it across the garden close to the others.  This is just about 50 feet to the west that it needs to be moved.  I've read that if I move it and place branches in front of the entrance it will help them reorient?  Does this sound right and would it be good to do this now when the hive is still establishing or should I wait until fall when the weather starts to turn and the bees are less active?

Thanks for any advice.

[Joe D]

I am fairly new to beek but have moved some hives in my short time of beek.  Close the opening, secure the lid, have what you are going to put them on level, cut some branches.  Then move the hive put the branches in front of the enterance, open opening.  Has worked good for me.  Good luck with your bees.

Joe

[D Coates]

Morning or evening is the best time to move a hive or nuc.  I've done ti at least a couple dozen times.  The darker and cooler the better, fewer stragglers and guards to accidently crush or have crawl around to get into trouble.  Cork up the entrance and move them.  Once at the destination, uncork and let them figure it out.  I did it last night to a swarm I captured.  The next morning there was a lot of activity as they get situated but by lunch time they were focused on the task at hand of establishing the hive.  The same is true for full size hives, they're just heavier.

[Yappy]

 Good luck,
2 nights ago I moved a small hive from a potting shed where I was going to leave it but after 2 months decided to move it about 12 feet. onto a new base in the garden.
2nd day in a row dozens of lost bees were back at the old site.
Last night I moves another hive about 25 feet.
Today hundreds are going to old site.
I put a nuc there and 2/3 when in,
moved to on top old hive in new location.
still many going to old site.

[Michael Bush]

If you put nothing at the old site they will keep looking for the new location.  If you put something there they will start treating it like home.  I would not put anything there until dark.

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

[BlueBee]

Fireguy, I gave a hive to some friends a week ago and had a clump of bees on the ground where the hive was.  I put a small nuc box there and put in one mating frame with a virgin queen.  The bees all went inside the nuc and started a new colony  :pinkelephant:

[Yappy]

Fireguy, I gave a hive to some friends a week ago and had a clump of bees on the ground where the hive was.  I put a small nuc box there and put in one mating frame with a virgin queen.  The bees all went inside the nuc and started a new colony  :pinkelephant:

I would have , it would be a easy way to boost a new nuc but around here no local Queens yet.
And I did read Michael Bush before but forgot the grass "trick" Next Time!
After dark I checked old sites and no bees around, hope they found the new home.

[Blackwater Bee]

I've had pretty good luck moving them at Dusk and Dawn when there is absolutely no activity at the entrance, then I cover the entrance with a screen, move them to their new location, remove the screen and place some sticks or stalks of weeds at the entrance to force them to reorient, you don't need to block the entrance entirely, but enough for the Girls to get out.



BB