I moved one of my hives 100 feet after dark tonight. I have a SBB and left the entrance closed for the evening (61 degrees tonight) to make sure a branch would be there at first light in the morning and not fall off too early. In the morning I will open entrance and put branch in front to hopefully make them reorient on new location. How long does branch need to be there ? hours, 1/2 day 2 days ?
It is a flow right now so do all foragers go out every day ? Do all foragers go out early in the morning ?
Thanks
Mike
I keep the branch there for one day and that is good enough. Even if it's there longer, they'll get around it and it'll still be fine. I can't answer the question regarding the foragers, but my bet would be that they go out as much as possible.
In the future you could open the entrance after you have moved them because as you know they don't fly at night, and place the branch then. Foragers well, forage, so they will be foraging, all of them, when the hive wakes up in the morning. Some hives rise earlier than others. One day should be sufficient or less for them to orient, then remove the branch.
...JP
http://bp1.blogger.com/_PFDSe_fBOyc/SAnf-iIg4wI/AAAAAAAAAb8/_4Xu3p5S11E/s1600-h/branch.JPG
Is this acceptable for the 'branch method' ?
There seems to be a descent number of foragers returning to old location. I put a ssb and hive body there for them. I assume that near dark I can put stragglers in front of hive in new location and they will smell it and enter ?
QuoteIs this acceptable for the 'branch method' ?
That's perfect. All it is doing is fooling the bees into thinking that the location has changed drastically to trigger the orientation.
QuoteThere seems to be a descent number of foragers returning to old location. I put a ssb and hive body there for them. I assume that near dark I can put stragglers in front of hive in new location and they will smell it and enter ?
That should work or you can open the box and shake them in.
I have noticed that this way of moving the hive works better in winter then warm weather. But I just leave a hive (or box) at the old site so they have a place to go and then I will put them back in the hive at the new site.
If I move my hives in the winter here in PA, I don't have to do anything for reorientation. When it warms back up they will automatically reorientate anyway. They will reorientate after about 2 or 3 days of being couped up inside the hive.
For most of the day there were large numbers of foragers at the old location.
After dark I dumped what were inside the bait hive that I left in the old location back into the
old hive in new location. They were very upset. One or 2 were so persistent I was waiting to get
hit through my suit or hood. There are still quite a few huddling underneath the old hive stand. I left the branch for tomorrow and hope that they do not return to the old site.
I leave nothing at the old site until just before dark. Then, if there are still some insistent ones, I put an empty box. Having nothing there encourages them to remember where the new location is.
Thanks for all the replies.
I will remove the box until tomorrow night.
Michael I hope that you do not 'burn out' helping us new guys.
You are 'The man' and really enjoyed your queen rearing video.
Regards
Mike