I found one other post on this subject and several people seemed positive about moving them, I just wanted to confirm. A freind wants to move her hive accross the yard if it's done when it's raining when they come out a day later are they going to be lost. Maybe kinda silly to worry about since commercial bee keepers move hives all the time. We had a lot of rain the last couple weeks so thought now would be a good time.
If the bees have been unable to fly because of weather or for other reasons for a period of 3 days or more, they will then re-orient again when conditions change so they will fly again. Try moving the hive or hives early morning of a day where they've not been able to fly because of weather for a few days. If it is the only hive you have, then move it any evening near dusk, they get lost but find their way back to the new location ok.
They will be confused for a while. Usually most figure things out by the first day and the rest by the second day. Something to trigger reorientation will help as it causes them to take note of where they are. Still many will go back to the old place and then turn the corner back to the new place.
Things that trigger reorientation:
o Banging on the hive (drumming etc.)
o Something in their flight path (a board, a branch with leaves etc.)
o Confinement of 72 hours (less will trigger some but 72 hours is about the maximum effect.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm)
Thanks for your replies. This was her first year also and now that she knows how gentle the italian's are she would like to get them closer to the garden and orchard where she spends a lot of time so that she may enjoy watching the bees more closely.