I have a friend who needs to get rid of their one hive of bees NOW. They will be moving out of state in a couple of weeks and don't want to take their bees with them. They have offered them to me for whatever I think they are worth. I know that you can't open a hive this time of year but can they be moved safely? I am concerned about placing a "strange" hive in with my current hives (diseases and such). Thoughts?
Did your friend work the bees up until winter? They might be OK. How long can you leave the hive at their place? Might be warm enough to check on them in a week or 2. Do you have another place to put them until it warms a little?
IMHO, the best time to move a hive is from 45 to 55 F. It is warm enough for them to reform a cluster and cool enough to get them all. They likely won't be flying unless it is really sunny.
As for disease, It isn't any more of a gamble then your neighbor a half mile away getting bees. There's always a chance, but if they have lived through this much winter, they are likely healthy.
How far? If you must move, try to do it when its above freezing, which "should" be no problem by you, but first Q I have is how far? If its not far , say under 20 miles and you can drive slow, you won't need to protect them much, other wize, strap them up tight, cover good and go. Have fun with your new bees, if they've been relatively near, they already know each other ;) so I wouldn't worry Too much about co-mingling.
thomas
if it is warm and they are flying, have her close them up at night after they are all in, and move them early the next AM. i wouldn't worry about disease either. even if you kept them in a separate area, the bees would still mix when they were out. it's always a risk, although i think a small risk, when you bring in another hive.
Go in the morning before they are flying, put a cheap ratheting motor cycle or cargo strap around the hive to keep the boxes/lids/covers in place. If you did that as quietly as you should have, they are all still in. Plug the entrance and any other holes with steel wool. Screen unless stapled tends to fall out. Now move them to where you want them. Take off the strap. Uncork the steel wool. If equipment appears sound and if the hive was fairly heavy and the bees are alive, Give them a low fair price. After a couple days. Open them up and see how the queen is laying and the amount of brood and feed they have. If you haven't given them enough money, give them more. Now with all this global warming and polar bears drowning, I know you'll be able to do that inspection in a deep south state! If it is a deadout or soon to be a deadout, just pay for the equipment. If you are worried about any drawn comb full of honey being contaminated, just send that hazardous waste to me! I'll even pay postage!
They kept them through the winter so far. I don't know for sure but my earlier conversations with them about wintering leaves me to believe that they wintered them pretty well (i.e. stores, etc.)
They want me to pick them up this Friday (Jan 28). The temps are supposed to be in the lower 50s. I have move them about 20 miles. My plan was to get there early and screen the entrance to keep them in the hive. Then, strap the hive together and hope I can lift it into my van that's enclosed so I won't have to worry about them getting cold.
I believe the hive consists of 1 deep, at least two mediums, and a hive top feeder.
Plan sounds good. Just keep the bees from flying too much around in the van. :-D
make sure that hive top feeder is empty. put them on a moving dolly. you should be able to pull them into a van with that.
Might want to take some help for getting them in your truck. How many supers? Did you say? Even a couple could be over 100#
thomas
QuoteThe temps are supposed to be in the lower 50s. I have move them about 20 miles. My plan was to get there early and screen the entrance to keep them in the hive.
You could ask the owners to remove the feeder and plug the entrance hole even at night. Then all you have to do is strap the hive and lift it into the van when you get there.
I hear vertebrae discs rupturing.......
I believe it does have a hive top feeder. I guess that I'll have to make sure that there's no syrup! :-D
You can open the hive anytime it is in the high 40's if you have to. I don't mean to be moving frames but to check on them or get a feeder off of them. Close them up after dark which will be about 6:00 PM and move them. Wait until the next day to open them if they have a SBB on them. If they have a solid board on them wait a couple of hours after you set them up and open. If they are strong a few bees flying out want make a difference. The next few days are going to be warm don't miss your chance it might be the last warm days in the next 2 weeks.
Ya, hopefully that feeder is empty. Hate to hear they were feeding all winter long.
Found out a little more information. The hive consists of two deep boxes and one (maybe two) medium supers. The hive top feeder was removed last fall. Also, I found out that it's an 8 frame hive! Yeah!
Now, I hope this thing doesn't weigh a ton! Hopefully, a significant amount of the stores have been consumed since we're half way through the winter! :-D
I would guess that they don't have the supers on. One strong person can get two deeps in the van and if you have help it should be no big deal.