Just looking for a little advice...The sweet clover around here is in full bloom. It is spread sporadically about in the ditches but there is a big patch(a few acres worth) about 3/4 of a mile away. Would it be worth it to move my bees closer? I have land that would put them within a hundred yards or so of this clover patch.
I know they are visiting that clover now but would it make much difference to move them that much closer?
I am also need help weighing the pros of being closer to forage versus the cons of stress that moving hives can cause within a colony as well as the distance they are being moved being less than the "2 mile" rule.
Thanks for any thoughts or advice
Jay
Quote from: goertzen29 on June 20, 2011, 01:08:50 AM
I am also need help weighing the pros of being closer to forage versus the cons of stress that moving hives can cause within a colony as well as the distance they are being moved being less than the "2 mile" rule.
Thanks for any thoughts or advice
Jay
No it is less then 3Ft. or more then 3Mi.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
ok, thanks for clearing that up......but what about the move? Is it worth it to move the hives 3/4 mile closer to the clover or should I just leave the hives alone?
Jay
I would not move them for 3/4 mile, you already feel they are visiting the patch. Not worth the effort in my parts.
Bees will routinely fly more than a mile for good forage (and up to 3 or 4 if they must). If the patch is within a mile, you can safely assume they will work it. No need to move for such a short distance.
The move if done with care will not stress the bees as much as you believe.
How many hives are we talking here?
...JP
It is not the bees stress I would be worried about, it would be my stress ;) It is 100+ in the shade, here today. Of course the poster is in NE (66 degrees) and not SC (100+):-D.
If you like the location better move them? I misread the first post as two acres of clover and not a few acres. What are a few acres? My understanding is it takes a significant amount of acreage to make an impact on honey yield, if that is the driving factor for your move.
Well it is not "solid planted clover" but rather spread through out a 40 acre pasture. And yes the main reason I consider moving my 3 hives would be if it would significantly improve honey yeild. My thinking is that it takes alot less time to fly 100-300 yards rather than flying 3/4 of a mile. I know they will forage that distance and beyond but I'm just wondering about the efficiency question. Hopefully in a few years I can have my own clover field that I can place them right in the middle of;)
thanks for the input,
Jay
40 acres three hives --- I couldn't resist ;) Since it is less than three miles use the branch method of moving. Not sure how much it will help but certainly can't hurt.
Not familiar with this method do a search or check out MB's website---- bush farms, click beekeeping.
You will find in depth descriptions there on moving bees.
The only way you will know for certain as to yield is to move them. Three hives, I say go for it.
...JP
Thanks guys, I'll go look for a suitable spot tomorrow.
Jay
let us know if the old adage about not less than 2 miles comes in
(do the bees come back home)
I would like to know
good luck
Dave
Quote from: Dave360 on June 21, 2011, 08:47:01 PM
let us know if the old adage about not less than 2 miles comes in
(do the bees come back home)
I would like to know
good luck
Dave
That's why you use the branch method ;)
Quote from: Dave360 on June 21, 2011, 08:47:01 PM
let us know if the old adage about not less than 2 miles comes in
(do the bees come back home)
I would like to know
good luck
Dave
I can tell you from experience that the two mile theory is hogwash. I've moved them 1/4 of a mile or less, many times and all was fine.
...JP
Hogwash???? I can tell you if you move bees 3/4 mile the field force WILL go back to their old location....The pieman has spoken. :-P
To each his own "Pieman". :-D
...JP
If you move them that short of a distance be sure to put an empty hive whit foundation frames, that you can close up and move, in the old location. What you will find is that the older bees will come back to that location the first time that they cross an old path they are familiar with. I did this trick when I moved them about 150' (i put a palm branch in front of the hive in the new location) The first day I had several hundred in the empty box. I closed it up that night and put it on top of the hive. The next morning it was empty and I put it back in the old location and did the same again for 3 days. each day I had less and less bees in the box at the end of the day. Good luck. Jim
Quote from: sc-bee on June 21, 2011, 09:09:00 PM
Quote from: Dave360 on June 21, 2011, 08:47:01 PM
let us know if the old adage about not less than 2 miles comes in
(do the bees come back home)
I would like to know
good luck
Dave
That's why you use the branch method ;)
Why not take a few and add a little extra insurance :)
Very helpful. I need to move a colony from a swarm trap back into a hive and put them about 100ft from where they are. I've been worried and thought I might need to move them in baby steps.
Branch method, here I come!
Very helpful. I need to move a colony from a swarm trap back into a hive and put them about 100ft from where they are. I've been worried and thought I might need to move them in baby steps.
How long have they, the swarm, been in the location that they are in? A swarm is a different situation. My Father-in-law has over 20 years with bees and now is A bee instructor and he just helped his neighbor with a swarm. They ended up in his garage in side a hive box that had 2 drawn foundations and the rest were frames with foundation. As soon as most of them were in the box he added a cover and a bottom board and moved it within a couple of feet of where the original hive was. A swarm does not return to the original hive in this situation.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 23, 2011, 12:40:22 PM
Very helpful. I need to move a colony from a swarm trap back into a hive and put them about 100ft from where they are. I've been worried and thought I might need to move them in baby steps.
How long have they, the swarm, been in the location that they are in? A swarm is a different situation. My Father-in-law has over 20 years with bees and now is A bee instructor and he just helped his neighbor with a swarm. They ended up in his garage in side a hive box that had 2 drawn foundations and the rest were frames with foundation. As soon as most of them were in the box he added a cover and a bottom board and moved it within a couple of feet of where the original hive was. A swarm does not return to the original hive in this situation.
Jim
Correct if you are housing a swarm. Different if the swarm was caught in a trap and have set up house already.
Here is a link courtesy of MB: http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm)
Thanks guys. I didn't go into detail as it isn't my thread and wasn't looking to hijack it.
But the situation is that Shawn called me up with a swarm in one of his trees. He didn't need the swarm as was generous enough to let me take them home in a new hivebox I built.
They stayed there for about 30 hours then swarmed again. They moved about 60 feet to one of the 3 swarm traps I quickly built the night before.
Now they have been in the swarm trap for about a week. I was hesitant to re-hive them until they had some brood. So I haven't been in a hurry, but figured I'd do a cutout and move them into a proper hive after they'd been in the trap for 2-3 weeks. Also, I've delayed because I'm building and painting hives and wanted to finish their pretty new home before moving them.
P.S. I'm a total newbie. And I've built 11 top-bar hives and plan to fill them up this summer from cutouts, trapouts, swarms and splits. Also, I'm planning on building some nucs and attempting to winter them to cover losses.
>Thanks guys. I didn't go into detail as it isn't my thread and wasn't looking to hijack it.
Your question was on moving bees --- you did not hi-jack the thread or attempt to ---- you piggybacked on the thread :flyingpig:
As I originally gathered from your post, the swam has set up in a trap, they have set up home, move them as you would an established hive.
I moved a hive last weekend less than 1 mile. I put a cedar branch in front of the entrance for two days and placed a nuc box at the old location just in case. No bees returned to the old location. The branch method works.