Ok guys I plan to move six hives about two hundred miles to my new home in south MS. That may seem easy to most of you but I have never attempted this before. I plan on using the straps with the ratchet and also tacking together with hive staples. I have the premade screens to put in the entrance and plan on securing them with a smaller staple. I use screened bottom boards for what its worth. I will be halling them in the back of my full sized truck. Do I need to put them in the back of the bed or towards the front? I also have two honey supers on top of each hive that already have two deep brood chambers. I have already had a huge honey harvest but I fear they are full again because of the continual rain. I havent seen them in about a month. Should I hall them with the honey supers on them? Any advice you guys would share would be much appreciated. I have been keeping bees about 8 years but have never attempted a move this far.
Sounds like you have a pretty good plan there. Ratchet straps are good. Me, I do not staple them anymore when using the straps. I would pull the honey supers. Much too heavy with 2 deeps alone, but doable. It don't matter where in the truck you put them. Just close them up at dark to get most of the bees in.
Thanks for responding! Planning on taking the supers off!
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm#twomiles (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm#twomiles)