I have an out-yard & need to move the hives about an 1/8 mile. since the girls are hunkering down with the onslaught of winter would I still need to put some brush in front of the hives to re-orientate them. there's no reason to hurry the move so I could wait until it's even colder. they just need to be moved before they're active again.
If temp high the day moved is less than 45 F., 7.2 C., nothing is needed.
thanks iddee. i'll make sure the temp is below 45F. since it will be a low speed move they should not get chilled.
I've moved them out of Wisconsin at 5 F., but it was 70 F. by the time we got to Florida. Just try not to break their cluster any more than necessary, as it will still be cold when you set them down.
i'll close the entrances of the hives & gently put them on my truck & slooooooooowly drive across the field. I don't think they'll break the cluster much if at all. temperatures are dropping but today was calm & sunny so I closed the screened bottom boards & put a 1" piece of blue foam in the outer covers. I cracked open the inner covers & took a peek & everything looked good. the girls were clustered & calm.
I moved my final out yard back to the house yesterday morning it was around 30F. The ride back home was about 10 miles by late afternoon it was warm enough for the bees to get some fly time in and they did not seem any worse for wear.
I have seen these bees loaded on trucks in the New England at 20s to 30s degrees and go for 1500/ 2000 miles for pollination contracts and some further to the almond contracts in California.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)