For some reason, unknown to even me, I set up a couple of my hives with northern entrances. As Fall approaches, I would rather the entrances faced a sunnier direction and not the cold North wind. What would cause the least amount of confusion and trauma to the hive: 1) Simply removing the hive (without rotating) from the current bottom board to a bottom board facing South, or rotating the whole hive. I plan to place some obstacle in front of the new entrance so the foragers can re-orient and find their way home again.
Just slowly move it a little each day until it is facing the right way
Agree with xerox.
Brolib: Turning or rotating a hive in not considered intrusive as moving. Every year I raise queens by a cloak board method that rotates the bottom entrance 180 degrees, like from north to south, also I create a new entrance, original position but up on the second deep. Confusing to the bees at first but they crawl and find the upper entrance.
Van
Wow.
Cool idea.
Do you think there will be some visible positive results from this? (Maybe longer living bees, or more survive as it gets colder?)
Thanks for sharing.
On Wednesday, during my state bee inspection, I noticed one on my hives had the top entrance turned backwards. I had not been in this hive for several weeks so they were pretty established with this rear facing entrance. Keep in mind, some bees use the top entrance and some use the bottom entrance, it depends on which entrance they oriented to when they start flying.
I just turned it around when I was finished with the inspection. My bee inspector is a third generation beekeeper and he did not consider this a problem. The bees will figure it out. They are smarter that we give them credit for.
Jim Altmiller
Turn it 180 degrees and forget about it. They will find the entrance in less then 15 min.
Rearranged the bee yard a couple of days ago and everything looks like business as usual. Rotated 3 hives 180 and spread them out so I could mow between them. Other two hives were moved a bit for easier mowing. Really thought they would be more PO'd, but I only took a couple of stings; one on the wrist and another on the ankle. Right where I needed it the most. Probably need to get stung more often for my arthritis.
Thanks for all the advise. I guess I tend to be a worrier.