Bees on cotton

[kenthold]

I had a couple of hives on cotton at one of my friends farm soon after it started blooming.  The one hive was doing so good I decided to move my other 3 over there to finish out the season.  My question is, should I pull them off before they defoliate the cotton?  That will happen about October 15 and I was planning on bringing them back home for the winter.  I just don't know if I should wait till they defoliate and the flow tapers off or will it hurt them to take them off of a strong nectar flow like that this late it the year.  Will they have a large population built up and then die off or eat up the stores because of lack of nectar?

[trapperbob]

Definitely take them off before they defoliate the spray they use will hurt them for sure

[iddee]

Take them off in the middle of a warm day, moving house bees only and leaving the foragers.

[kenthold]

Thanks for the input.  Iddee, I hadn't even thought about pulling them out and leaving the field bees.  In a way I hate to leave them all out there but that sounds like a good way to solve the problem. 

[bud1]

why wait cotton flow been over.  they will bee picking here 1st of next week

[kenthold]

I guess we are a little behind here.  They won't be picking here for a month or so.  One thing I was wondering.  One of the hives is kind of weak, I was wondering if it would help to leave it there a week after I pull the other hives so the field bees from the others would go to that hive and help it out a little.

[nella]

I guess we are a little behind here.  They won't be picking here for a month or so.  One thing I was wondering.  One of the hives is kind of weak, I was wondering if it would help to leave it there a week after I pull the other hives so the field bees from the others would go to that hive and help it out a little.

I have done that before and it helped the weak hive. I have also switched places with a weak and strong hive to help a weak hive.