Moving a Hive to a Sunnier location

[kopeck]

My hive has been in it's current location for about a week and a half and I think I've stuck it in too shady a spot.  Pretty much by 12:00 it's in full shade, which from what I've heard from a few local bee keeps really isn't going to lead to the most productive hive due to the shorter/cooler summer season up here (Maine).  My question is should I go and move it to a location that get sun most of the day or just let things be for now.

I don't think moving it is going to be to much of a problem since it's still just one deep so I think it's nothing more then waiting until everyone's home, block the entrance, move the hive then then open the entrance and leave a branch in front of the entrance and hope things go well from there.

Also, I'm assuming that it's ideal to have the entrance pointing east/south east?

Thanks,

K

[fishawk]

I dont see a problem moving it to sunnier position . Put a little grass on the entrance so it slows them down for awhille .

[doak]

Put another box in the old spot. If some bees return, wait one day, screen it up and bring it over to the new location. Let them settle over night. "early" next morning put a single sheet of news paper on the first box. punch a few starter holes in and sit the other box on top.
they  will chew through the paper, and reorient, thinking they're in a new location. Which they are.
Works for me.
doak

[Brian D. Bray]

Grass in the entrance is not a problem when the entrance is on top--that is strickly a limitation of the bottom entrance.  For my hive I use top entrances exclusively, I nail a slat to block the bottom entrance or simply build them without one.

[kopeck]

Put another box in the old spot. If some bees return, wait one day, screen it up and bring it over to the new location. Let them settle over night. "early" next morning put a single sheet of news paper on the first box. punch a few starter holes in and sit the other box on top.
they  will chew through the paper, and reorient, thinking they're in a new location. Which they are.
Works for me.
doak

This might even work out for the best since I need to add another deep to the hive anyway, might as well add one with a few bees in it.  How long should I leave the newspaper in between the boxes?

Grass in the entrance is not a problem when the entrance is on top--that is strickly a limitation of the bottom entrance.  For my hive I use top entrances exclusively, I nail a slat to block the bottom entrance or simply build them without one.

So don't use grass in front of the entrance, but laying a small branch in front should work right?

I tried to post a picture of my current location but I can't embed images or even embed a link to the image.  I guess I have to earn my stripes.  Anyway in the picture you can see that at 10:30 the shadows are already creeping in and touching the back of the hive.

I have yet to see the hive really get jumping like a few local ones that I watch on my way to and from work.

Thanks,

K

[Jim H]

I have used grass and it worked ok for me. Took about a day for them to chew through it.
I'm currently trying a top entrance on some hives to see if it's any better. It's taking a long time for the bees to find the new entrances. Might be losing some production.
I put a nuke in the old hive spot to help the nuke along. But, you have to have a nuke available.
Good Luck!