Another Hive Moving Question

[DayValleyDahlias]

I need to move the hive that is housing the swarm I captured on Thursday.  It is on the ground and I want to place it atop a crate.  It is just me.  The hive body is sitting on a queen includer, which is sitting on a SBB.

How about I got out early am, plug the entrance with something ( cardboard strip, paper towel,as I don't have screen ) then I can just life the whole thing up.

I am only moving it about 3 feet.

Do I need to do anything else?

[pdmattox]

Just thinking out loud here but I would remove the queen excluder in the evening so they can settle and close them up first thing in am if temps are low. move them and place something to obstruct the entrance to force the bees to reorientate.

[bassman1977]

Just thinking out loud here but I would remove the queen excluder in the evening so they can settle and close them up first thing in am if temps are low. move them and place something to obstruct the entrance to force the bees to reorientate.

I agree.  Using a piece of branch or some tall weeds in front of the entrance (but not completely blocking them in) would be good.  It just needs to be so that they think they are not in Kansas anymore, Toto.  Just do this for a day.

[BMAC]

I am not convinced.  If its only 3 feet who cares.  The bees will find their way back home.  I have done this a dozen times when moving NUCS... They may seem a bit confused at first, but so long as no other hives are right next to where you place the hive no biggie...  Of course that is my personal feelings...

[Michael Bush]

If you're only moving it three feet, I would just move it.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm

[rdy-b]

do it at night -just pick it up and move it -piece of cake -RDY-B

[sc-bee]

I moved one @ nite one time. Better close it up good. I won't move anoter one @ nite again unless I have to. They were real  :evil: under the full moon light!!!

Three feet just move-um. Even @ nite 3 ft should be no problem.

[DayValleyDahlias]

Okay I will probably Sunday, give them some downtime, poor little things...

In the move, I would like the hive facing in a different direction.  Is that okay, or will I need to put a branch in front?

I have the excluder on to keep the queen from swarming again,  I'll take that off Sunday I suppose...

[rdy-b]

I moved one @ nite one time. Better close it up good. I won't move anoter one @ nite again unless I have to. They were real  :evil: under the full moon light!!!

Three feet just move-um. Even @ nite 3 ft should be no problem.

we move bees as a second nature-dont think your problem was the darknes or the full moon-even when we move bees by truck we do it at night and we dont have to close them up -we just move them :-D RDY-B      go out tonight and get that excluder out it will not supress the urge to swarm -any way it is a prime swarm that means the old queen is with them not a virgin -when they swarm they slim her down in wieght so she can fly and she can push through that excluder if she wants to 

[Jerrymac]

Do you have another bottom board? Place it where and how you want it. Then Sunday just pick up the hive body and move it to the other bottom board. Of course being me I would be fully suited up while doing this. Then go get the othe bottom board and queen excluder and shake off any bees in front of the hive. All done. They will find their way three feet.

[Michael Bush]

>In the move, I would like the hive facing in a different direction.

I would spin it only about 90 degrees at a time.  They have a hard time adjusting to a 180 degree turn at once.

I'd move it first.  Then the next day I'd turn it 90 degrees.  Then the next day I'd turn it another 90 degrees.

[DayValleyDahlias]

Fabulous info, thanks a heap I do have extra SBB's...I can do it and I will...Thanks!