Contractor and my hives

[Damonh]

I am having some construction done to my house and the contractor wants me to move my hives. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I may contain the bees during the day, Hardware cloth in the entrance, etc. My hives are current two deeps and three mediums.  It would be a lot of work moving them.

[vermmy35]

How far away from the constructions site are the hives right now.

[Damonh]

About five feet, and there are ten hives.

[hardwood]

Easiest thing? Hire a new Contractor :-D I'd love to work on someone's place with bees.

Scott

[vermmy35]

I would wait until after the fall harvest and then find a place to relocate the hives until after winter.  5 feet is just a little to close to the hives and you might run into lots of problems.

[FRAMEshift]

If the contractor can start early in the morning and knock off a few hours before dark, you could let the bees out late in the day so they can do the minimal survival activities.  Or if that is not possible, give them sugar water and water and make sure they have enough pollen stores and just lock them up on days the contractor is working.   Block the entrance with a piece of wood, cloth, hardware cloth etc.  If they have ventilation through a SBB, they should be ok.

[hardwood]

If you lock them in for any extended period (more than a day) you're asking for a nosema attack. You'd have to let them out either early or late, but let them out. Can you imagine trying to cross all of your little bee legs when you've gotta go?

Best is still finding another Contractor.

Scott

[AllenF]

You could try and close up the hives with hardware cloth, but it will be a chore closing the up every night and making sure they can not find one little corner to escape from in the morning. If the contractor will be working to the rear of the hives (or you can turn the hives), then use plywood or hardware cloth, screen, or sheets and tunnel the hives so that the bees will have to fly in a direction away from the men working.  Or make a fence around the hives to the bees will have to fly 10 feet up, then out.   They should not be bothered with bees that way.

[Damonh]

Thank You all for your responses

[Bee Happy]

It doesnt seem unreasonable to ask for the hives to be moved if they are 5 feet away from the work; (that's barely room to turn around with a toolbelt on) depending on the nature of the work it might be better for the bees to get them a ways  away.