I would like to hear from some experienced beekeepers on Moving a hive.

[Bigfoot]

Hello folks hope everyone's having a great Sunday, I'd like to ask a question about moving a bee hive about 100ft, I have read all these ways of moving a hive but I would like to here from some of the experienced beekeepers, JP, Schawee, hardwood or others who have done short distance moves. I did a cutout from a birdhouse that fell when the tree was blown over in hurricane Irene, I did the cutout on a table in my backyard and put them in a ten frame super they have been on the table for one week because I didn't want to move them until the comb was attached to the frames, I've heard you can move them a couple of feet a day or you can move the to the new spot at night in one move, or move them two to five miles away for a week then bring them back to the new location. I would appreciate some input from those who have done this, I just want to do it right. Thanks folks.

[FRAMEshift]

The issue is whether foragers can find the new entrance position the first time they leave the hive based on their old orientation or if they can be forced to reorient the first time they leave the hive after it's moved. 

If you move a short distance, like a few feet, they will probably find the entrance if there are no other beehives the same distance away.  This works better if you face the entrance the same direction as it was originally.

If you move a couple of miles, they will probably reorient because they can tell the sun angle is different.  But the in-between distances are harder because they may not find the moved entrance and they may not reorient as they come out of the moved hive the first time.

To improve the impulse to reorient, you can put something in front of the entrance that keeps them from coming straight out.  I lean a board against the front of the hive so the bees have to go around it.  The more times they are forced to change direction as they emerge the more likely they are to reorient.  Some people will put some branches or pine straw over the entrance to break up the pathway.

[Jim134]

   If the bees stay inside the hive 3 days or longer (cold rain snow) the bees will reorient you can move then ware you want to.




     BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[sean]

i agree with frameshift. Just move the hive (very early morning or in the night) and place some obstruction in the hive entrance

[hankdog1]

Jim and Frameshift have both gave you as good advice as any two beekeepers could give on the subject it's pretty straight forward.

[schawee]

i move my bees at nite and if its close as you want to move them i would place grass and sticks at the entrance  to make them reorient to the hive.i make it alil tough for them to come out,that way they have to reorient to the box.      schawee

[Michael Bush]

http://bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm