Short distance hive move advice

KeyLargoBees · January 09, 2016, 08:58:06 AM

I needed to move some hives off of an out yard very suddenly and made the move last night. Seems the people who were hosting for me have an elderly relative moving in with them on very short notice who has previously undisclosed bee allergies and is terrified of the little ladies....cest la vie. I don't have any yards a suitable distance away...so the girls came back to the home yard in my backyard which is about a half mile away until I can arrange a new home for them. I am going to keep them locked down for a day and then pile brush in front and hope for the best....real question i guess is how long does the brush need to be there before it can be removed? I would guess only a day or two yes?

Also would it help if I left a nuc with some frames on the old site to give anyone who gets lost a place to go for the night and then check it daily and ferry the stragglers back here and cover the brush with branches?

Thanks in advance

Acebird · January 09, 2016, 09:15:01 AM

Yeah, providing they aren't spraying the nuc and you end up bringing back the poison to your own yard.

KeyLargoBees · January 09, 2016, 09:32:40 AM

Umm....no ...that wont be the case. Ace

superbee · January 09, 2016, 02:40:05 PM

I have done moves as short as 50 feet with the method you are describing and it worked great. Keep in mind that the bees that return to the old location will be confused and flying around which could make the homeowners nervous. I have also used a one way cone like a bait out into a swarm box with some lure to help pick up the stragglers. Also keep an eye on the locked down hive as they can easily overheat. Good luck.

KeyLargoBees · January 10, 2016, 08:05:14 AM

Seemed to work well.....none of the "stragglers" went into the box at the old site (even with swarm commander in it and some drawn comb)so that was a waste of time. They just clustered in a small ball (maybe a cup of bees) so I went by last night and scooped them up brought them back home and popped the lid on the hgime for a moment and dumped them in with the others. Will see if they get the hint or are confused again today :-)

BeeMaster2 · January 10, 2016, 08:11:18 AM

Key,
I have done this and it took 2 days of collecting the straglers and then they figured it out. Mostly it is the older bees that return to the old location.
Jim

superbee · January 10, 2016, 02:46:02 PM

They normally go into the follower box for me. Sorry that idea did not work but it sounds like you got if figured out.

Joe D · January 11, 2016, 02:24:16 AM

When I have had to move a hive, I would go after dark and close it up, come back the next morning and move them. After getting them moved leave them closed while I cut some brush and put in front of each hive. Then in after a few hours will open them up.
Sounds like ever thing worked out.

Good luck to you and your bees,

Joe D