Moving a hive less than 3miles more than 3 foot

azzkell · March 05, 2016, 06:38:22 PM

Has anyone tried this by using a method whereby you block the entrance with grass or leaf litter for 24hrs.
I cut out a hive and keeping it on property. Currently have it moved and blocked with grass.
Thanks for any advice.
Aaron.

BeeMaster2 · March 05, 2016, 08:16:04 PM

I have done it. You really don't need to block them in for a day if you moved them 3'. They will find it just fine. The existing field bees on their return trip will fly to the old site and then make a loop to the new site. Their flight path is set and this will go on for a week to 3 weeks.
Jim

Dallasbeek · March 05, 2016, 09:03:06 PM

I have moved hives about 50 feet, placed branches with leaves in front of (not blocking) the entrance and they have no problem reorienting. Another time, I moved a hive two blocks and did the same thing. Again, no problem.

GSF · March 05, 2016, 09:45:39 PM

Once the field bees return to the old hive they will start circling around looking for the hive. so I'm told and tend to believe.

azzkell · March 06, 2016, 02:02:11 AM

Have moved them about 30meters (100 ft)with the entrance blocked with grass. Told they have come out and returned to original location. Will they try to return to new location? Or should I try again but with the branches in front rather than blocked in? Do not know at this point (im at work) whether some have remained in box with the queen. Assuming the queen would not move and it us just the foragers that are returning to the original locality.
Thanks for your inputs.

GSF · March 06, 2016, 06:46:57 AM

To answer your question - yes they will return to the new location. It's been said that once a bee has filled itself in the field they will put it on auto pilot on the way back to the hive. Once they're at the old location they will start searching/back tracking or something.

When I first started beekeeping I moved a hive about 30 yards straight forward. Tons of bees were returning to the old spot. I put empty boxes there and would dump them out in front of the new location. However the bees kept repeating this behavior. MB told me I was confusing the bees with the empty boxes so I quit doing that and they eventually worked things out.

azzkell · March 06, 2016, 07:11:15 AM

The property owner has informed me that the numbers at original location have reduced significantly. So this is good news and they seem to be doing just as you have all said. Very comforting to know that you have done the same with good results, bees truly are amazing little beings. Will put up an update tomorrow. Thanks again guys.

Dallasbeek · March 06, 2016, 01:18:42 PM

What you want is to get their attention to the fact that things are different. Closing them in and then opening it up doesn't accomplish that. Is they come oit and things look different, they say something like "Oh, look at this. We're not where we were when we came back to the hive yesterday. Better reset the old GPS. Okay, got it. Now I'll go out and see what I can find."

Once they reorient, they forget the old oordinates and return to the place where you've moved them.

azzkell · March 06, 2016, 11:24:19 PM

Ok, so have reports that the bees are happily coming and going from new site.
That makes sense Dallasbeek, which makes further sense of putting branches out front when moved as this creates a different landscape and twigs the GPS to reset.
Thanks all. Will come back with my next problem. Cheers
Aaron.

KeyLargoBees · March 07, 2016, 01:38:39 PM

I did this with a cutout a while back and moved them about a half mile at night ....branches and brush in front next day and a ton of orienting and still had p[probably 200 bees end up back at old hive location the next evening.....I have been told on here and by others that is sometimes a matter of "old dogs and new tricks" and the older the forager the harder it is to change their patterns....in any event the 200 or so bees at the old site dwindled and were gone in a few days...whether they went elsewhere or found their way to the new hive site or simply expired from old age is a mystery ;-P

Dallasbeek · March 07, 2016, 01:56:41 PM

It's possible those bees never made the move -- were out foraging or something when the hive was moved, so failed to get the memo (branches in front of hive).

KeyLargoBees · March 07, 2016, 01:57:57 PM

if they were out when I moved the hive they were having a "sleepover" somewhere.....I moved it at 9 PM :-)

ldeano · March 07, 2016, 05:46:05 PM

Also it should be noted that with a cut out unless the old hive location was sealed up, bees will be returning to clean up any residue of honey left from the cut out process.

GSF · March 07, 2016, 09:59:39 PM

Jeff, from what I've observed (right or wrong) bees will sleep over during the warm nights.

KeyLargoBees · March 08, 2016, 07:43:41 AM

well then I stand corrected.....I guess they may have been late night party animals after all ;-)_

azzkell · March 08, 2016, 09:31:55 AM

It seems all bees have made their way to the new location, I also moved them at night with the majority in the box, a lot did return to original location but have found their way now.

Michael Bush · March 08, 2016, 01:20:00 PM

I only block an entrance if the hive is being robbed or I'm moving them. I would not block it with grass. I would put a board in front of the entrance or a very leafy branch that blocks their path.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm#between

azzkell · March 11, 2016, 02:53:12 AM

Thanks Michael. I've learnt a lot fron this one. Breaks the whole rule of 3' or 3 miles which I initially thought waa the only way. Always more than one way to skin a cat I suppose, thanks for the insight.