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Author Topic: need to move hive 15-20 feet  (Read 9836 times)

Offline Hivehead

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need to move hive 15-20 feet
« on: July 03, 2008, 10:51:05 pm »
Can I close them up after dark, gently move them, let them calm down, remove the cork a few minutes later and put something in front of the entrance so when they leave the next morning things are different?  whatamado?

Thanx for all the help....JOHN

Offline sc-bee

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2008, 11:03:01 pm »
Check this out on MB's site.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm
John 3:16

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2008, 11:10:48 pm »
I think they can find it if you just move it 15 - 20 feet. No need to block entrance. But sure plug them up, move and unplug. AND leave. They don't fly at night but they do crawl around.
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Offline sc-bee

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2008, 03:42:54 am »
How many hi ves do you have? Tried it my first year when I had two hives, had to move them both about 15  yards because of neighbor issues. The foragers return to the old location. Boy did I have a mess and get everything out of balance :shock:!
John 3:16

Offline SgtMaj

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2008, 04:22:25 am »
As long as you move it at night, there should be no need to put anything in front of the entrance to make it look different.

Offline Robo

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2008, 07:26:05 am »
As long as you move it at night, there should be no need to put anything in front of the entrance to make it look different.

Putting an obstacle in front of the hive is not to make it look different,  it is to cause them to re-orient when they they leave.  As sc-bee experienced,  you will have them returning to the old location. The best method would be to slowly move them a couple feet at a time over many days until they end up where you want them.

rob...
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Offline SgtMaj

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2008, 08:00:49 am »
Yeah, look different, re-orient... same thing.  Do it at night and you shouldn't have to do that.

Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2008, 08:04:44 am »
move it 5' per day. they are more likely to find it after they go out and try to return to the same spot. if there are other hives nearby it will be more difficult for them.

Offline Robo

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #8 on: July 04, 2008, 08:08:07 am »
Yeah, look different, re-orient... same thing.  Do it at night and you shouldn't have to do that.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree as my experience has shown different.  Anything greater than 5 feet or less than a couple miles has caused some amount of displaced bees for me.

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Offline SgtMaj

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #9 on: July 04, 2008, 10:31:16 am »
Well, you are probably more right than I am.

Offline Hivehead

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #10 on: July 04, 2008, 10:56:45 am »
I only have one hive, a small swarm of about 3 frames collected on 5/29.  They've infested a deep so I wanted to move it b4 I added another deep.  I'll let you know what I did after considering all the advice and let you know how bad I screw up or not....
Thanx again

Offline Robo

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2008, 11:04:54 am »
I'll let you know what I did after considering all the advice and let you know how bad I screw up or not....

There is no better way to learn than by experience ;)  Best of Luck :-D
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Offline sc-bee

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2008, 05:16:50 pm »
If you have an alternate place to move them to for a few days ( a mile or so away) ----- do that, then move them back to where you want. A little more trouble but definitely works.
John 3:16

Offline Hivehead

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2008, 09:42:52 pm »
Well, the total move was 12 feet.  Moved them at night, placed a bbq real close to the front of the hive and this morning, they're buzzing round the place "it should be" and the first to find the hive are fanning out the "over here" pheromones like crazy.  I know it was some of the first to find the new location because they were still wearing their pollen leg warmers.
As the day progressed, fewer and fewer were seen to hover in the old location and by about 3:00 p.m. or so all was back to normal with the exception it seems they're coming back across the old location en route to the new.  Perhaps just making sure they're not delusional like they're keeper......John

Offline annette

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #14 on: July 05, 2008, 11:53:39 pm »
This is good information because I have to do the same thing next week. Move a hive about 20 feet.

So I will do the same thing you did, Move it at night when they are all home. First close them up. Place something different in front of the hive (like a leafy branch) before I open them up in the morning.

Wish me luck as well. I will post here how it all went.

Annette

Offline JP

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #15 on: July 06, 2008, 12:45:44 am »
If you have an alternate place to move them to for a few days ( a mile or so away) ----- do that, then move them back to where you want. A little more trouble but definitely works.

This is a great idea abeit perhaps a little more trouble but you don't have to worry about losing bees that go back to the old location.

Always use a branch or some obstacle to get the bees to reorient to the new spot if its a short distance, they are very persistant in wanting to go back to the old location, they have absolutely incredible memories.


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Offline Hivehead

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #16 on: July 06, 2008, 01:30:22 am »
Annette, jp is definitely right.  Make them wonder where the heck they are when they leave first thing in the morning.  If they don't set the gyros when they leave, it will take them a few hours to get it right.  Was kind of odd.  After a while they would still fly to the old location, verify the hive still wasn't there and then buzz straight over to the new location.  Almost like they had to go from point A to point B to then go to point C.   They're certainly crazy bugs.
              JOHN

Offline JP

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #17 on: July 06, 2008, 12:59:31 pm »
Annette, jp is definitely right.  Make them wonder where the heck they are when they leave first thing in the morning.  If they don't set the gyros when they leave, it will take them a few hours to get it right.  Was kind of odd.  After a while they would still fly to the old location, verify the hive still wasn't there and then buzz straight over to the new location.  Almost like they had to go from point A to point B to then go to point C.   They're certainly crazy bugs.
              JOHN

Ok if you want to see incredible move a hive say 10" and watch the foragers come back to the spot 10 inches away, 10 inches!!! It takes them a while to reorient from this move as well or even one closer than that, I believe I've moved one a few inches before and they still have to orient from there. Amazing!!


...JP
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Offline Hivehead

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #18 on: July 06, 2008, 09:54:45 pm »
I just changed the entrance restricter which is offset to one side or the other.  They were coming and going toward the left, flipped it around and they were still landing toward the left and marching about 3, 4 inches to the entrance to the right.  Some would butt into the cleat, buzz around and find the entrance to the right.  Some kinda GPS they got.

                          JOHN

Offline JP

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Re: need to move hive 15-20 feet
« Reply #19 on: July 06, 2008, 10:38:00 pm »
I just changed the entrance restricter which is offset to one side or the other.  They were coming and going toward the left, flipped it around and they were still landing toward the left and marching about 3, 4 inches to the entrance to the right.  Some would butt into the cleat, buzz around and find the entrance to the right.  Some kinda GPS they got.

                          JOHN

Yes, incredible GPS.


...JP
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