OK, so I've been told by the powers that be that I must move my two hives about 200 yards from where they are. I've thought and asked about all the best ways to handle this and have decided that the surest way to keep my colonies from getting lost is to move them eight miles away for a month and then back to "my" bee yard to the preferred location. I thought I would do this in the fall, but they were way too heavy. Both hives survived the winter and one may be strong enough to split. Would I split before the move? after? or during the transition? I have never split a hive before. (actually, this is only the start of my second year). So then, I'm not sure of the actual protocol for moving them. I should seal the entrances with wire mesh, but will they escape out the bottom? I guess not if I leave the varoa screen in place. Should I duct tape the hive body together? How late in the day should I do it? If I determine that the queens have moved out of the lower hive body, can I leave that one behind?