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Author Topic: bees go back  (Read 2204 times)

Offline bill

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bees go back
« on: September 03, 2005, 01:14:09 pm »
I had a nuc close to a house on my property. My son decided to renovate the house and move in. so I moved the hive. I put a very weak remains of a swarm, evidently queenless. for the stragglers  who came  back to, a lot of them did so I still have bees there. is there some way to move these out, or will I lose bees every time I move something. can you guys tell me some strategies to handle this. I could move them all together, like combine them or I could let them raise their own queen
but I need to get them away from the house.
billiet

Offline stilllearning

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bees go back
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2005, 06:53:48 pm »
bill
   an old rule of thumb for moving bees is less than 3 ft or more than 3 miles, this has been misused , abused and everything else but it works when possible. sometimes you cant move the 3 miles.  you might try confining the bees like in a screen wire cage where they will not get to hot feed them and after a couple of days put them in a hive with the entrance mostly blocked they should reorient to the new location
Wayne Cole

Offline Michael Bush

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bees go back
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2005, 11:35:51 pm »
A branch in front of the entrance to the hive after you get it to the new locaion will trigger reorientation.  A few will go back to the old location, but not many and if there is no equipment there they will circle until the find the new location.

If you have a place and don't mind the work, you can do the 3 mile thing.  I have never done it.  I just move them and put a branch in front of them.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline mat

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bees go back
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2005, 09:33:12 am »
Shake them into the screened box, spray the screen with light sugar sirup, and keep overnight in dark cool place. Then you may combine them with other family using news paper, or put in the separate hive in the new location.
mat

Offline Michael Bush

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bees go back
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2005, 10:31:34 am »
There are three situations that cause orientation.

1)  They have never oriented (young bees)
2)  They have been confined for 72 hours or more
3)  There is some change in the landmarks (branch in front of the door or moving 3 miles both cause this)

Even when moving 3 miles I would put a branch in front of the entrance.  If you don't some bees will fly out thinking they know where they are and get quite a ways away before realizing they don't.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin