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Author Topic: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.  (Read 4233 times)

Offline Yarra_Valley

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Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« on: December 30, 2006, 09:52:58 am »
hi all,

Well I have to move a hive of mine from a friends place to my place. Now I know it is recommended you don't move a hive less than 3 miles. this hive is about 2 miles away. So, some thoughts and how many bees I will lose? do you think they will recognize the territory?

One option i do have is to move to another property about 2.75 miles away, and then to my place. more moves and more organizing though.

Thanks,
James.
Careful, my pets can smell your hives. 8)

Offline Cindi

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2006, 10:41:33 am »
I don't know an awful lot, but it seems that I remember this topic of moving bees before.  I think that someone said that if you put a branch or something outside the hive when you move them, they come out and have to reorient because their hive looks different.  Not sure if this is correct, but wait for other replies coming in.  Some one will surely be of good help.  Great day, good luck.  Cindi
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Offline Finsky

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2006, 10:58:25 am »

You may move it but bring to a place a box and combs where returning bees can go into home. So you se what happens.  If they are many, give them a new queen and you get a nuc. Then take it to distance place over 3 miles from your home and after a month return it to your home yard.  Or sell to someone.

Returned bees live not long time. When hive gets new emerged bees, they start to forage and die soon.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2006, 11:16:12 am »
One part of Finsky's response needs clarification.  I think that he means that when you move the hive, in its place put an empty box, the foragers that were away while you took the box will need to come home to something.  If their home is not there they will be lost and may even hang around and die cause there is no home to enter.  Then this new box can be given a queen and you have a new hive.  That is the gist of it, correct me if wrong, but I think so. 

Now to add on, maybe in the place of the old hive one could put some capped brood and a frame of bees too.  Comments please all you awesome mentors.  Great day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Jorn Johanesson

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2006, 11:42:18 am »
It can be complicated and it can be simpel.

Move the hives at night. Place a branch or two with leaves in front of the hiveentrance, so that rushing out bees will be disturbed. Bees will take a new orientation flight. There might be a minimal loose of bees if any. All that with placing a hive to pick up that  maybe as little as 20 to 100  bees is an overkill. I have done this  moving a lot of times, sometimes a whole apiary just 50 yards away because they ware misplaced from start.

Offline randydrivesabus

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2006, 11:45:25 am »
seems to me that if he sets up a nuc at his friend's house he would be setting himself up for a perpetual problem of how to get the hive moved....he sets up the nuc and then establishes a new hive at his friend's place and then he has to move it so he sets up another nuc..............

Offline Finsky

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2006, 12:36:25 pm »
It can be complicated and it can be simpel.

Move the hives at night. Place a branch or two with leaves in front of the hiveentrance, so that rushing out bees will be disturbed. Bees will take a new orientation flight. .

I have not done that before. I must do it next summer.

Offline Trot

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2006, 12:50:47 pm »
It is not complicated - only people make it so...

Just move the hives at night and as it was said, put in front a few branches. The Idea is that you want every single bee to be obstructed as she comes out!  This will force them to reorient.
Some even throw a few handfuls of grass on the entrance.
Some place a piece of plywood against the front. Just lean it against it, so bees will exit at right angles and so - reorient.
Don't worry! This is done a lot, with total success...

Regards,
Trot

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2006, 01:31:06 pm »
Two miles or more they usually don't go back to the old place.  A hundred yards or less, some will go back but they will cricle until they find the new place, if there is no hive near the old place.  The branches help trigger orientation, but some will still go back to the old place before they remember that they noted the new place.  Without the branches they don't take note of the new place at all, they just fly straight out and come back to the old place.

The worst distance to move them is out at 1/2 mile to a 1 1/2 miles.  This is close enough they often fly back to the old place but no amount of increasing circles gets them back to the new place.

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Offline Yarra_Valley

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2006, 07:03:55 pm »
Thanks everyone for your help with that one. I think I've got it figured out now.

I will of course move at night so I won't have a problem with foragers who are out flying not having a home to go to. When I move it I will put a branch or piece of plywood or something in front of the entrance, so they reorient themselves. Any that fly back to the old site thereafter will be fine because there are another eight hives sitting next to mine at the old site; they should find a home a few feet away quite easily.
Careful, my pets can smell your hives. 8)

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2006, 10:05:51 pm »
I moving hives I use door screen folded over on itself a few times to plug the entrance.  Once in place I usually us a board leaned against the front of the hive for reorientation.  Bees returning to the old site will find the hive if its the closest hive to the old location, otherwise they go to anyother hive and are admitted with full loads and become part of that hive.
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Offline Kirk-o

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2006, 11:20:44 pm »
Do what MICHAEL BUSH says he is smart guy
kirko
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Offline AndersMNelson

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2006, 03:11:53 am »
I asked the same question a while ago, since I have to move my hive in spring about a half mile.  I'm still not too sure how I'm going to get it there but I guess with a couple people I could lift it into a truck and hope for the best.  I'm going to follow all of these suggestions too.
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Offline Finsky

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #13 on: December 31, 2006, 05:46:42 am »
  I'm still not too sure how I'm going

If some bees are returning, put to them a box where they go inside. It is not big job. Then again bigger  twig against entrance  :-D

Offline Cindi

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2006, 11:30:29 am »
Excellent replies.  Now comes the questions about the answers.

1.  So, at what point is the branch(s) moved from the hive entrance? 

2.  If the branch is moved, then is there the problem of the bees not finding their home because there is no branch?

3.  Leave the branch there permanently?

4.  What is the wind blows the branch away?

Great day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #15 on: December 31, 2006, 12:27:53 pm »
>1.  So, at what point is the branch(s) moved from the hive entrance?

You can remove them the next day if you like.

>2.  If the branch is moved, then is there the problem of the bees not finding their home because there is no branch?

I'd just move the branch a foot or two away at first and then remove it all together.  Removing it is the same effect as putting it there.  It caused reorientation again because they sense something has changed.

>3.  Leave the branch there permanently?

No.

>4.  What is the wind blows the branch away?

They will reorient.

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Offline Cindi

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Re: Moving hive, distance from old site to new site.
« Reply #16 on: January 01, 2007, 01:52:50 am »
Michael, thank you, good responses that make good sense.  Great 2007.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

 

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