ok, I think I got it, get everything together the day before, stapels straps etc, then at night move the hive, place branches at the entrance , so the will re-orient themselves. Great. sounds simple enough. Now I need some motivation to get started. Im nervous. I was nervous when I first got the bees, last year, but everything went well, I was nervous about losing them this winter, but they survived. Now Im nervous REAL nervous about moving them.
I just moved two hives, one last week and one this week about 5-600 feet in the morning.
Early morn I placed a blocking screen at the entrance before the bees got active and around 8 o'clock AM a friend and I lifted the stack in the P/U and moved them to the new location. At the new locaton we unloaded, set the hive on the stand, removed the screens and RAN away :!: . I got some mean bees :!: Ferals :!:
A few bees flew back to the original location but mostly drones and after a couple of days they are all gone to :?: :?:
moving hives ain't no big deal and even if you lose a few bees when your hive has thousands and thousands, what's a few :?:
MB's method is elegent and I did put his dissertation in my favorites for further study :?:
However I do have a friend to help and I made a hive/box carrier/lifter to lift the entire stack, intact. I use four each, 2X6 inch strips of 3/8 plywood and fasten the bottom board to the bottom box with those good wood screws and a portable screw/drill. No banging on the hives for me. Place the ply strips, two per side, angled towards each other and the bottom will not slide back and forth.