Moving hives..

[Hi-Tech]

I am building a new base for my hives and will need to move them to the new location soon. The new spot is only about 15 feet away from the original spot and a few feet higher. What advice do you guys have about that and when is the best time to move them?

[manowar422]

Move them at night while they are all inside.
Once in the new location, place something directly
in front of the entrance to the hive
(MB recommends a branch), so the bees
that venture out on the following day will notice
"something is different" about their surroundings.
This will automatically cause them to re-orientate
themselves to to the new location and be able to
find their way back to the hive.

Know however, that some of your field bees do not
always come home every night. So the ones that
have broken curfew and stayed out all night partyin',
are gonna be tryin' to sneak back in to the old
hive location come sun up. I know, I know, yer sayin'
"not my girls", but believe me it happens in the best of families :lol:

[Hi-Tech]

To move them, do I need to block the entrance?

[Robo]

To move them, do I need to block the entrance?

I would strongly suggest it.  You wouldn't want them to start streaming out while your carrying them.  They will "feel" the hive movement and get a little worked up.  If the numbers are large enough,  you'll hear them inside when you first start to move it.

[Finsky]

Distance is really short. Bees search a new place and when they get a odor of they hive, they start to fly in on new site.  

I should take a warm day when they are capable to fly. Time before  noon is good. They have time to seach new place and accustome to it.  If hive is heavy, take boxes away and lift the bottom box with bottom.  Then carry  other boxes on. It takes  couple of minutes.

When you have hive open, flying bees get the odor of home and it takes about 2 hours and they have found the new place. I have done this many times. No problems.

I do not like working at night. I need good sleep. Day is good time to do jobs like that.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmoving.htm