Moving Hives in Winter

nibhroin

Hi,
I currently have 4 hives in Dublin and over the winter (December) I have to move them - more then 3m but less then 3 miles. I was advised that I would have to transport them to an interim location over 3 miles away from their existing site before bringing them to their new location (which is about 100m from their current home).

However, because I'm going to be doing this in December when usually there are few flying bees out and about, I was thinking I could move them directly. Then in the spring when the winter bees start flying out again they would re-orientate themselves and the newly born workers would only know this location as their home.

Any advice would be appreciated. I just would like to avoid doing extra moving around if I don't have to.

Thanks

brianmc

nibhroin wrote: »

Hi,
I currently have 4 hives in Dublin and over the winter (December) I have to move them - more then 3m but less then 3 miles. I was advised that I would have to transport them to an interim location over 3 miles away from their existing site before bringing them to their new location (which is about 100m from their current home).

However, because I'm going to be doing this in December when usually there are few flying bees out and about, I was thinking I could move them directly. Then in the spring when the winter bees start flying out again they would re-orientate themselves and the newly born workers would only know this location as their home.

Any advice would be appreciated. I just would like to avoid doing extra moving around if I don't have to.

Thanks

The theory is good...

...so long as you get "proper" December weather. If we get an odd warm day here and there the bees will take the opportunity to get out and about. Unless it's very unseasonal the bees will hardly be flying very far... toilet breaks mostly. With that, landmarks etc. that are even within the usual 3 miles will become unfamiliar to them. 100m is pretty close though.

Best to watch for a spell of particularly cold weather for a few weeks and then go for it once you know they've been stuck inside for a while. Stuffing some grass in the entrance and even leaving some greenery lying against the front of the hive, or making sure that the new site is particularly different from the old site could help disorient them too. This will encourage them to re-orient to the new spot when they emerge from the hive.

nibhroin

Ni brianmc,

Thanks for the reply and for the advice. That sounds like a plan of action. I 'll keep and eye on the weather forecast and have the new site ready. And it is a bit different from where they are at the moment. If I could even hold off till January it would be a better chance that they would have been inside for longer.

MervueLad

I have read that before moving the hive, stick a garden implement like a fork into the ground a few feet in front of the hive. The bees will use this as a landmark. Then when you move the hive, move the fork also and this will help them with re-orientation.

bpmurray

I moved a hive around 500m this "summer". I locked them in with some sponge in the entrance, strapped down the whole thing so that it wouldn't come apart, and moved it. I left it 2 days and placed a really leafy branch across the entrance, forcing them to do reorientation flights when I opened it. Some of the m flew back to the original location where I had placed a nuc - that was a bad idea. The second day I removed the nuc and the bees that flew back hung around for a while, realised they had moved & headed to the new location. They're all happy as Larry now, loading up with ivy.