With bees disappearing by the millions, many people all over the world are learning how to keep bees of various kinds. Honey bees are naturally the most popular hives for most people since the work and risk of stinging injury is all rewarded by a regular sweet treat. However, no matter what kind of bees are in your bonnet, you will need to learn how to do a successful beehive relocation.
It is a good idea to move a hive when most or all of the bees are inside. It is completely acceptable to cover the entrance while moving, and leave to a little group of twigs and leaves covering the entrance once the move is done. When they realize their opening is blocked, they should automatically do their own reorientation within the hive, moving this process cautiously out without getting lost.
If the keeper fails to keep the bees in the hive, they may spill out the opening by the thousands. A move of even a few feet may cause them to fly in a panic, whizzing about trying to find their home once more. They are much more likely to swarm and sting at this time, and if they find the wrong hive an ugly fight to the death can ensue.
For any stragglers, place an empty bee box at their old home address. Bees are creatures of habit, and even if the box is different from home, if it is in the same location they will instinctively retire inside of it sometime before dark. Once darkness has fallen, you can close the box and move them to their new home, where they get a second chance to become familiar with the new digs.
Winter moves go a little more smoothly for the bees since they may not be foraging at all, depending on the weather. At about fifty degrees or below, they will get back to their hives as quickly as they can, if they have ever left it at all that day. You will still want to close the hive for moving, and place the branches at the opening, but the chance of bee loss is much less due to the cold.
Another reason why winter is the best time is due to the fragility of their hive. The structure created by a young colony is going to be more unstable to begin with, and adding hotter weather to that factor only increases the likelihood of disaster. Moving a well-established colony on a nice cold day is going to be your best bet.
Whether it is a winter afternoon or a summer morning at 5:00 AM, ventilation holes are more than just a good common-sense notion. Too small for them to escape, but large enough for the entire colony to breath is the idea. This is especially true if the move is going to be a long distance, as this just might involve shaking the box up during transit.
The more your box is cushioned during the move the less agitated they will become. Keep spraying water in and around the ventilation holes, and keep your air conditioning turned on frigid if you can. This will help to keep your bees keep cool, calm, and alive during their journey.
It is a good idea to move a hive when most or all of the bees are inside. It is completely acceptable to cover the entrance while moving, and leave to a little group of twigs and leaves covering the entrance once the move is done. When they realize their opening is blocked, they should automatically do their own reorientation within the hive, moving this process cautiously out without getting lost.
If the keeper fails to keep the bees in the hive, they may spill out the opening by the thousands. A move of even a few feet may cause them to fly in a panic, whizzing about trying to find their home once more. They are much more likely to swarm and sting at this time, and if they find the wrong hive an ugly fight to the death can ensue.
For any stragglers, place an empty bee box at their old home address. Bees are creatures of habit, and even if the box is different from home, if it is in the same location they will instinctively retire inside of it sometime before dark. Once darkness has fallen, you can close the box and move them to their new home, where they get a second chance to become familiar with the new digs.
Winter moves go a little more smoothly for the bees since they may not be foraging at all, depending on the weather. At about fifty degrees or below, they will get back to their hives as quickly as they can, if they have ever left it at all that day. You will still want to close the hive for moving, and place the branches at the opening, but the chance of bee loss is much less due to the cold.
Another reason why winter is the best time is due to the fragility of their hive. The structure created by a young colony is going to be more unstable to begin with, and adding hotter weather to that factor only increases the likelihood of disaster. Moving a well-established colony on a nice cold day is going to be your best bet.
Whether it is a winter afternoon or a summer morning at 5:00 AM, ventilation holes are more than just a good common-sense notion. Too small for them to escape, but large enough for the entire colony to breath is the idea. This is especially true if the move is going to be a long distance, as this just might involve shaking the box up during transit.
The more your box is cushioned during the move the less agitated they will become. Keep spraying water in and around the ventilation holes, and keep your air conditioning turned on frigid if you can. This will help to keep your bees keep cool, calm, and alive during their journey.
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