Beekeeping is about more than just wearing a netted hat and moving slowly among the clover. The bee populations around the world are in serious jeopardy. Unless keepers learn to do a proper beehive relocation, then splitting or moving hives can result in another million bees lost, which for many new keepers also means less honey in the world.
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.
This temporary block will actually trick your bees into reorienting themselves BEFORE they leave the hive. Successful reorientation starts inside the hive, then continues out as they try to get a feel for what has changed about their environment. This process, performed successfully by both the bees and their keeper, can prevent catastrophic bee loss.
Do not fret if some bees fail at this process. If you see a small bunch or swarm still hovering around the prior location, place an empty nucleus box at their old home site. Those bees still confused will find their way into it by nightfall, then you simply close the lid and move the poor darlings to their old abode so they can restart reorientation.
Like humans, bees can get quite cranky during cold months, and they prefer to stay indoors if it falls below 50 degrees F. For this reason, moving them during a pleasant, but frigid winter day might be ideal. You will still want to place the sticks in front of the hive after it is opened up again, however, just to make sure they go through their normal process.
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.
Spraying water regularly at the areas of ventilation is also helpful when it comes to keeping them cooled down. Even if you are performing this move on a sleety winter night during the New Moon, water is still important to your success. Crank up the air conditioning, drive slow, and keep their air holes moistened, and you just might get a live hive to their new home.
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.
This temporary block will actually trick your bees into reorienting themselves BEFORE they leave the hive. Successful reorientation starts inside the hive, then continues out as they try to get a feel for what has changed about their environment. This process, performed successfully by both the bees and their keeper, can prevent catastrophic bee loss.
Do not fret if some bees fail at this process. If you see a small bunch or swarm still hovering around the prior location, place an empty nucleus box at their old home site. Those bees still confused will find their way into it by nightfall, then you simply close the lid and move the poor darlings to their old abode so they can restart reorientation.
Like humans, bees can get quite cranky during cold months, and they prefer to stay indoors if it falls below 50 degrees F. For this reason, moving them during a pleasant, but frigid winter day might be ideal. You will still want to place the sticks in front of the hive after it is opened up again, however, just to make sure they go through their normal process.
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.
Spraying water regularly at the areas of ventilation is also helpful when it comes to keeping them cooled down. Even if you are performing this move on a sleety winter night during the New Moon, water is still important to your success. Crank up the air conditioning, drive slow, and keep their air holes moistened, and you just might get a live hive to their new home.
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