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.
Performing the move should be set for a time when the little darlings are at home. Being confined in the hive during a move will cause them to become agitated, but it should not cause them to swarm in a panic. The trick is, before reopening their lair, you want to make sure to block the door with some sticks or twigs.
If the keeper fails to allow the bees this time to reestablish their location, they can become lost for quite some time. They will flood out of the hive and frantically buzz about in a circular or figure-eight type of pattern, frantically trying to find their way. If they are out of the hive at the time it is moved, their circular pattern may bring them to a different hive, and that can only spell trouble.
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.
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.
Cold months are also a better time due to the stability of the hive the bees have created. The younger the crew or the hotter the temperature, the more delicate their hive may be. Destruction of their delicate new construction can be devastating to the colony, so waiting until it is cold out, and their construction is rigid and well attached is key.
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.
Performing the move should be set for a time when the little darlings are at home. Being confined in the hive during a move will cause them to become agitated, but it should not cause them to swarm in a panic. The trick is, before reopening their lair, you want to make sure to block the door with some sticks or twigs.
If the keeper fails to allow the bees this time to reestablish their location, they can become lost for quite some time. They will flood out of the hive and frantically buzz about in a circular or figure-eight type of pattern, frantically trying to find their way. If they are out of the hive at the time it is moved, their circular pattern may bring them to a different hive, and that can only spell trouble.
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.
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.
Cold months are also a better time due to the stability of the hive the bees have created. The younger the crew or the hotter the temperature, the more delicate their hive may be. Destruction of their delicate new construction can be devastating to the colony, so waiting until it is cold out, and their construction is rigid and well attached is key.
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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