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.
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.
In addition, their hives are more delicate in the warmer weather, and can come unattached from the sides of their box if jostled too hard. Also, the newer the colony, the more delicate their hive may be. So, avoid moving a young colony during the hottest time of the year, and you will have automatically increased your likelihood of success.
No matter what time of year they are being moved, there will need to be ventilation throughout the hive during the process. I know it seems like this should be a common sense thing, but it must be mentioned. Hives generate a great deal of energy, and they become even more heated during any process that agitates or panics them, and being able to breath certainly helps keep them cool.
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.
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.
In addition, their hives are more delicate in the warmer weather, and can come unattached from the sides of their box if jostled too hard. Also, the newer the colony, the more delicate their hive may be. So, avoid moving a young colony during the hottest time of the year, and you will have automatically increased your likelihood of success.
No matter what time of year they are being moved, there will need to be ventilation throughout the hive during the process. I know it seems like this should be a common sense thing, but it must be mentioned. Hives generate a great deal of energy, and they become even more heated during any process that agitates or panics them, and being able to breath certainly helps keep them cool.
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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