moving

[eddyh]

Hi,looking to move my bees out of my back garden to a field over the back about 150 ft from the end of my garden.The question is how long will they have to be away on another location i have 6 miles away before i can bring them back to there new position,thanks.

 

[Heather]

I would say about 1 week.

 

[enrico]

I have done it in five days with no problem when they have been flying hard but a bit longer if you can manage it!

 

[eddyh]

Thanks for your answers,i will move them for a week.

 

[itma]

My suggestion would be somewhat longer than a week.

So, how about moving just one back to the new spot after about a week? And evaluate things before moving back how ever many others.
Then any that turn up at the hive/nuc-box that you have placed in the original apiary will be from, and can be returned to, a specific colony.

My impression is that bees memory is quite long-lasting, unless 'reset' - as by swarming, for example.
I think that the normal movement tricks (leafy branches, shut-in, different hive direction of facing) all help to achieve that same 'reset'. Whether you want to add them to your move tasks is your call.



I did a newspaper unite of a nuc and a DLQ colony a few weeks ago.
They were side-by-side, and there are still foragers returning to the old entrance position before 'jinking' to the side at the last moment to go to the new hive location.
Creatures of habit!

 

[Goran]

I would say about 1 week.

Too short. At least 15 days or better 3 weeks. Most which remember will die, some hopefully forget..

I read some beeks experience when do winter or early spring movement and many remeber old spot for a month ( winter bees).

 

[richardbees]

Eddy

I'm planning on doing roughly the same soon and was thinking of 3 weeks !

 

[BeeJayBee]

Eddy

I'm planning on doing roughly the same soon and was thinking of 3 weeks !

You'd need 3 weeks for the old foragers to die off, otherwise as soon as they're back on old territory they'll probably remember the old location.

I've had no luck with branches etc in front of the entrance, but it does work for some people and for some bees.

 

[eddyh]

Thanks everyone, looks like its gonna be 3 weeks as i cannot afford to take any chances,their starting to give me grief,and its only a matter of time before a neighbour gets it,cannot work it out they've gon from very calm bees to very defensive.Will requeen in may i think.

 

[Heather]

Yes but don't forget mainly female.. don't remember route so well!! At least mine didn't.
Had no returns and one week was fine.
Up to you and what suits your timescale.

 

[richardbees]

BeeJ

...i always loosely stuff grass in the entrance, my theory being it gives them a moment's pause before blithely flying out without realising anything's changed.

rich

edit

H - I refuse to comment on bees needs to reverse..

 

[Goran]

BeeJ

...i always loosely stuff grass in the entrance, my theory being it gives them a moment's pause before blithely flying out without realising anything's changed.

rich

I always use some transparent plastic tube with side to hive removed, so they have to "bump with heads" on it and go left and right and start to "recalculate". I just tape it and I leave for a day, then remove it. And again when moving..

 

[itma]

Thanks everyone, looks like its gonna be 3 weeks as i cannot afford to take any chances,their starting to give me grief,and its only a matter of time before a neighbour gets it,cannot work it out they've gon from very calm bees to very defensive.Will requeen in may i think.

If there's OSR within reach, you may find their temperament varies with the nectar availability, which right now is probably being turned on and off by varying ambient temperature.

Although there can many other reasons, the very first I'd be checking for would be simple queenlessness. That really can get bees pissed off.
Also, recently had confirmed to me that one virus of the DWV group makes the bees aggressive - previously it had been merely a personal anecdotal observation that bees with a high varroa load tended to be bad-tempered. So check varroa too ...

 

[steve56616]

I moved two of mine last week just under mile. Not one came back. Today I made a split and bought one nuc back home. I moved home last year and moved 3 hives about 200yrds and still all ok with no problem. So for me moving hives short distances seems to work without any problems

 

[eddyh]

If it is varroa,what can i do now as i have supers on two that are giving me trouble,these were collected swarms from last year and they had no treatment for varroa?

 

[itma]

If it is varroa,what can i do now as i have supers on ... these were collected swarms from last year and they had no treatment for varroa?

Download and study the NBU/FERA/DEFRA booklet "Managing Varroa".
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21261
MAQS can be used mid-season.

 

[richardbees]

Steve

and moved 3 hives about 200yrds and still all ok with no problem

imho in this case you were really pushing your luck! Either a very small quantity of foraging bees or a very rich forage environment.

I'm in London suburbs surrounded by front and back gardens but get 'returning bees' for any hive move under 500 yds....