Beekeeping: How To Move A Hive Any Distance (More Than 3 Feet and Less Than 3 Miles)
The 3 feet or 3 mile myth is busted! I share how you can successfully move a honey bee hive more than three feet and less than three miles. I learned this from an article on www.HoneyBeeSuite.com. With this technique you can move a hive any distance you want. This really saves a lot of work and worry. Thank you Rusty for sharing this great technique.
25 Responses to Beekeeping: How To Move A Hive Any Distance (More Than 3 Feet and Less Than 3 Miles)
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Everything seemed to be fine – on of the hives had already been a bit stressed so they produced a lot of drones, but over all good – I turned the other hive around about a week later and didn’t have problems. All 10 hives seem to be doing well – I’m quite a bit further north than you – about an hour north of Dallas – so we don’t extract until mid July.
yt04432
June 4, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Hives only have one queen. You can take half the bees from one hive and put them into another hive to make a new hive. You will also need to take two frames that have eggs or very young larvae so the bees will raise a queen in the new hive. I did this and it worked great.
LDSPrepper
June 4, 2012 at 10:43 pm
Went great – was very simple – I did keep them locked in with a screen blocking the entrance overnight – no problems.
yt04432
June 4, 2012 at 10:46 pm
Awesome. Please let us know how this went for you.
LDSPrepper
June 4, 2012 at 11:30 pm
I did pretty much the same thing – no branch – I turned the hive entrance so the original faces E and the new one faces W. I also put the old queen in the new hive and the new queen in the old hive. We’ll see how it goes – so far so good though. Rained a lot today so I hope I’ll be able to get in and find that new queen tomorrow.
yt04432
June 4, 2012 at 11:57 pm
hi
I am a very begginer on beekeeping
I found a bee in my yard intering a plastic pocket and i immediatly call a beekeeper, he provided me with a hive and they are now working well .
from your vedios I learned a lot but I like to double the hive with new queen
is this possible? and if yes please give me a small hints to do that.
I am in Saudi Arabia and have a small yard
temperature in there is 24
thanks a lot
HAMAD
hamadmak@gmail.com
hamadmak
June 5, 2012 at 12:47 am
The hive I moved had the original queen. I was thinking the same thing as you. That the bees would stay with the queen. I was wrong. The urge to orient back to the original location was more powerful than the queen’s scent.
LDSPrepper
June 5, 2012 at 1:03 am
Yes, that is the way to move a hive and how I would have done it before I found this info. I’m glad it worked for you.
LDSPrepper
June 5, 2012 at 1:47 am
I needed to move a hive about a dozen feet. So… I just moved it a foot or so every day (or whenever I went to the bee yard) till I got it where I needed it to be, and I didn’t seem to have any problems.
But… THIS is good info.
Thanks !
texasprepper2
June 5, 2012 at 1:49 am
With in-yard splits, another thing that helps is to take the queen to the new location. You’re right about closing it up for 24 hrs, but having a queen in the new location helps keep more of the bees home too – it has the feel and scent of a healthy functioning hive and they’re less apt to abandon it. Typically I like to introduce a queen to the old hive though. But raw splits are better than none, in Spring.
chuckarama451
June 5, 2012 at 2:24 am
Thank you for the correction. I’ll make the appropriate changes.
LDSPrepper
June 5, 2012 at 3:03 am
Hey there LDSPrepper, nice video, thanks! And PS, the blogger’s name is Rusty; you keep calling her Ray (and she’s a she too). Good luck this season!
Bob Redmond
June 5, 2012 at 3:35 am
Thanks!
dylan14570
June 5, 2012 at 4:21 am
That was a really good video, thanks
SteveHarpster
June 5, 2012 at 5:07 am
Your a good steward, and a faithful servant. I learn a lot from you, and your sharing keeps me on track. Very hopeful, and we all need that!
I forgot to tell you, your Bee information really was interesting, but also amazing to see things come out right, and do what you hope for. I found myself cheering for the Bees to “make it” lolol
Sheila6325
June 5, 2012 at 5:38 am
If you don’t mind, how much could one expect to pay for a bee hive with bees? I wouldn’t want them for honey, I just want them for pollination of my garden. Plus it would be nice just to see a bee or two now and again.
JoeShmoe65x2
June 5, 2012 at 6:11 am
so does closing up the hive caues problems with them ventilating/temperature controlling their hive?
Plum369
June 5, 2012 at 7:06 am
I found out that two 2×4’s nailed or screwed together are stronger than one 4×4. So, that is what I used. It looks like a 4×4. I used treated lumber. If you move your hive to a fenced bee yard that would really keep them out of your and your neighbors backyard, if that is where you have them.
LDSPrepper
June 5, 2012 at 8:05 am
I do. I really do. It doesn’t always happen. :)
LDSPrepper
June 5, 2012 at 8:07 am
it might be in your junk mail since ei never e,mailed you before but i will try again..
wordman777
June 5, 2012 at 8:14 am
Thank God for you and other like you. Truly grateful.
jksatte
June 5, 2012 at 8:36 am
Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? 😉
oldgeekster1
June 5, 2012 at 8:46 am
GREAT INFORMATION! Thanks for sharing.
imasurvivornthriver
June 5, 2012 at 9:11 am
I have three of my hives on cinder six blocks each. I have admired your 4X4 for a year. I would like to do the same here. Maybe even moving my best hive back into the fenced bee yard? Thank you for your time and will to share.
V5R7N
June 5, 2012 at 9:23 am
How wonderful so glad that worked. Keeping the information stored for when I finally gravitate toward bee keeping. Blessings!
BexarPrepper
June 5, 2012 at 9:30 am