3Reds and I bought a 10 acre tract of property in February. We decided we needed to be the landowners for our hives. We didn't realize we've got to grow from 4 hives to 8 in order for our land to qualify for the Ag Valuation.
It's been a long process converting a tract of land with nothing but Mesquite an Huisache into a property that will have room for hives and everything else we need.
Since February, we've added a culvert, road, tractor, and open faced barn. I've been working to shred and clear patches of ground far enough back that marauding teens don't invade the bee yard.
We split one hive about a month ago because the bees had become too defensive. So, we've been able to move the split onto the property. We now have a total of five hives, and just need three more.
We thought we had our sixth hive a few weeks ago when a neighbor called and asked us to remove a swarm from a 5 gallon vase. I was able to capture the hive and moved it out to the new property, but the bees absconded after a day.
My project now it to fit each of our long langs with a robber screen. I think back and forth robbing is what made the hives defensive last month. I want the robber screens not just for robbing, but also to block the bees in the night before we decide to move the hives. The legs to the hives are on the ends, making it impossible to use standard robber screens. You can see from the pictures below how each entrance is different.
I've got friend who is handy with wood making the screens for me. He's done an excellent job. We plan to wait until July, after the nectar flow (if we have one this year), and then move the hives on my son't trailer to their new home. It's going to involve tractors with pallet forks on both ends of the journey, secure tie-downs, slow careful driving, and lots of luck.
I've figured out that legs on hives isn't a great idea. The next time I have a long lang built, I'm going to have just the box and have it set down on a stand. I wish I'd thought of that before.
