Worldwide Beekeeping

General Discussion => Any and Every Thing => Topic started by: blueblood on March 14, 2023, 12:10:15 am

Title: Short Distance Apiary Move
Post by: blueblood on March 14, 2023, 12:10:15 am
Retirement from the PD is closing in and we have always planned to downsize from our 4500 sq ft home to a smaller one here in Indiana.  Our current home will go live on the market April 3rd.  We are also looking for a small place in the panhandle of Florida withing 30 minutes of Pensacola and Navarre.  So, I needed to relocate my apiary before supering time.  I dreaded moving them on a trailer but my neighbor was gracious enough to allow me to move all my hives to her property.  I only had to cart them 40 yards or so.  They were still heavy!  It has been a very mild winter and the bees have already started filling the hives with nectar and bees!  I purposefully kept my hive count at 10 from 25 with a move in mind.  Today was below freezing and snowing.  Perfect time to move them so I did not have to do it at night.  I just stuffed a large foam strip in the entrance, strapped, lifted and wheeled to the new spot, and lifted again.  I only got stung once but it was because I pushed the hive back on the blocks and bottom slid off a little.  Whoooooo baby!   My back, ha!
(https://i.ibb.co/LCVNwgD/beeyard1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/LCVNwgD)

(https://i.ibb.co/84NYgbk/IMG-8895.jpg) (https://ibb.co/84NYgbk)

(https://i.ibb.co/3vMWSXf/IMG-8896.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3vMWSXf)

(https://i.ibb.co/cxzZTrS/IMG-8893.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cxzZTrS)

(https://i.ibb.co/FWG26GQ/IMG-8894.jpg) (https://ibb.co/FWG26GQ)
Title: Re: Short Distance Apiary Move
Post by: iddee on March 14, 2023, 04:45:00 am
NICE!!! Glad to see you back posting. Hope your plans work out well.
Title: Re: Short Distance Apiary Move
Post by: LazyBkpr on March 14, 2023, 09:16:49 pm
Those short moves are a lot more doable than the long ones. Looking forward to my fist sting of the year, kind of jellyus!
Title: Re: Short Distance Apiary Move
Post by: Jen on March 16, 2023, 11:27:22 am
Hi Blueblood :) Oh how I love hearing from our original members. My fav photo? the single hive out there all by it's lonesome, but I know it wasn't for long.
Title: Re: Short Distance Apiary Move
Post by: Bakersdozen on March 16, 2023, 11:48:04 am
Debbie Downer here!  :D

I would be concerned about moving the bees in freezing temperatures when they are clustered.  A sudden jerk could cause the cluster of bees to fall leaving the queen exposed or where they can't access food stores.