3Reds and I have decided we need to move at least two, if not all three, of our hives out of our back yard and onto a friend's property 12 miles away.
I've not had to move a whole hive more than a few inches before, so I'm looking for advice.
I know I need to wrap a strap around all of the hive body parts, and fashion some kind of screen over the entrances, then secure the screen in place either early in the morning before the bees leave or late at night while they are all in. I think my preference would be at dawn.
One of the hives has two deeps and a medium. One has two deeps, and one has one deep and one medium. I am mostly worried about how heavy the hive with two deeps and a medium will be. Assuming I can lift it, I'll use a wagon to move the bees from the back yard to the front yard and the truck. The truck won't go into the back.
The property in question is just raw land. Lots of live oak, mesquite, and chinese tallow and brown eyed susans. There is plenty of grass and some cows. I assume that other native flowers are in the area, depending on the season. There are two ponds within flying distance, so water shouldn't be a problem.
Once we get the hives in place, I foresee me leaving critical pieces of equipment 12 miles and 30 minutes away. I'm thinking a putting a small portable building or chest with a few essentials on the property. I'm wondering what are the most likely things to get forgotten.
Anyway, I'd like to hear how other beeks handle moving their hives and checking on them when the hives are no longer a few feet out the back door.
