Beehive moving device

[omnimirage]

I'm needing to move a heavy, four deep beehive, from one side of a property to the other. There's scrub, and sand pits in between and I can't park my car too close to it due to trees in the way.

I'm realising that it'd be quite useful for me to have some sort of tool that I can use to move these hives around. How effective are sack trucks in moving beehives? Do they tend to topple over at all?

All the sack trucks I've seen have been quite pricey. I don't wish to spend much money on something I'd sparingly use. I figure it'd be best to build something, if only I could find suitable wheels, and maybe some cheap metal as well. I've wondered about using wheels from a garbage bin.

What do you guys use to move beehives around?

[apisbees]

Bicycle wheels 20 inch or larger have them spaced apart far enough so the tires go on the out side of the hive. and long forks 14 to 16 inches sticking out. 14" if you put supers on a super pallet. 16" can move supers with out them on a pallet. Have a video of one I will find and post.
Big wheels great for uneven ground smoother ride for the bees and super. Wide wheel base gives greater stability from tipping sideways dumping things off the cart. Easy to push heavy loads even up a ramp to load on truck of trailer. Will not sink down into soft ground as far as something with a small wheel.

[Jtcmedic]

Ratchet stripes and friend. Did a 3 deep the other day.

[riverbee]

myself, mister, 4 wheeler with trailer or truck bed, ratchet straps and the old fashioned way that probably won't work for you omni. i have only moved 2 and three deeps and not very often. extra bottom board or outer cover; remove the deeps one by one, stack them in place (in reverse) on the trailer/truck bed on either an extra bottom board or outer cover, strap up. move. place your hive, the boxes are now in the original order. one has bees flying all over creation from where they were moved from and where they are moved to. from where i moved them from, i leave a box or nuc in place where stray bees gather in. take them and dump them in.  they will be disoriented again when placed. try to get as close as you can to where you want to place the hive.

[Mikey N.C.]

What's ( if it's not Tmi) the reason for moving hives ?

[omnimirage]

Owner's wants the hive to not be so close to their shack.

Thinking that I might try to find a large wheel burrow to put them in.

[Mikey N.C.]

You're in spring now.?

[riverbee]

omni, a wheel barrow will probably not work for moving a 4 deep hive......

maybe a large cart?  we have a large garden cart (pretty sturdy) i have used for moving full supers and deep hive bodies in, but not stacked 4 high. 2 high, and not full of bees.

[omnimirage]

Coming out of Winter Spring is almost here.

Yeah I figure if I used a wheel burrow I'd need to divide it into two halves before moving them. I don't really see any good option for moving them. I could move them through the scrub, onto the back of the ute, then drive them up, then unload and move them into place... but that's still a good 25-30 meters of moving them.

Don't have a cart, wish I did.

[SmokeyBee]

Never moved one before, but I would ratchet strap the thing together and use a dolly...the kind used for moving a washing machine. Should be able to borrow one from someone.

[Barbarian]

Moving heavy hive parts over rough ground is going to be awkward single-handed with a wheeled device.

I would go for carrying each box singly. You are going to need traveling screens, sealed inner covers/ crown boards and hive straps. All these bits will come in handy later in your keeping. More so than a bought-in wheeled device. Set up some hive stands or the like at various positions on your route. You will be able to put the box down and stretch your muscles.

Once you get your hive set up at the new position, the foragers are going to return to the old position. Put a nuc box or similar on the old stand to collect them. In a few days you can transfer the foragers to the new position. Don't leave the old stand at the old position. You could get a cluster of bees on the stand.

[Lburou]

We use one of these.  If you could buy or borrow one, it would be a lot easier. 

[Chip Euliss]

Look on David Bradshaw's website (Bradshaw's Honey).  He's in Visalia, CA and makes a great one for moving hives.  I have one and my back "really" likes it!!

[riverbee]

(good to see ya back chip!) 

[Lburou]

(good to see ya back chip!) 

X 2

[Bakersdozen]

Look on David Bradshaw's website (Bradshaw's Honey).  He's in Visalia, CA and makes a great one for moving hives.  I have one and my back "really" likes it!!

I believe Chip is referring to this. http://www.beebotanical.com/product/bee-hive-dolly/

[riverbee]

thanks bakers! we have been talking to a welder to 'invent' something similiar to this for us to use!  my father is a welder and 3 bros.......but i live to far from them to work with or fine tune what we want to help move boxes. thanks for the link!

[Chip Euliss]

That's the beast Baker.  Works great and I just bought one from David versus welding one.  My doubles are weighing in at 185-200lbs and it takes little effort to move them with the device.

Been a long summer and I've been gone more than I've been around.  I have most of my bees sold (next April after almonds) and I'm looking forward to acting more like a retired person next year!