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Offline 40 Acre Bees

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Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« on: April 14, 2018, 09:30:14 am »
One of my hives didn't make it this winter so I would like to remove it and move the other three hives over.  All I would be doing is moving each hive off their stand onto the next one( 4-5 ft).  Are we safe moving them.  If you look at my profile picture (avatar) - I will be removing the first one which is dead  and move the other three.  Will this work without any issues for the bees. Thanks in advance for your comments and ideas.
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2018, 09:47:37 am »
It sounds like you are going to move all 3.  Instead of moving all 3, might I suggest just moving the one on the far end to the location of the lost hive?  There will be some confusion by the foraging bees, in the moved colony, but laying a branch or an object at the entrance will cause the the foragers to re-orientate as they fly out.   
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Offline 40 Acre Bees

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2018, 12:52:11 pm »
Never thought of just moving one, that makes much more sense, but I thought it would be easier to move all of them 3 or four feet rather than one of them 15 ft.  Is it OK to do it now, not a lot of foraging going on still quite cool here in the north.
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2018, 02:39:37 pm »
The bees orientate to the hive position but also to the other hives in the apiary. remove the dead out and some of the returning foragers will return the the hive 2 over and not their own move the whole works over one space and some of the bees will join the hive that was moved into their place with the dead out position loosing the most foragers and the last hive gaining in population as the bees returning to the #4 position will migrate to hive #3. Move hive #4 to dead out position and lose bees from hive #4 and gain bees in hive #3. You could use this to equalize your hives. Put the strongest hive in dead out stand and the weakest hive in #3 hive stand. then the drifting will be working for you. But I would not do this to early the bees are more accepting of drifting bees once their is a flow on and the hive has new young bees in it.
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Offline Perry

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2018, 05:30:58 pm »
I would do something totally different! If you intend to restock that dead-out again, why move it at all? Surely with your 4 remaining hives one of them at the very least is going to have to be split or be lost to swarming, so why not leave things bee and just roll with it? A lot less work. ;)
When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. :)
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2018, 08:47:54 pm »
I am glad apis and Perry added their opinions.  They both have excellent advice.
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Offline 40 Acre Bees

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2018, 09:38:39 pm »
My only concern was hive #4 wasn't getting as much sun as hives 1-3.   Maybe I will leave well enough alone and just re-bee hive # 1.  Trim a few branches maybe and I will be OK.
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Offline moebees

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2018, 02:42:22 am »
I would just move 4 to the 1 spot and be done with it.  If your weather is anything like ours they won't be flying for a week anyway.
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Offline Perry

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2018, 08:51:06 am »
Quote from: Bakersdozen on April 14, 2018, 08:47:54 pm
I am glad apis and Perry added their opinions.  They both have excellent advice.

I'm just a whole lot lazier than Apis! ;D
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2018, 09:33:14 am »
Quote from: moebees on April 15, 2018, 02:42:22 am
I would just move 4 to the 1 spot and be done with it.  If your weather is anything like ours they won't be flying for a week anyway.
You got that right, moe!

Perry- :D

What's the saying?  Ask 3 beekeepers a question and you will get 4 answers.
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Offline Lburou

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2018, 12:55:12 pm »
Now that "We" have settled your original question, its okay to say that you can move any hive up to three feet per day and the bees will follow.  That way you will eventually get it where you want it.  :)
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2018, 07:25:18 pm »
I 100 % agree with Lee except if you put a another hive where it was situated, then some of the bees will just beg their way into that hive.
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2018, 12:10:58 am »
"All I would be doing is moving each hive off their stand onto the next one( 4-5 ft).  Are we safe moving them.  If you look at my profile picture (avatar) - I will be removing the first one which is dead  and move the other three.  Will this work without any issues for the bees. "
"My only concern was hive #4 wasn't getting as much sun as hives 1-3.   Maybe I will leave well enough alone and just re-bee hive # 1.  Trim a few branches maybe and I will be OK."

how much work do you want to do shifting hives?.......... :D
is the first one to the left or right of the avatar photo?

i have read all the replies here.  maybe i am not understanding here.....(totally possible)

my answer........why move anything if the first one is a dead out? whether it be the 1st on the left or the 1st on the right?

i keep my bees in an old corn crib. they get lined up in a straight row because of the crib. it has a concrete base, a roof, and bear fencing around it. not exactly the best set up sometimes.  when i lose a hive i don't move anything, or i replace the dead hive with another where it sat, and if i don't and get real industrious to move one hive over, closer to the others (3-5 ft), it works just fine and the bees figure it out.  ;D

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Offline treeman4646

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2018, 06:38:19 am »
Quote from: Perry on April 14, 2018, 05:30:58 pm
I would do something totally different! If you intend to restock that dead-out again, why move it at all? Surely with your 4 remaining hives one of them at the very least is going to have to be split or be lost to swarming, so why not leave things bee and just roll with it? A lot less work. ;)
When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. :)

I know I'm just a know nothing newbee but I gotta agree with Perry... Why bother moving them? even if you weren't going to re-stock the dead-out?
I'll be moving a hive this spring (if it ever arrives) but only because the concrete blocks have settled a bit wonky and I'd like to get it sitting straighter. I'll do that at first inspection and it will only be right beside it. :)
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Offline moebees

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Re: Moving Hives 4-5 ft.
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2018, 11:30:51 am »
treeman and Perry

He mentioned wanting to get more sun on the hives for the reason to move them.
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