Shana asks about moving hives in an emergency situation.

Shana, I am not clear how many hives you are talking about but since you are
a hobbyist and not interested in maximum honey (particularly under the
circumstances) I suggest that you first move all the hives but one.  Move
them the entire 70 feet.

If you possibly can, do it at night.  Full dark.  Under these circumstances,
all the field bees will be in the hive.  Then put up a barrier just outside
the hive entrances.  Say a stack of boxes, high brush, anything.  This will
cause a percentage of the field bees to reorient themselves the next
morning...and return to the hive instead of their old location.

BTW, move the hives without closing the entrance.  The bees won't come
boiling out, and will be much happier than otherwise.  When you close the
entrance it really makes them mad...and then there is trouble when you
reopen the entrance.

If you can't do it at night...move during the day.  The field bees will go
back to where they came from and will eventually find the hive you left.  In
a week or so move that hive.  Again, preferably at night and with a flight
barrier just several inches in front of the hive.

Remove the flight barrier gradually over a couple of weeks.

Good luck,

Lloyd
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Lloyd Spear Owner, Ross Rounds, Inc.  The finest in comb honey production.
Visit our web site at http://www.rossrounds.com.