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Wed, 28 Sep 1994 08:36:45 -0600 |
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<Pine.3.89.9409271644.A13674-0100000@sun> |
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More on moving bees without being fancy:
I awoke this morning to realise that I had a little more to add about
moving bees.
Commercial beekeepers often have to move bees during the day and
sometimes during a flow. Nighttime is preferrable, of course - or early
morning bedore the bees are flying. However moving can be accomplished
in broad daylight with little loss. Here's how:
First smoke the entire yard lightly and repeatedly until almost all flight
stops. Wait until the returning bees are pretty well all back - maybe
twenty minutes. Keep smoking the entire yard and the load lightly at the
entrances while loading. (lightly means just enough to keep them down -
not enough to make them run for their lives). If there is much flight and
you will be able to return for it, leave a 'catch' hive. A light, weak
split is a good choice. Even a single will do. Place it in about the
centre of where the yard stood. Drive away.
Of course keeping the bees down on the truck will be a problem if it is
hot. Smoke, water and nets or a closed van (with ventillation) will help,
but good judgement is essential. This is not recommended for
inexperienced beekeepers. Responsibility while moving on the roads is
important!
I found this following experience interesting:
We produce a lot of comb honey which requires daily manipulations at the
end of the season. Some of our yards are 50 miles away (we run a 100 mile
strip of highway). So I decided to take the last remaining comb hives to
the home yard. I'm getting a little old to work all night anymore, so I
move in the daytime.
In one yard there were 15 comb hives and about 10 extracted honey hives.
I wasn't worried about losing bees because, although it was a nice fall
afternoon - warm and sunny with a light flow - any lost bees would be
happy to move in with remaining neighbours and would be readily accepted.
So I followed the procedure above.
The interesting case was one hive - a swarm which had made good and which
was about twenty feet from the yard. I wondered if I could get away with
smatching it away. So I tried as soon as I started loading, intending to
replace it with some other less important hive if necessary. Immediately
a few bees started to drift back to its former site from the truck where
the hive now was located. I was there a half hour or more from that time
and looked in on the site regularly as I worked. Bees circled but did not
light. When I left, there were no bees on the ground, although there were
a few searching for the hive. Out of curiosity, I returned the next day
and there was no sign of a clump of lost bees on the ground. I surmise
that they had given up and moved in with hives across the yard.
For what it's worth. . .
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper
Rural Route One, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0
Phone/Fax: 403 546 2588 Email: [log in to unmask]
> On Mon, 26 Sep 1994, Jerry J Bromenshenk wrote:
>
> > As regards the comments that hives can be moved about a yard within 24
> > hours, not true. A few years ago I had some observation hives that flew
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