Lloyd writes:
  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.

Hi
I always used to move bees this way, in California. Everybody did.
But, let me tell you -- they DO come boiling out, especially in
summer. Sometimes the whole hive would be covered with bees, and if
it's dark, they are crawling everywhere. And if there is one tiny
hole in your bee suit, they'll get inside your clothes.

Nope, any more I staple hardware cloth over the entrance and duct
tape the cracks. Yes, they get mad, but they are INSIDE. When you set
them down, you can smoke the entrance real good, pull the screen, and
run. If it's dark, they won't follow you. (Wear gloves for this part.)

In fact, if you use screens and everything goes well, you hardly even
need a veil until the end. However, it's best to suit up anyway, in
case there's an accident. Too much confidence can be a bad thing;
precaution is better. Good luck.

--

Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>