quote:
Some will say to move open entrance but if only moving a few hives a short distance, I still shut them up as it saves the discomfort of those stings when unloading.

reply:
I moved bees for many years in California and we never screened them in. Sometimes the bees would pour out all over the outsides of the hives and we were stung brutally. Now I used screens and believe me, it is much nicer. In cool weather you can staple a screen over the entrance, and tape any other leaks. In hot weather it's better to nail a framed screen on the top of the hive. (You can also water them through the top screen if it's really hot). With the bees screened in and the supers nailed together, moving bees is not any harder than moving furniture. If they are all over the outside, and you get stuck or have a mechanical breakdown, who will be willing to help you? Some areas also have laws against going on the highway with bees coming off the truck.

Peter Borst
Ithaca NY USA