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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #11169  by NigelP
 13 Jun 2021, 19:03
Just move them....they re-orientate almost instantly you will lose a few...big deal. Those that return to old site will find new hives nearby within a few hours.
It's something we beekeepers agonise over but the bees deal with relocation really well.
 #11170  by JoJo36
 13 Jun 2021, 19:20
Ha ha Nigel I like the "just bloody do it" attitude!!
Its the no nonsense simplistic approach I find really helpful:)
I think doing things "just by the book" becomes tiresome and unnecessary at times!!
 #11171  by Alfred
 13 Jun 2021, 19:26
jojo the 3ft/3mile rule often spoils things.
My best colony swarmed a month ago but I managed to recapture them.It took a sixteen day shuffle to get them back where I wanted them including a makeshift scaffolding structure to hop a hedge

Day 12 confused bees still at day 11 coordinates
Image

Day 14 nearly home
Image

Royal PITA,especially as I had a snelgrove board that could have prevented it :roll:
 #11172  by Steve 1972
 13 Jun 2021, 20:48
NigelP wrote:
13 Jun 2021, 19:03
Just move them....they re-orientate almost instantly you will lose a few...big deal. Those that return to old site will find new hives nearby within a few hours.
It's something we beekeepers agonise over but the bees deal with relocation really well.
I would do that normally Nigel but i have lost 60% of my productive colonies this year so i am on tender hooks...and from my track record for getting virgins mated i want to put as much in my favour as possible..so i would rather wait till the virgin is hopefully mated before i move them..
 #11175  by JoJo36
 14 Jun 2021, 05:27
Alternatively a couple of feet a day??!! and/or at least the weather does look pretty decent for the next week or so give or take a rain shower now and again for the virgin queen to be mated!
The hive on the shed roof looks a bit "awkward" to get to and you don't want to be breaking your neck every time you inspect them!! :)
 #11176  by AdamD
 14 Jun 2021, 11:14
You could move the shed-roof hive a couple of feet so it's not over the door; with no other hives nearby, the queen should be able to find her way home, then move completely once the queen is laying.
 #11186  by Patrick
 14 Jun 2021, 16:29
Alfred wrote:Or even move the shed over a few ft each day- they would only suspect something's up but not be able to prove it.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

But in fairness this is exactly the sort of situation where a place a few miles down the road you can hung a box for a few weeks makes life so much easier. It doesn’t have to be called an apiary, just a now and again spot for some temporarily grumpy queenless bees, a bait hive with occupants but in the wrong place or a vertical split you don’t want to unite, whatever.

Just ask a local friend if you might stick a hive now and again at the end of their garden maybe. It is just a load easier sometimes to bung a hive somewhere else until you can sort them out and position where you want. Incidentally I seen it suggested it has to be at least 6 weeks until all the the flyers have perished. I would suggest that is unnecessary and can be a lot sooner if you wish it to be.
 #11190  by Steve 1972
 14 Jun 2021, 19:30
AdamD wrote:
14 Jun 2021, 11:14
You could move the shed-roof hive a couple of feet so it's not over the door; with no other hives nearby, the queen should be able to find her way home, then move completely once the queen is laying.
The most simple things pass my mind when a hundred other things are hapoening all at once..
Thankyou Adam I will do that and hopefully turn the hive once I reach the other side.. ;)
 #11234  by Bobbysbees
 16 Jun 2021, 21:15
Went through my snelgrove 2 adapted hive a knocked down 2 QC in the bottom queenless box and much to my surprise 3 or 4 in the top box.
Not sure if I cocked up somewhere or if I was just a bit too late noticing them getting swarmy.
We will see what they look like in 4 or 5 days.
Pulled a half dozen honey frames 2 for cut comb and the other 4 I just spun out .
And so the flow starts now I'm guessing , took long enough lol
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