A general rule of thumb for moving a beehive is to either move it less than 3 feet or more than 3 miles. Field bees find their hives using landmarks. They forage for nectar up to a 3-mile radius from the hive. If you move the hive across the yard or down the street, when the field bees take flight, they will return to the original location and may never find the hive. To move the hive a short distance, first move it several miles away for at least one week and then move it to the new permanent location.
Things You'll Need
- Hardware cloth or screen
- 3 1-by-2 boards
- 6 short screws
- Power screwdriver
- Hive staples
- Staple gun
- Duct tape
- Two cinching straps long enough to encircle the hive
- Bee veil
- Long pants
- Long sleeved shirt
- Boots
- Smoker
- Transport vehicle
Instructions
Wear protective clothing, including a bee veil, long sleeve shirt, long pants, boots and gloves. Tuck your shirt cuffs into your gloves and your pant cuffs into your boots.
Staple the bottom board to the brood chamber. Cleat the hive boxes together by screwing a 1-by-2 board down the length of the hive on the back and each side. Be careful not to completely perforate the supers by inserting the screws too far. You only want to prevent them from shifting apart during the move. Alternatively, use hive staples to secure the boxes together, leaving enough room under the staples to insert your hive tool for removal after the move. Perform this step a day or two in advance of the move to reduce stress.
Smoke the bees to calm them on moving day. Place the outer cover on top of the hive. If the weather is warm, cover the top with hardware cloth or screen and secure with staples or duct tape to provide adequate ventilation. Secure a piece of hardware cloth over all hive entrances to keep the bees inside. Encircle the hive around the sides with a cinch strap and cinch it securely.
Park the transport vehicle as close as possible to the hive. Smoke the bees as needed to calm them. Lift the hive into the transportation vehicle with assistance and secure it with cinch straps to prevent it from shifting during the move.
Drive cautiously to your new destination, avoiding bumps, fast braking or jerking. Set up the hive stand and smoke the bees before unloading. Remove the straps securing the hive to the vehicle or trailer and carefully lift the hive, with assistance, onto the hive stand.
Place a branch directly in front of the hive entrance, close enough so the bees have to fly through it to get out of the hive, to encourage the bees to reorient and learn their new location. They are more likely to reorient because they will notice this difference in their environment. Smoke the bees again and remove the screens from the entrances.
Check to make sure the queen survived the move four or five days after the hive is in its new location. Look for eggs in the cells of the brood chamber. If they are present, your queen is reproducing. (reference 3)