When you're a beekeeper, at some point you are going to have to move your hives. It's important to disturb the bees as little as possible and to avoid stress. There are basic steps for honey bee relocation Wayne County MI beekeepers have used successfully in the past and are happy to share with new hobbyists.
The trick is to prepare carefully. The best times of day to prepare your hives is either early morning or after dark. Closing hives up in the daylight hours means you will lose some of your foragers. A piece of hardware cloth is good for closing, making sure it is fitted securely. Be sure to look around the hives for signs of cracks, gaps, or other openings. Smoking the bees will help keep them calm. You have to be careful not to let the hives overheat in the summer once they are covered.
Your hives must be secured. If your bees have propolized their hives, and you aren't going very far, you might get away with not securing them. If you think they will jostle at all, it's important to secure them rather than hoping the bee glue will be enough. Some beekeepers staple the bottom boards. Others prefer using straps to hold the unit in place.
The actual move can be very stressful for the bees. You need to get on the road as soon as you can after you've secured your hives. If you do not have to go alone, and can enlist a friend to come with you, the trip will be easier. You'll need a dolly to get the unit onto the back of your truck or into a trailer.
The biggest thing to watch out for at this point is dropping or tipping hives over. You also need to remember that bees can get defensive after the sun goes down. Suiting up is worth the time it takes. This goes for everyone who is going to be handling the bees. Your hives must be packed tightly in the vehicle. You don't want them to shift or move around in any way during the trip.
Reorientation can be tricky. Bees are funny. If you move them a couple of feet or over two miles, they adjust just fine. Anything in between that confuses the foragers. When this happens, bees may fly around like they are lost or form clumps on the ground where their hives were before.
To reduce the confusion you can leave the screens on the entrances for a day or two. The bees may reorient themselves once you remove the screen. You can move them in rainy weather when they would not be moving around anyway. You can also put something in front of the entrance and make them crawl through it.
Beekeeping is an interesting and fun hobby. It is possible to move a colony successfully with some preparation and thought. Keeping the hives stable during the move and helping the bees reorient in the new location is key.
The trick is to prepare carefully. The best times of day to prepare your hives is either early morning or after dark. Closing hives up in the daylight hours means you will lose some of your foragers. A piece of hardware cloth is good for closing, making sure it is fitted securely. Be sure to look around the hives for signs of cracks, gaps, or other openings. Smoking the bees will help keep them calm. You have to be careful not to let the hives overheat in the summer once they are covered.
Your hives must be secured. If your bees have propolized their hives, and you aren't going very far, you might get away with not securing them. If you think they will jostle at all, it's important to secure them rather than hoping the bee glue will be enough. Some beekeepers staple the bottom boards. Others prefer using straps to hold the unit in place.
The actual move can be very stressful for the bees. You need to get on the road as soon as you can after you've secured your hives. If you do not have to go alone, and can enlist a friend to come with you, the trip will be easier. You'll need a dolly to get the unit onto the back of your truck or into a trailer.
The biggest thing to watch out for at this point is dropping or tipping hives over. You also need to remember that bees can get defensive after the sun goes down. Suiting up is worth the time it takes. This goes for everyone who is going to be handling the bees. Your hives must be packed tightly in the vehicle. You don't want them to shift or move around in any way during the trip.
Reorientation can be tricky. Bees are funny. If you move them a couple of feet or over two miles, they adjust just fine. Anything in between that confuses the foragers. When this happens, bees may fly around like they are lost or form clumps on the ground where their hives were before.
To reduce the confusion you can leave the screens on the entrances for a day or two. The bees may reorient themselves once you remove the screen. You can move them in rainy weather when they would not be moving around anyway. You can also put something in front of the entrance and make them crawl through it.
Beekeeping is an interesting and fun hobby. It is possible to move a colony successfully with some preparation and thought. Keeping the hives stable during the move and helping the bees reorient in the new location is key.
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You can find a summary of the benefits and advantages of using professional honey bee relocation Wayne County MI services at http://www.thebestbeeandwaspservice.com/services right now.
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