Another Successful Hive Move

The first hive has been successfully placed in the new Apiary area this morning. We started at 6:30 and finished up a little after 7:30. So over an hour to move one hive approximately two and a half miles as the crow flies anyway. I would estimate it's closer to a four mile drive that also requires four stops each direction to open gates and the like along with the rough gravel roads that force me to keep driving speeds very low.

Any sharp jolts or rough bumps could cause the ball of bees inside to fall apart and end up freezing a number of them. In fact until there is a warm day I won't be 100% sure the hive actually survived the move but there is nothing to be done about it. They need to be moved.

This is my small two hive stand arrangement. All the rest are three hives per stand but I made this one from scavenged materials I had laying around. You can see the three main parts of the carriage system I worked out here. The two handle pieces and the board that slides under the hive and between the horizontal stand braces. I took this picture after I removed it from the hive obviously. I tend to get focused on the job at hand and often forget to take step by step pictures.

The way the whole thing fits together can be seen in the picture I took of the last move.

Technically the best way to move a hive is at night and in warmer conditions but I don't have the luxury of waiting for warmer days and I certainly don't want to try moving these larger hives at night. Partly because of the weight and partly because this time of year people start calling the cops when they see trucks driving around in the fields slowly at night with lights showing everywhere. They tend to think someone is poaching.

There is also the ground conditions to take into account and the fact that at least when it is cold the bees won't break the Winter ball to see who is messing with their hive. Let the temps get too far into the 30's and they will come out if they can. I block the entrances up of course but....

This move frees up another stand as well so I will level it out this afternoon and plan on moving two hives tomorrow morning which will completely eliminate the Northern Bee yard I been using for the last six years.

In the end the hives will be in a much better location at least security-wise with no way anyone can mess with them without driving up my driveway and then down through the hay field but I would have preferred to have a little more notice for the move. Oh well live and learn.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!