There are several reasons why you might want to move bees safely from one place to another.
And I’m going to go into them in a bit. But the biggest question you’re probably asking is: Can you? Can you move bees safely in their hives from one place to another?
The answer is YES! You can absolutely move them and this post is going to help you learn how.
In This Post, I will:
- Provide tips and tricks that will help you move bees safely.
- Why you should transport bee hives safely in order to better managing bee hives.
Reasons to Transport Bee Hives
So, here are some reasons you might want to move bees safely:
- Your neighbors are not liking the bees and you’ve been ordered to move them to a new home.
- You want the bees to be next to a legume field or garden/orchard.
- To help prevent diseases or robbing from going on.
And there may be even more reasons. But whatever the reason may be, you might have a really good reason for transporting your bees. Let’s go into the steps for transporting bee hives safely from one place to another.
Shutting the Bees Into the Hives
Obviously, the first step is to make sure the bees are in the hives before you move them! You don’t want to leave anyone behind.
Luckily, this is pretty easy to do. And the best time to close up a hive is around dusk/sunset. This is when the bees are arriving home from their outings for the end of the day.
When you’re closing up the hive, it’s really important to make sure the hives still have great air flow. The bees will still need to breath, right?
Then, you can cover the entrance with this adhesive screen tape that is breathable and will continue to provide air flow through the entrance. Also, cover any cracks or holes with the tape.
Be Careful Lifting Hive Boxes
The hive boxes can be heavy when you lift them. And let’s be real: No one wants to drop a hive and lose all of their bees in a frenzy.
So, if you can get some help lifting them, that’s best. Ask a friend or spouse or someone else to suit up and help you. But if you can’t find anyone to help you, the best thing to do is just lift one box at a time so you can set them in carefully.
For even more air flow, I recommend using these screened bottom boards instead of the solid bottom boards. You can have them already set into the trailer or back of the vehicle you’re using to move bees safely.
Tips for a Steady Ride
As you go on your way with your hives in tow, you know you have precious cargo. So, here are some tips to make sure the ride is steady as can be.
The first thing is to set the hives with the entrance facing the same direction you’ll be traveling. And keep the hive height to one or two boxes high for safer travel.
Also, make sure the frames in the boxes are set so that they wont swing and smoosh bees.
Finally, if you can strap your hives down, do it!
Strap In Your Hives
Yes, ratchet straps are the answer to safely moving EVERYTHING. They have sturdy hooks and the straps are thick. Your boxes are not going to go anywhere and your bees will be safe.
Moving Bees at Night
This is a really good thing to do if you aren’t traveling very far. You know the bees will be already inside the hives since it’s dark. You can just close it up, load up the boxes and then go on your way.
Move Bees Safely Long Distance?
If you’re traveling a long ways, simply follow the packing instructions above as usual. The only extra thing you might want to add in is a cake or patty of bee food. However, if your hives have plenty of honey, they will sustain themselves on that.
Move Bees Safely Across State Lines?
Yes, you definitely can. But before you do, it’s recommended that you talk to your state health inspector to make sure you’re not transporting any diseases into the next state.
Move Bees Safely…And Keep Yourself Safe, Too.
No matter what you read or watch on YouTube…PLEASE protect yourself. Wear a bee suit and bee gloves! This is so important because you don’t want to be unprotected in case of a bee attack. You just never know when that will happen.
In this post, I’ve given you ways to move bees safely. I hope that you can now feel comfortable transporting your bees from place to place in order for better managing your bee hives.
