Performing A Delicate Beehive Relocation
For those new to the notion of keeping a hive of swarming bees as pets, to pollinate produce, or just to save the Earth; there is much to learn. Safe handling of the hives seems reasonably simple, but a wrong move or improperly donned bee suit can spell a minor disaster. With so many hives collapsing around the world, it is more important than ever for keepers to know how to do a safe and successful beehive relocation.
What must be understood about these most sophisticated creatures is that they require a period of reorientation when a hive is moved. Even if it is only being shifted a few feet away, it is a good idea to cover the hive with a small faggot of sticks. This temporary containment causes them to begin reorientation immediately, as they are tricked into thinking that a branch has fallen over the entrance.
If the keeper fails to allow the bees this time to reestablish their location, they can become lost for quite some time. They will flood out of the hive and frantically buzz about in a circular or figure-eight type of pattern, frantically trying to find their way. If they are out of the hive at the time it is moved, their circular pattern may bring them to a different hive, and that can only spell trouble.
There are still going to be some stragglers after a move, and loss of some bees may yet occur. It can be kept to a minimum if you place a clean and empty bee nucleus box as close to the old hive site as possible. Even though this is an unsettling and alien environment, it is still going to feel like home to them due to the magnetism of the Earth; and this gives you a chance to move them to the new hive.
Winter moves go a little more smoothly for the bees since they may not be foraging at all, depending on the weather. At about fifty degrees or below, they will get back to their hives as quickly as they can, if they have ever left it at all that day. You will still want to close the hive for moving, and place the branches at the opening, but the chance of bee loss is much less due to the cold.
In addition, their hives are more delicate in the warmer weather, and can come unattached from the sides of their box if jostled too hard. Also, the newer the colony, the more delicate their hive may be. So, avoid moving a young colony during the hottest time of the year, and you will have automatically increased your likelihood of success.
No matter what time of year they are being moved, there will need to be ventilation throughout the hive during the process. I know it seems like this should be a common sense thing, but it must be mentioned. Hives generate a great deal of energy, and they become even more heated during any process that agitates or panics them, and being able to breath certainly helps keep them cool.
Keeping water sprayed around any ventilation openings is another way to help keep the bees from overheating. A hive can generate a great deal of heat to begin with, and overheated bees are dead bees. If driving them a few miles down the road or across a field, keep spraying water, crank up the air conditioning, and be sure that your hive is set on pillows, blankets, or Styrofoam to lessen the jostle.
What must be understood about these most sophisticated creatures is that they require a period of reorientation when a hive is moved. Even if it is only being shifted a few feet away, it is a good idea to cover the hive with a small faggot of sticks. This temporary containment causes them to begin reorientation immediately, as they are tricked into thinking that a branch has fallen over the entrance.
If the keeper fails to allow the bees this time to reestablish their location, they can become lost for quite some time. They will flood out of the hive and frantically buzz about in a circular or figure-eight type of pattern, frantically trying to find their way. If they are out of the hive at the time it is moved, their circular pattern may bring them to a different hive, and that can only spell trouble.
There are still going to be some stragglers after a move, and loss of some bees may yet occur. It can be kept to a minimum if you place a clean and empty bee nucleus box as close to the old hive site as possible. Even though this is an unsettling and alien environment, it is still going to feel like home to them due to the magnetism of the Earth; and this gives you a chance to move them to the new hive.
Winter moves go a little more smoothly for the bees since they may not be foraging at all, depending on the weather. At about fifty degrees or below, they will get back to their hives as quickly as they can, if they have ever left it at all that day. You will still want to close the hive for moving, and place the branches at the opening, but the chance of bee loss is much less due to the cold.
In addition, their hives are more delicate in the warmer weather, and can come unattached from the sides of their box if jostled too hard. Also, the newer the colony, the more delicate their hive may be. So, avoid moving a young colony during the hottest time of the year, and you will have automatically increased your likelihood of success.
No matter what time of year they are being moved, there will need to be ventilation throughout the hive during the process. I know it seems like this should be a common sense thing, but it must be mentioned. Hives generate a great deal of energy, and they become even more heated during any process that agitates or panics them, and being able to breath certainly helps keep them cool.
Keeping water sprayed around any ventilation openings is another way to help keep the bees from overheating. A hive can generate a great deal of heat to begin with, and overheated bees are dead bees. If driving them a few miles down the road or across a field, keep spraying water, crank up the air conditioning, and be sure that your hive is set on pillows, blankets, or Styrofoam to lessen the jostle.
About the Author:
You can find a detailed list of the benefits you get when you use beehive relocation services at http://www.beelievehawaii.com/beeremoval right now.
Comments
Post a Comment