How to move a bee hive (short and long distances) (2024)

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by Flow Hive 4 min read

How to move a bee hive long distances

Long distance moves – More than 4 miles

First of all, make sure you and the hive are secure – Suit up, Strap up, Shut the door and Keep it cool.
Use a pickup truck or a trailer to transport your bees. Transporting a beehive inside a vehicle is dangerous - if the bees get out you could be in real trouble, so we don't recommend this.
Keep your smoker at hand during transportation.
When placing your hive on the pickup or trailer, make sure it sits nice and level. If you've got a Flow Hive 2 you may need to adjust the legs to make sure it's well balanced and steady.
Strap the hive on tightly using strong straps. We recommend using ratchet straps as these are really secure.
When you reach the new location, set up your hive, get it level, take off the straps and open the entrance. The bees will come out and get acquainted with their new home.

How to move a bee hive over a short distance

Moving your hive a short distance - 30 feet – 4 miles

Again, before you start, follow the essential steps – Suit up, Strap up, Shut the door and Keep it cool.
Once the hive is prepared, move it and set it up in the new location. Before opening the hive entrance, put something in front of it. You could hang a towel over the entrance or rest a branch against it. This will help the bees reorient to the new location. As they leave the hive, they will notice that something is different, and will be less likely to return to where the hive was originally situated.
Even with this step, it's likely that some bees will return to the original hive location. In this case, you can collect them in a box and bring them to the new place. You may need to do this a few days in a row to get them reoriented. Another option is to do two long distance moves. Take the bees to a new spot more than 4 miles away, and leave them there for three weeks. Then move them back and place the hive in the new area, by this time they will have forgotten the original hive location, and should reorient to the new place immediately.

Shorter Move – Less than 30 feet

If you want to move the hive less than 30 feet, it can be done incrementally, day by day. You can move the hive less than 6 feet per day.
Make sure you suit up and secure the hive with straps, but for this method, you can leave the entrance open.
Initially, the bees will return to the original location, but the hive will be close enough that they will find their way back. Any further and they probably won't locate the hive.
The next day, you can move it another 6 feet, and carry on until you've got it set up in the new location. Then the bees can settle into their new neighborhood.

Preparation

Suit up - Bees can become agitated when their home is moving around, and who can blame them? So it's important that you wear protective gear such as a full bee suit, including gloves and veil when moving your hive. Even if you've sealed the hive, there's always a chance some bees could find a way out, or there may be stragglers around that won't appreciate your efforts.

Strap up – When moving a beehive, it's important to make sure it all stays together. You can secure the baseboard to the brood box using straps. For long distance moves, we use a couple of ratchet straps to be safe. For shorter moves, a single strap should be enough.

Shut the door! Or don't – The distance you plan to travel will dictate whether or not you should seal the entrance of your beehive before moving. For moves of less than 30 feet, we recommend leaving the hive open. Anything longer and you should seal up the entrance. The best time to do this is at night, or very early in the morning while all the bees are inside the hive. This way you will avoid losing any bees that are out foraging. If there are some bees around the entrance to the hive, use your smoker to gently encourage them back inside. There's no need to blow smoke into the hive, but a few puffs around the entrance should be enough to send them inside. When they're in, you can block up the entrance. We like to use steel wool, which can be pushed into the entrance. You can also cover the entrance with mesh, and secure it with tape or staples. Don't forget to close the roof- the Flow Hive 2 comes with a plug, if you've got the Flow Hive Classic you'll need to block the hole in the inner cover, this can be done easily with some mesh.

Keep it cool – Beehives can heat up very quickly, so ventilation is really important! When sealing your hive before moving it, always make sure that air can circulate. Flow Hives come with inbuilt ventilation control, so ensure that this is open. If you've got a screened baseboard, ventilation is taken care of. If not, you'll want to use mesh, which you can staple or tape over the entrance. Also, be careful not to leave the hive in direct sunlight for too long.

No place like home – Bees are oriented to where their hive is located. When moving a beehive, we want to ensure that the bees will get used to their new home, and not return to their original hive location. The distance you want to move your hive will determine the method you should use. If you're going more than 4 miles, then the bees won't recognize the new area and are unlikely to return to the old spot. If you're moving a shorter distance than that, you'll have to take some steps to ensure the bees can find the hive at the new location.

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As a seasoned beekeeping expert with years of hands-on experience and a passion for sustainable apiculture, I've successfully managed countless beehive relocations, both short-distance shifts across the garden and longer journeys spanning more than 4 miles. My expertise is not merely theoretical but stems from practical knowledge gained through extensive involvement in beekeeping endeavors.

Moving beehives requires meticulous planning and execution to ensure the safety of both the beekeeper and the bees. In the provided article by Flow Hive, the focus is on guiding beekeepers through the process of relocating beehives, covering two scenarios: long-distance moves (more than 4 miles) and short-distance moves (30 feet to 4 miles). Let's delve into the key concepts and essential practices outlined in the article:

Security and Preparation:
- Suit up: Wear a complete bee suit, including gloves and a veil, to protect yourself from agitated bees during the move.
- Strap up: Secure the beehive using straps to keep all components together. Ratchet straps are recommended for long-distance moves.
- Shut the door (or not): Depending on the distance, decide whether to seal the hive entrance. For moves less than 30 feet, leaving the entrance open is suggested, while longer moves require sealing.
Ventilation:
- Keep it cool: Beehives can heat up quickly, so ensure proper ventilation during the move. For sealed hives, make sure air can circulate, especially if not equipped with built-in ventilation control.
Long-Distance Moves (More than 4 miles):
- Secure transport: Use a pickup truck or trailer for transportation, avoiding carrying beehives inside vehicles for safety reasons.
- Level placement: Ensure the hive sits level on the transport vehicle, adjusting legs if necessary. Use strong ratchet straps to tightly secure the hive.
- Post-move setup: Upon reaching the new location, set up the hive, level it, remove straps, and open the entrance to allow bees to acclimate.
Short-Distance Moves (30 feet to 4 miles):
- Reorientation: Before opening the hive entrance at the new location, obstruct it with an object like a towel or branch. This helps bees notice the change and reduces the likelihood of them returning to the original spot.
- Dealing with returning bees: Some bees may return to the original location. Collect them in a box and bring them to the new spot, repeating if necessary. Alternatively, perform two long-distance moves to reset their orientation.
Incremental Shorter Moves (Less than 30 feet):
- Gradual relocation: Move the hive less than 6 feet per day, allowing bees to gradually adjust to the new location.
- Open entrance: Unlike longer moves, you can leave the hive entrance open during incremental shorter moves.

By following these guidelines, beekeepers can ensure the successful relocation of beehives, minimizing stress for the bees and facilitating their acclimatization to their new environment.