Beehive transportation

[[email protected]]

My father recently passed away. He was a keen beekeeper and has two hives that are currently active but dormant for the winter. I remember these hives since I was a kid and would love to keep them rather than sell them with his house. My stepfather has done a beekeeping course and would like to take them in the short term if it is possible to transport them. My father's house is in Sussex and my stepfathers in Wales. Is it possible to transport an active hive and if so what are the do's and don'ts of transportation?

[Patrick]

Hi Tom and welcome to the Forum.

Sorry to hear of your loss. It is certainly possible to transport occupied hives and many beekeepers do it routinely.

Before we launch into the do's and don't it would be useful to know a few details so the advice given is as useful as possible. Do you know what type of hives they are? Typically "WBC " hives have a gable or double sloping roof and "National" and most other types are a simple stack of boxes with a flat roof.

How long approximately had your father had the hives? The reason I ask is that transporting an occupied hive that is newish and all the joints are good and strong is one thing, a rather tired and creaky hive that hasn't been moved for years maybe quite another thing.

What had you thought to transport them in - the back of a pickup, a 4x4, the boot of a hatchback or estate car, a trailer? Are you likely to have someone who can help? Was your Dad a member of his local beekeepers association and could you temporarily borrow some help or even just a couple of beesuits from a local member whilst you are transporting them.

I am sure most local associations understanding the issue may have someone able to offer some assistance, even if it is just to load them at your end? Let us know some or all of the above and then we may be better informed how to offer advice.

best wishes, Pat

[[email protected]]

Hi Pat. Thanks so much for your message. From memory there is one national and one WBC hive. The former of which is a little bit worse for wear. Probably still transportable though, it just has a creaky roof. The plan is either to put them in a trailer or the back of a van. And dad was no longer a member of an association I don't think but all the gear including beekeeper suits which we can put to use.

[Jim Norfolk]

Tom would that be East or West Sussex? I still have contacts in West Sussex who may be able to help. WBCs can be moved but are a bit harder to seal up and the lifts take up extra space. Alternatively if you decide to sell there is a bee auction at Brinsbury College near Pulborough on April 27th. http://www.westsussexbeekeepers.org.uk/auction.html

I once helped moved someone's bees in a trailer. He sealed them all up and I drove as my car had a towing hitch. The strapping was not good enough and as I slowed at a roundabout I could see in my wing mirror, bees leaking out of one of the hives. Most of the bees made it to their destination. I think bees are better in the back of an estate or SUV as the suspension does not bounce them about as much. If any get out they go to the back window usually. I always drive with a bee suit on but with the veil off. I also wrap a sheet over the hive to contain any who escape.

Sealed up hives need ventillation and most now have open mesh floors which is more than adequate. Older hives without mesh floors will need mesh over the holes in the crown board to provide ventillation.

When I moved up here, the prospect of transporting my bees along with everything else was too much so I sold them but kept the hives and bought local bees.

Good luck.

[Gerry]

For a long distance move you would be well advised to use a screen board as the bees get agitated and hot and ned more air than would come through holes in the crownboard. Also use two tension straps put on in paralleI. WBC not so easy to transport as Nationals in my experience would not advise a beginner to transport hives within a vehicle as if bees escape and driver gets stung and loses control and crashes I think your insurance company would not play ball. Why not sell the bees in Sussex in spring (but keep the hives) when they will fetch a good price and buy replacement locally adapted ones in Wales? I did sometning similar to this back in the 1971 when I moved from the Midlands to Yorkshire.

[[email protected]]

Thanks everyone for the advice. The hives are at my Dad's house which is on the West/East Sussex border, near Hickstead. Selling the bees but keeping the hives might be a better option. Would I need to take the hives to Pulborough to auction? If so the same issues of a rookie transporting them arises! Are there any other ways of selling a hive? Happy to start again in Wales.

[Jim Norfolk]

To sell bees at Pulborough they need to be inspected by the bee inspector and signed as disease free. They then need to be brought to the site early in the morning and set up. Most people sell the hive, nuc box but some sell only the bees and ask for the hive back. Prices are very variable and it depends on number of entries and demand.

Perhaps a better idea is to contact the secretaries of the West Sussex and Sussex BKA divisions nearest to you and ask them to put something out to the members and see if someone wants to buy the bees directly from you. https://sussexbeeorguk.wordpress.com/ and http://www.westsussexbeekeepers.org.uk/divisions.html. They might also be able to suggest a price. I would suggest contacting Central Sussex, Wisborough Green and Worthing divisions in West Sussex and East Grinstead and Brighton and Lewes and possibly High Weald in East Sussex.

Done early before the colony has expanded the simplest way is to transfer the 6 inner most frames with all the brood into a polystyrene nuc box. You then have an easily transportable and saleable unit. Buyers could bring their own nuc box or you could visit Paynes at Hassocks and buy a couple of their poly nucs. Personally I wouldn't move any old drawn comb with me to a new area but just the empty hives which after cleaning can be restocked with local bees.