Subject: Re: Bees night out?

From: [email-masked] (Fred G. Thurber)
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 1994 17:47:20 GMT

I am a new beekeeper and started off this year with a 
couple of hives.  I had two nukes of carniolans installed
this Spring.  I have had trouble with one of the hive; the bees seem
very grumpy and have recently taken to stinging me.  The hives are
very close to a gravel driveway and cars & farm equipment apparently rumble
by during the day.  A couple of days ago I decided to move them and took them
to a friend's house in a quiet location about a mile away.  Separating
us are three major roads, two wooded swamps filled with sweet pepperbush
(which is now blooming) and three of pastures.   However the next day
hundreds of bees were swarming around the location the hives used to be and by
afternoon they had massed on a car parked nearby.  They also seemed to
be hot-tempered and my landlord complained about them.  What should I do?

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Frederick Thurber      [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Jordan Schwartz)
Date: 1 Aug 1994 20:45:03 GMT

[email-masked] (Fred G. Thurber) writes:
[...]A couple of days ago I decided to move them and took them
>be hot-tempered and my landlord complained about them.  What should I do?

New to beekeeping myself, but I would say move the hive back to its 
original position ASAP, and, once you have the hive reconsolidated, pick 
a new spot to move them to, further away than your friend's house (a mile 
and a half did me fine, but better safe than sorry).
  
Bees have no regard for major roads, and if one happens upon a familiar 
landmark, they will be able to find their old home quick.  If you are set 
on your friend's house as a permanent location, pick some spot very far 
away from both the original spot and your friend's house to move them to 
for three or four weeks, until everyone who remembers the old terrain is 
dead, then move them to your friend's place.  

Again: this is my first year beekeeping, so take my advice with a shaker 
of salt...

Jordan