How to Move Beehives?

Moving a beehive might sound easy and simple. You may think of it as just picking it up and shifting it. However, to bees, their location is everything, just like it is to humans. Can you imagine how much you will be disturbed if someone displaces you? The same goes for bees. You’d need to keep the bees calm, the combs intact, and the queen safe while relocating them. Whether you’re relocating a wild colony into a hive box or transporting your beehive long distances, essential considerations must be carried out.

It should be clear to any beekeeper that bees memorize landmarks, sunlight direction, and even magnetic fields to find their way home. So, when their hive moves, they can get lost or return to the old spot. So, you’d need to consider the timing, distance, and reorientation to keep them calm in a new place.

Why Move Bees?

There could be several reasons why one needs to move bees. In existing areas, the scarcity of flowers may prompt you to relocate your bees. Or if the hive is in danger from pests, floods, or harsh weather, moving helps protect the colony.

Sometimes, relocating bees becomes necessary when you need to remove a wild colony that is living in walls, sheds, or old structures. Wild bees can sting your family members if they’re disturbed, even unintentionally. Therefore, you must transfer the bees into a properly managed hive box. Or if you find them in your area and want to raise them for honey harvesting. In this case, you’ll need to move bees.

Whatever your reason, moving a hive must be done at the right time and with proper precautions.

If you’re new to beekeeping, start beekeeping with confidence by following our expert guidance and practical insights.

Best Time to Move a Bee Hive

Consider the season and the watch time to ensure a successful move. The ideal season is early summer or spring for specific reasons. During this season, the queen begins laying eggs, and worker bees start foraging for nectar and pollen. This activity indicates that the hive is strong and can quickly adapt to a new location without experiencing excessive stress.

Since bees use landmarks and sun position to navigate, the spring offers clear skies and stable daylight. It makes it easier for foragers to learn their new location and avoid getting lost. Additionally, spring brings a wealth of blooming flowers, providing them with ample nectar and pollen to rebuild and remain strong.

Move the beehive in Autumn only when it’s necessary, as bees are preparing for winter. And avoid winter at all costs, as in this season, bees are clustered for warmth, and disruption can cause colony loss.

Once you’re relocating it in the right season, do this at night or early morning. At night, foragers have already returned, and you’ll have nearly the whole colony inside the hive.

If, for some reason, you need to travel during the day, then leave an empty hive or trap box at the old spot with an open entrance. It will attract the stragglers, who are usually foragers. Add some sugar water to attract them. Once all those who were left behind get caught, move them separately into the new hive. However, this may not suit you if you are traveling long distances.

Discover how different factors influence the lifespan of bees and learn essential tips to keep your colony healthy and thriving.

Essential Equipment for Moving Bees

Before touching the hive, gather all essential tools:

• Wear a full bee suit and gloves for maximum protection.
• Smoker to keep the bees calm during handling.
• Ratchet straps to secure the hive components during transport.
• Screen or mesh for ventilation and to block entrances.
• Hive box with open frames for wild colony relocation.
• Use a sharp knife to cut combs cleanly when dealing with a wild hive.
• A dolly or cart to move heavy hives without tilting.
• Branches/twigs for entrance cue

Moving a Bee Hive Long Distances

The classical technique used to move a beehive is the ‘3 feet or 3 miles’ rule. This means moving a hive less than 3 feet or more than 3 miles away. Why do most local beekeepers follow this technique?  If you move it within the range of less than 3 miles, say 100–500 meters, foraging bees may return to the old site because their orientation system still recognizes it as home.

As we discussed earlier, foragers learn landmarks and scent routes from the hive to food sources. If the new location is within their familiar foraging radius, often 1-2 miles, some bees may find the old spot.

However, modern beekeepers have shown that this rule isn’t absolute. With some simple tricks, you can move your hive shorter distances without losing bees.

Long moves of hundreds of miles need proper preparation. Some precautions need to be taken into account when relocating them over long distances.

Before the Move

In the pre-move period:

• Keep the essential equipment ready, like wearing a bees’ suit and gloves.
• Fill your vehicle with gas first so you don’t need to stop once it’s loaded.
• Drive at night, as mentioned earlier, to keep temperatures cool and bees calmer.
• Remove honey supers to reduce weight and prevent honey spills.
• Secure hive parts with one or two strong ratchet straps.
• Close the entrances with breathable material like mesh or screen; never seal them airtight.
• Keep a helper with you: one should hold the hive boxes together, and the other should secure the hive to your truck bed.

During the Move

During the travelling, keep the frames aligned with the direction of travel so they don’t slam into each other during sudden stops. Spray the bees with light sugar occasionally through the mesh to calm them and keep them hydrated. If you have to travel during the day, avoid direct sunlight to prevent the melting of wax.

After Arrival

This is the phase when you will relocate the hive to its new place. Make necessary arrangements in advance so that you won’t have to wait. Set the hive in a shaded and quiet, levelled area where there are no excessive flowers and water is available. Open the entrances in the morning, once bees have calmed. Check that bees are foraging normally and the queen is laying eggs. Some confusion or circling flights are normal at first.

Gain a deeper understanding of the life cycle of bees to better manage your hives and support a strong, productive colony.

Moving a Bee Hive Short Distances

If you’re only moving a hive within your yard or nearby (e.g., 40 feet to 1 mile), the proven methods that we have used for a long time are as follows.

1. Move at Night and Add Obstacles

Move the hive after dark when all bees are inside. Place branches, grass, or sticks in front of the entrance. When bees exit in the morning, these natural obstacles signal that something has changed, forcing them to reorient to the new site.

2. Use Gradual Movement

If you have plenty of time and want to be extra careful, move the hive a few feet each day toward the new location. It’s slow but ensures that foragers never lose track of their home.

3. Move It Fully and Leave a Catch Box

Although we have not followed this technique, some beekeepers move the hive completely and leave a small, empty box at the old site. Bees returning there will gather in it, and you can later merge them back into the main hive at night.

4. Staged Method

If the above methods don’t seem to work in your case, and you need to move the hive within a 3-mile (5 km) radius, follow the ‘3-mile staged method’. What it actually means: move the hive more than 3 miles away and leave it there for 7-10 days, then bring it back to the final site.

Moving a Wild Hive into a Beehive Box

Moving a wild hive is a different story and requires different procedures. The wild hive might be inside a fallen hollow tree, or the storm or damage may expose it. Various methods are used to handle these situations, depending on which suits you the most.

1. Swarm Capture

When a bunch of bees gathers together in a big cluster on a branch or wall, it’s called a swarm. To move such bees, collect them by shaking or brushing the cluster into a bucket or box. After that, move them into a temporary hive so they can settle in properly. This method works best for fresh swarms that have not yet started building their comb.

2. Trap Out Method

The trap-out method is used when a colony of bees has made its home inside something that cannot be opened, such as a wall, a hollow tree, or a post. Instead of breaking the structure to remove them, beekeepers use a gentle method to relocate the bees safely and without harm.

To carry out this process, a special one-way cone or tube is placed over the hole where the bees enter and exit. The bees can leave through the cone but can’t get back inside. Since they can’t return to their old hive, they start looking for a new place to live. The beekeeper places a new hive box nearby, and the bees slowly begin to move into it. Over time, typically a few weeks, the entire colony, including the newly hatched baby bees, eventually moves into the new hive.

3. Cut-out Method

If the bees are nesting in an old structure, such as a cubby house or shed, a cut-out method is used. Using this method, we have successfully relocated several wild beehives to a desired location. Here’s how we do it.

• Open the structure carefully to expose the comb.
• Identify the brood comb first; this is where eggs and larvae are. These sections are most valuable for survival.
• Cut out comb sections gently using a sharp, thin-bladed knife.
• Use rubber bands to attach comb pieces to empty frames.
• Stretch large rubber bands around the frame to make a web that holds the comb upright.
• Focus on the brood comb first, then the honey and pollen comb.
• Place the frames into the hive box, maintaining a spacing similar to that of a natural hive.
• Locate and move the queen carefully. Once she’s in the new hive, the rest of the colony will follow.
• Leave the new hive nearby for a few days so stragglers can find it.

4. Hive in a Tree Trunk

If the hive is inside a hollow tree that’s being felled, you can sometimes move the whole section of trunk intact. Seal the entrances with foam or mesh, cut the trunk carefully, and relocate it using heavy equipment. Keep the trunk in the same orientation and open it the next day, once the bees have calmed down.

5. Broken or Exposed Tree Hive

If a storm or damage exposes the hive:

• Collect as much of the comb as possible, especially the brood and honey.
• Place the comb into empty frames using large rubber bands to hold it.
• Look for the queen if found, cage her in the new hive to attract workers.
• Leave the temporary hive until dusk so most bees gather inside before sealing and moving it.

Post-Move Care and Monitoring

After moving a beehive, the work doesn’t stop there. Bees need some time and gentle care to adjust to their new home. The first step is to ensure they have access to water. Moving can leave the bees stressed and dehydrated, so providing a small water source or a feeder with sugar syrup can help them recover more quickly.

It’s also a good idea to reduce the size of the hive entrance so that bees can easily re-establish their defenses. Proper ventilation is equally important. Without enough airflow, the hive can become too hot or humid, which adds more stress. Keep an eye and ear out for unusual behavior, such as excessive fanning or loud buzzing, as these can be signs of discomfort or overheating.

Feeding also plays an important role during this adjustment period. If there aren’t enough flowers nearby or if the colony seems weak after the move, offering sugar syrup can give them the energy they need to recover. Pollen patties can also be added as a source of protein, helping the bees rebuild their strength and continue raising brood after relocation.