If you need to move your bee colony, remember that you must get the bees oriented to the new location. Otherwise, unless you move the colony at least several miles, the bees will find their way back to their old location.

If you want to move your bees only a few hundred yards, first take them several miles away and leave them for about a week. When they are oriented to the new location, move them to the site you originally intended, and let them get oriented there.

Or, move the colony a few feet each day, until you have moved it to the location you want.

It is not advisable to move bees during the period of honey production. The honey already stored will add extra weight, new honeycomb may break loose, or you may disturb your bees and cause a slowdown in honey storage.

Night is the best time to move a colony. All the bees are inside them. If the weather is cold, you can completely close the hive entrance.

If the weather is unseasonably warm and the colony strong, do not seal the hive entrance. YOu might suffocate your bees, even if you seal them in for only an hour. Instead, cover the entrance and sto of the hive with a fine screen.

Staple, crate, or tie the hive so that parts cannot shift during the move.