# Move &amp; split hive - order



## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Hi,
I have a hive that's in a very bad location. I want to move it and also split it. I understand the general process for both of these actions. What would be the best order to do this?

I'm thinking move it, wait a week, split it. Any danger here?

Thanks!


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

How far away are you moving the hives? A different yard miles away is best. If the location is bad I would move first then split. My strong hives are still weeks away from splitting. Some say early spring queens are not as good. I think it is a mating thing. Drone issues. Let see what others say. Good luck. It is Mardi Gras today, so off to enjoy a little local festivities.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

You can close the hive up one night move it in the early morning and split it in the afternoon.

Or you can split the hive, and move it as soon as you finish. That is the way I would do it as the hive the split came from would be a bit lighter to handle then.

That move an inch or 2 miles is an Old wives tail. Move the hive even several hundred feet and when you open the entrance up stuff grass in the entrance or place a bush in front of the entrance so the been know some thing has changed so will reorenant. 

 Al


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

How far away do you want to move it?

When I moved my 2 hives to a less visible location, even though I stuffed the entryway with vegetation and mint leaves so that they would re-orient themselves I had about a pint of bees return to the last location. So, I waited until after dark and then I sprayed both the weaker hive and the lost bees with vanilla mixed with water. 

I swept the lost bees into a pan and put a lid on it, and then I dumped them on top of the weaker hive. They then walked into the hive. If it had still been light out they would have returned to the old location, but it was too dark for them to want to fly

I did this 3-4 nights in a row, changing the vegetation in the front of the hive every day, and each night there were fewer lost bees until soon there were no lost bees at all. Now, this was for a move of 100 feet or so, it would have been a PAIN if I had moved them half a mile! 

So, how far do you want to move them?

Also, if you move the hive, the young house bees and the queen will stay with the hive no matter where you put it: it is the forager bees that will return to their old spot. You can compensate for their loss by feeding heavily and giving the hive pollen, though you will save yourself both time and money if you can keep the forager bees. You will also lose a good deal of the pollination work that they do. I do not eat much honey, but I have fruit trees and a garden that yield better because of those forager bees.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

This is what I meant by putting grass in the entrances.





 Al


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## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Thanks everybody! I moved them about 1000feet to a completely different area. I felt it best to wait a few weeks to split it based on the low temperatures for our area this week. I put a pine tree branch in front of the entrance. Hopefully there will be no problems. Thanks everybody for the help!!


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