# moving hives



## eurycea12 (Oct 5, 2006)

I am posting this for a friend without a computer.
He has 3 Langstroth hives on a wagon.
This summer he pulled the wagon forward 2 legnths to mow the area underneath it. He was watching the returning workers and they were totally confused and could not find their hive. After replacing the wagon in the original spot all returned to normal.
I have done some research and now understand why the returning workers were confused.
Our question is, how do pollinating bees find their hives when they get moved around so much?


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

There is a certain distance you have to move it for them to "reset" their GPS. If you move them 5 feet, they'll get lost; if you move them 5 miles, they'll reset and not be lost. That's what I've been told anyway.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Amazing what people believe on moving bees. There was a test done and written up on the internet some place about how good bees sence of smell is. Each day a plate of syrup was put out a certin distance from the hive and moved out more every day so many feet. After doing that for 5 days the bees would be waiting that distance for the plate of syrup to be placed.

I move hives but always block the entrance in the evening before the move. 
thats trigger number one some thing is different. Once the move has been made giggling triger number two.I have a hand full of grass ready to stuff in the entrance when I open it, that is trigger number three. They move the grass away so they can get out then start doing a orentation flight.

 Al


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## eurycea12 (Oct 5, 2006)

Alleyyooper - If their sense of smell is so good; why would they not be able to find their hive?


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## CoachB (Aug 30, 2011)

I think its normal practice for most of the bees used for pollination to be blocked up and loaded up after dark once most of the bees are home. Many are then trucked for a day or two to a new location where the bees will reorient upon leaving the hives at the new location.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Many times they will find where you moved the hive if it wasn't many yards away given time.

 Al


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