# I Would Like to Winter Some Hives in the South



## khicks12 (Feb 28, 2012)

My apologies if this is a duplicate post. I tried to submit this yesterday, but never got any replies and can't find it now.

I'm contemplating a plan for NEXT winter. I would like to winter some hives in the south (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi) - up to 25 hives next winter, and possibly 100 the next. The idea would be to locate them there so that they get an earlier start with building up than they would at my home in Indiana. Then in early spring relocate them back to my home to make nucs earlier than would otherwise be possible.

Ideally, I would like to have an arrangement with some type of crop producer there that would let me keep my hives on their land in return for the pollination benefit they would recieve in the early spring, say before the end of April. The problem is, I don't have any contacts in those areas, and I don't have any idea what crops would benefit from my bees by the end of April.

Can anyone help me get this conversation started, or at least suggest what type of crop would fit into this scheme?


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## Mr_Clean (Aug 31, 2013)

I'm in south Florida; I've seen one beekeeper advertising on Craigslist for land to put his hives, you might try that. A major agricultural area around here in south Florida is the Redlands, which is south of Miami. Florida requires migratory beekeepers to have their hives inspected by the state; the state is primarily looking for American Foulbrood. If your bees don't have it yet, they may get small hive beetle and varroa mites from going into the southern states, where we don't have a really cold winter to kill off these pests. 

There is a book, Florida's Best Fruiting Plants, which can help you to figure out what fruiting season of the different fruits are, from that you may get an educated guess as to when the fruit trees will flower. I think Lychee flowers in the winter; I'm about 2 miles from the largest lychee farm in the US. Lychee is an unreliable crop; it doesn't fruit every year. There are several "Rare Fruit Tree Councils" that may be able to hook you up with a rare fruit tree grower. Be aware of the of the needs of different growers; Citrus growers in Florida are very concerned diseases such as citrus greening, citrus canker, etc. Good luck!


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Mr_Clean said:


> they may get small hive beetle and varroa mites


99% he has both in indiana. Winter knocks them down, although still present in Summer.


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## barberberryfarm (Feb 16, 2013)

I do not believe Alabama will allow you to bring your beehives into Alabama. I know you can ship bees in, but not in hives from everything I've read.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

From Johnson Indiana to Lakeland Florida is a 1000 mile 15 hour trip, times two. Add up fuel and truck expenses, motels etc. Then subtract pesticide loss and other bad consequences. Expensive way to give your bees an early start.


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

Your best luck for that type of arrangement will be with a Blueberry grower or maybe an Avocado grower, in Florida . They do grow Blueberries in Ga but they spray allot.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Your better off not putting bees next to any crop.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Trevor Mansell said:


> Your best luck for that type of arrangement will be with a Blueberry grower or maybe an Avocado grower, in Florida . They do grow Blueberries in Ga but they spray allot.


Spraying of blueberries in NC happens after the bees are out. Leastwise where I have my bees.

Any blueberry grower who sprays while bees are on sight will kill lots of bees. I don't know any beekeeper who would return for that.


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

sqkcrk said:


> Spraying of blueberries in NC happens after the bees are out. Leastwise where I have my bees.
> 
> Any blueberry grower who sprays while bees are on sight will kill lots of bees. I don't know any beekeeper who would return for that.


In Florida they spray before the bees go in , so if you are sitting there all winter you might have some damage ,that was my point.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I c.

Were I to advise anyone about going South for Winter, I'd say they aught to find a place away from any crop that needs spraying. 

You also aught to consider managing your hives like Michael Palmer does.


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## khicks12 (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks for all the input . . . definitely some things to think about. Just exploring a thought in my head. I'm sure most of you have the same problem with those pesky thoughts


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## Beetrucker74 (Oct 10, 2010)

I bring mine to Fl late Nov early Dec and put some in orange groves and some near them. As for finding yards your best bet is to get some cards and put put them on doors if no one is home when you knock. Most orange growers are looking for bees since allot of the commercial guys go to Almonds. I haven't had any spray off but my growers let me know so I can move them out a few days before they spray and put them back in after. But in bloom they only spray at night and nothing to wicked.


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## M&DZBEEZ (May 16, 2011)

khicks12 said:


> My apologies if this is a duplicate post. I tried to submit this yesterday, but never got any replies and can't find it now.
> 
> I'm contemplating a plan for NEXT winter. I would like to winter some hives in the south (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi) - up to 25 hives next winter, and possibly 100 the next. The idea would be to locate them there so that they get an earlier start with building up than they would at my home in Indiana. Then in early spring relocate them back to my home to make nucs earlier than would otherwise be possible.
> 
> ...


I have a friend who has about 35 acres of blueberries that would most likely be interested in a set-up like that . You can P.M me if you're interested in a east central fl. location


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