# moving bees-screening entrance?



## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

When moving a small truckload (68 colonies on pallets) of bees only 100 miles do you need to screen off the entrances? If the morning temp is 55-60F around 5:30 AM can you just load and run or do enough bees fly off the truck in the warm weather to make screening the entrances the night before worth while?


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## merdoc (May 4, 2010)

I wonder about the screening too.We used to just load and move at night but its hard for me to stay awake driving and I see poorly at night eitherway good luck.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

HVH,
I wouldn't bother to screen them. But don't stop along the way either. Not for long anyway. If you do, the bees you leave behind can be a problem for those who encounter those left behind. Though they won't be that much of a loss to the colonies.

I move 332 colonies, by my truck and trailer, out of the orchards in late May, driving them 100 miles to their summer yards. I fill the tanks before I load the bees and then don't stop along the way, except if I have to. That's five trips, by the way. No screens, no nets.


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

Mark,

Does it matter how warm it is? Would you pick up your bees midday or do you try and load early morning? I've tried to move bees when it was warm and it hasn't been very fun. My understanding is that you can load in the cool of the morning and the bees will stay in the hives as long as the truck is moving. Does this sound reasonable?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I usually start loading before the sun is visible in the sky. So, by the time I have driven around the orchards, loaded the pallets of hives and loaded the skid steer, it's 8 AM or there abouts and there aren't very many bees flying.

Yes, mostly they do stay in the hive while the truck is in motion.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

I can not believe the times of day that blue berry pollinators move bees. We were talking to one of the big pollinators at about 12 noon when he suddenly said..."Gotta go move bees" - I said "You mean load them for tonight".... answer no.. moving now. Of course I had to ask more... he said he leaves a hive behind that he will collect later.. says he doesn't loose enough bees to matter. An hour or so later I saw him coming down the road... no net... bees flying everywhere.... maybe moving bees at night is another myth....


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Anything that goes wrong at night is compounded by the darkness. Tho there are plenty of bkprs who load and move at night. I don't care for doing so.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

If beekeepers do not screen hives to move cross country to Almonds, why would you want to on short moves??? We always load in the cool of the morning--4:00 till sun up. Throw a bee net over the load. Then strap them down. Wet them with a garden hose before leaving. Honk the horn and go!! It does not matter if it is 2000 miles or 20 miles, the bees arrive just fine at their destination unscreened. TK


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

Right - but I mean without netting. I have moved bees in the early morning before during colder weather with no netting nor screening. It is getting warmer at Sunrise and I wasn't sure if a 100 mile drive warranted any kind of screen. My understanding has been (like Mark stated) that as long as you don't make any long stops then most bees will stay inside during the trip. I can screen tomorrow night and then move the bees the following morning but really have doubts about the screening being necessary.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Screening will cost you a lot of bees if you breakdown in the middle ofa hot day. I would not bother with it , as it doesn't really help, and it can sure hurt you.

Jean-Marc


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

I am with Jean on this. I would not bother with the screens. Just leave at day break and go. You will arrive about the time the bees even think about flying. In my state you have to net a load of bees. TK


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

I will be moving 25 in the next few days, no screen, must net. I would put them in the cab if there weren't 25 and the wife didn't freak. Hey it is a sleeper and the girls love the gentle, dark, cool ride. The wife doesn't even ride along. I had 8 in the cab last trip. They enjoy the air as much as I do. Not too many cops want me to roll down the window or open the door with bees crawling up the windows either. I have never been stung driving.


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