# Paying someone to move bee hives to another state?



## kimH (Dec 11, 2012)

I work for a research lab that is moving to another state late next summer. As we have research hives, we would like to take our hives with us, but are unsure if we can do it ourselves. Have any of you heard of a moving company/person who will move hives (~6) for a fee? I know all about the health inspection certificate needed for the new state, at this point I'm just trying to research ways to physically move the hives. After reading some old posts, I'm also considering shipping the hives as nucs, but I think moving whole hives would be a better option. Thanks for any suggestions.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Moving hives in cold weather is better than summer, but if you need to do it in summer, then its still doable. You need to be concerned about the bees getting overheated, but essentially you can just move the hives to a pickup or trailer and drive to the new location. It would be a good idea to drape a net over the hives once loaded.

Depending on the distance, it would be better if you could do the driving at night. I can't imagine that a moving company would be interested in moving live hives. You possibly could find a beekeeper to move them with the right incentives. 

Using a carrier like UPS to ship nucs is not a good plan, IMHO.


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## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

To what state are you planning on moving them? -js


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

It's only 6 hives? Just load them on a open truck or trailer after they have settled for the evening, tie down well, don't block the entrances, and drive. If the drive is more than overnight put a beeproof net over the whole thing. 

It's more important the bees don't suffocate, than losing a few bees. Entrances must be left open, don't put mesh over the entrances cos bees trying to get out can clog it and suffocate the hive.

If you want to block the hives completely, take the lids off and nail mesh over the top of the hive, the bees won't clog that. Then just make sure there isn't major wind blowing onto the mesh and into the hives.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

There are several trucking companies that move bees. You will pay more than you can rent a truck for unless you have several hundred. Budget and Penske rent flat bed trucks (stake beds) too. You can even get a liftgate if you want it. I can put 25 double stacked in my dually if they are not all double deeps. I could run all double deeps but why carry honey or a high center load.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

What's your budget?


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## kimH (Dec 11, 2012)

We are moving from Connecticut to Texas in August and have no control over the timetable. The reason we really can't move the hives ourselves is the lab is moving too. No one in the lab owns a truck and we have to move our own cars at the same time. I would be interested in hearing about the companies who will move the hives as I'm also trying to price out how much it would cost. The budget probably depends on the professor's mood on the day I ask.  Since Texas will have a longer "bee season" in which we can conduct research, we don't want to wait until April to start brand new hives. Plus we're monitoring the bees over time, so starting over with new packages wouldn't be a good idea.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I know a trucker who charges $3.05/mile.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

kimH said:


> Since Texas will have a longer "bee season" in which we can conduct research, we don't want to wait until April to start brand new hives.


You don't think that a move from CT to TX will mess up your research data? The move will cost ten times what the hives are worth. Buy 6 established hives when you get down there. In August they should be cheap.


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## kimH (Dec 11, 2012)

Acebird said:


> You don't think that a move from CT to TX will mess up your research data?


Perhaps less so than obtaining new hives. We're studying the gut microbes of honey bees and have untreated hives. We have talked about "starting over," but are exploring the feasibility of moving the hives. She threatened to make one of the grad students drive them to Texas.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

kimH said:


> We're studying the gut microbes of honey bees and have untreated hives.


You don't expect that to change going from an environment in CT to an environment in TX? Have you seen TX?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

kimH,
Clearly not economically practical. Not that that will stop anything, I imagine.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

kimH said:


> She threatened to make one of the grad students drive them to Texas.



Isn't that the best solution?


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## kimH (Dec 11, 2012)

Acebird said:


> You don't expect that to change going from an environment in CT to an environment in TX? Have you seen TX?


We don't know if it will actually change. If it changes that would be interesting, but we have a baseline history on the hives we have now and would know the gut microbes changed. I've never lived in Texas, but I also moved with the lab from Arizona three years ago (without bees).


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

kimH said:


> No one in the lab owns a truck and we have to move our own cars at the same time.


You don't need a truck. Ryder and competitors rent "open" trailers, even one way. They will even install a hitch, if needed. Put the bees in an open trailer behind one of the cars that are driving to Texas anyway.  In exchange, the lab pays for the car's gas, or pays to move the student's possessions that would otherwise get hauled to Texas by that car.


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## oblib (Oct 28, 2011)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> You don't need a truck. Ryder and competitors rent "open" trailers, even one way. They will even install a hitch, if needed. Put the bees in an open trailer behind one of the cars that are driving to Texas anyway. In exchange, the lab pays for the car's gas, or pays to move the student's possessions that would otherwise get hauled to Texas by that car.


Agree that this is the way to go.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> You don't need a truck. Ryder and competitors rent "open" trailers, even one way. They will even install a hitch, if needed. Put the bees in an open trailer behind one of the cars that are driving to Texas anyway. In exchange, the lab pays for the car's gas, or pays to move the student's possessions that would otherwise get hauled to Texas by that car.


Makes sense to me.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

I hope you're not going to Texas City.


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

Cage the queens and shake out all the bees.
Move just the queens and the empty hives and comb.
You can then requeen hives or add queen to a package of shook bees you buy when you get there.

I can't imagine that data taken during or for a couple months after the move is that valuable, but I have no idea. Depending on the time of year in a very short time your hives will have the same genetic as they did up north. The added bees new bees will die and the queen will replace.


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

why don't you get a local beekeeper to take over the hives? you could get samples of bees sent to you and get whatever reports you need. your sample of 6 hives is to small to mean much now statisicaly,. the ohio state webair on bees had some good discussion on sample sizes for research, i think it was in august 2012, this can be listened to online. your changeing to much to get any valid hints at a conclusive observation. start over with new hives in texas and use the high cost of moveing the bees as a stipend for the new caretaker.


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## kimH (Dec 11, 2012)

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll probably look into the cost of renting an actual truck. If the professor is serious about moving the hives, she'll probably have to pay to ship someone's car. Off hand the lab members own a Mini Cooper, Prius, small Scion, and a 12 year old Corolla, but it might be fun to watch one of those try to tow an open trailer with 6 hives . . . 

Our research mostly deals with individual bees, some dissection, and some small scale live bee experiments in incubators. We spend a lot of time pulling almost mature pupae out of capped cells, so need hives nearby. The lab is moving to Austin, and I for one will be happy to not have to keep a nuc in the greenhouse over the winter for a small supply of live bees.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

kimH said:


> I'll probably look into the cost of renting an actual truck.


If you put bees in an enclosed truck, in the summer, for a move to Texas, you might as well just kill the bees in CT and save the cost of the truck rental. If you do rent a truck, also put an open trailer behind the truck for the hives.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Seems like the Corolla aught to do the trick. Get a small trailer w/ sideboards on it. Might as well buy it for what it would cost to rent on for the trip. Don't forget to buy some nets for the move.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Mark is right about the Corolla. Other people use them to pull trailers. Here's a Corolla hitch:
http://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2000_Toyota_Corolla.htm


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

I would also buy some shade cloth or a small bee net and net them. You won't want to pull up to a gas pump with unnetted bees in a trailer.


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## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

Ship them as NUCs, you will save a lot of money. I have a beginner beekeeper friend in Austin who would keep the NUCs while you make the transit, or I can keep them just three hours North of Austin.

FWIW, Descriptive research does not necessarily need to be statistically significant (thus, only six hives). There may be some benefit to describe how the flora of the gut might (not) change with location for six hives.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Call the Shipping Wars show on the A&E channel, , this would make a great episode and they might pay all the costs.

http://www.aetv.com/shipping-wars/


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## kimH (Dec 11, 2012)

sqkcrk said:


> Seems like the Corolla aught to do the trick.


I'll try to catch the Corolla owner in a good mood - he's the lab's leafhopper guy and doesn't work with bees at all. Not sure how he'll react to a prospective road trip with bees. We can just overnight the other lab insects, but the bees are more problematic. 

Lburou, I realize moving the entire hive would be healthier for the bees, but I'm still considering shipping them as nucs. However I need to find out more about the moving timetable. We're still unsure if we can leave anything at the CT lab for a short time while the move is in progress or if we have to get everything out on the same day. The timetable will also impact the aphids and whiteflies we grow on plants.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Unless you ship those nucs UPS overnight they have almost no chance of survival that time of year. And you'll need someone to pick them up at the UPS terminal. Those trucks get very hot in the summer sun, especially in the south.


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## kimH (Dec 11, 2012)

We would ship overnight. The price even ends up reasonable when we go through the university's shipping website.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

kimH said:


> We would ship overnight. The price even ends up reasonable when we go through the university's shipping website.


 A gamble in my opinion. Might work out though.

Whole beehives properly secured on an open trailer, easiest, safest. Just, any hills etc on the way? Even 6 hives could weigh a bit, for a Corolla.


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