# Thinking of heading south



## joshk (Mar 31, 2010)

Hello All,
Haven't posted in a long time, been busy. I live in Michigan, and tired of losing so many bees during our long winters, and it sounds like this might be another bad one. We have some friends that live in Mississippi and have 70+ acres we can keep our bees on over winter. However I have never moved my bees during the winter and do not know all the pitfalls of moving hives. I don't have that many (30ish) but keep trying to grow every year only to be knocked down during the winter. Looking at the bloom dates it looks like maples start to bloom around end of January, which for me tends to be the beginning of my beekeeping year. But we also will have other things blooming around that same time. So how much food should they have, and when does the nectar really start coming in where I don't have to worry as much. Also when is the best time to move them down. We finally got a cold snap here where I don't think they will be flying much anymore this year. Hope everyone had a good year and look forward to hearing from some of you.
Josh


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Where do your bees come from?


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## Hillbillybees (Mar 3, 2016)

Our colonies we use for queen production and about 200 nucs we move from Northeast Arkansas to Southeast Louisiana as it starts to get cold in Arkansas. We of course don't have Michigan weather in Arkansas but our winter survival rates are higher as well as the early start in Louisiana. First graph between Feb 25th or March 5th. First good flow hits around the 13th down there. Nothing to speak of in Northern Arkansas until first part of April when we move the queen operation closer to home. Our production hives and increases stay in Louisiana year round. 
What part of Mississippi?


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## joshk (Mar 31, 2010)

They are from Michigan. Some queens from Ohio, but mostly Michigan bee.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

If it’s a matter of basic survival, I would recommend that you figure out what you should be doing to keep them in Michigan.
We have a different set of problems in the south. It isn’t necessarily easier. 
Many migratory beekeepers move south in winter so that their bees get an earlier start in spring. This is especially important for those pollinating almonds.
Many queen producers are in the south…again for an earlier season start. The demand for April queens is high. By the end of May…pretty much not.
Package bee producers…the same. Demand for early season packages is high.
At the end of the day….wintering in the south isn’t necessarily easier but does offer a jump on the season.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

beemandan said:


> At the end of the day….wintering in the south isn’t necessarily easier but does offer a jump on the season.


Not sure I'd ever trade my Virginia winter conditions for those in Michigan. I lived in Michigan for over 20 years - no thanks! I'll stay in the south, SHB and all.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Living Ft. Lauderdale we had the idea to move to WI, north of Green Bay. Bought 43 acres. Up there for the July 4th holiday and all the corn froze one night. Sold the land and moved to Virginia.
I would concentrate on better winter prep and keep the hives in MI. 30 hives just doesn't seem worth the effort to move.


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

Sounds more like a management issue than climate issue. Winters can be hard, but the broodless period really helps with mite control


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Is it feasible to move that many hives? I can see that this is doable with over 100 hives to start in the 70 acres. If you don't have other important obligation then move all 30 hives to your friends. Be there to make splits and then move them back to MI to catch the flow. In the long run this could be a yearly migratory operation. 

If you are not up to the travel for the long term then find another better method to grow your bees at home. For one, sourcing better bee genetics to complement your local apiary will do. Then you have to figure out a better way to overwinter them at home. Perhaps put them inside a temperature control warehouse environment like Ian did all winter long too. You are good to grow when everything is within balance. Something is off now.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

AstroBee said:


> Not sure I'd ever trade my Virginia winter conditions for those in Michigan. I lived in Michigan for over 20 years - no thanks! I'll stay in the south, SHB and all.


what part? I'm from Muskegon and only like to go back in the summers when its 95 degrees down here.


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

Tupelo MS is about 40 miles due west of me. There is about 3 weeks difference between here and the gulf coast.

First pollen comes in between January 25th and February 10th. Fruit bloom is from about the 10th to 20th of March. Prime buildup time is from April 1st to 21st. The spring flow starts about the 20th of April and typically lasts 3 weeks. If we have plenty of rain, it will last up to 6 weeks with minor flows on into June.

This would put first pollen coming in the 1st to 14th of January in south MS.

Move them between now and the 20th of November. It is too cold to move them safely after that. It would be better if you had moved them sometime in October.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Consider the cost of shipping these days, is it worth it to move 30 hives? I would say
that is not a lot of hives unless you can multiply it by 100s by the time the year is over next
season down south.


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## Bee Arthur (Mar 21, 2015)

zhiv9 said:


> Sounds more like a management issue than climate issue. Winters can be hard, but the broodless period really helps with mite control


My thought exactly. Moving south may worsen the losses if they're being caused by uncontrolled mites. Which is the most likely culprit without further explanation from the OP.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

People north of you don't haul their hives south. How are they keeping their bees?


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Might try to garage them during cold spells;

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?295359-Over-Wintering-in-the-Garage-Update

Also look up treads by Ian he lives in Canada, stores hundreds of hives in a completely dark building over winter.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

ruthiesbees said:


> what part? I'm from Muskegon and only like to go back in the summers when its 95 degrees down here.


PM sent


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