# Move bees with this contraption



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

That does look smart
wonder if it would bottom out while turning in and out of off road approaches?


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

If you have enough momentum would it matter? lol


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## dback (Jan 8, 2012)

As someone who moves bugs on a near nightly basis.....I'm gonna save all you newer folks lots of money here. (PM me for an address to send my $100.00 consultation fee)

"Run from this mess like you're entered in the Special Olympics"


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## Markt (Feb 8, 2012)

Could always raise it some and lengthen the ramps if that were the case... Anyone heard of this being done with a smaller sized flatbed to draw behind a 3/4/550? I'm guessing not having tongue weight on the trailer would become an issue at that point though.


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## Mbeck (Apr 27, 2011)

dbest said:


> If you have enough momentum would it matter? lol


The secret to Life!!!


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

That's what she said


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I didn't see the headboard and forks. Where do they go?


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

I guess not everyone has full loads. What is that 1500 to 2000 pounds of bees you cannot move for being overweight?


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

Not really a problem when moving bees from farm to farm. Besides the machine is necessary.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Here is a better way to carry a forklift, in the middle of the load area.










http://northstarrg.com/trailers.html

The forklift rides transversely in the depressed center area, and the forklift weight is mostly on the tractor drive tires.

I have seen a scrap paper company in the Seattle area utilizing these trailer to pick up large bales of paper (corrugated, generally) from customers.


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

Oooooooo I like it!!!!


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Kind of interesting but perhaps a second bulkhead might be a good thing. I could see hives shifting ahead and sliding into your machine.


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## dbest (Aug 9, 2005)

I don't have a bulkhead on my trailer now.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

bulkheads is for people that can't drive. heck where I comes from they have trailers with no wheels. course all you city slickers would just call them sleds. Yu all is sissies.

Why when I was a yungin. we would toss a hive over each shoulder a hoof it 5 mile uphill in both directions through snow drifts up to our eye brows in heat so fierce it would melt lead. Now all you young bucks with your panties all in a twist. Oh my is my ramp long enough???

Think you got it tough? Heh you don't know bout tough til your half way through lunch thinkin that toast seems awful soft until you realized you was eatin shoe leather.

chew nails my eye. I eat steel and fart nails boy.

Heck you ain't done a thing until you trained the bees to pick the hive up and move it theyselves.

Sease your whinnin and start packin. If you lifted hives half as well as you cry about it it'd be done already.

Man do I remember that last one said a lot.

Conversation brought back flash memories of my grandfather.


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## dback (Jan 8, 2012)

Migratory Beekeeping has been going on for a long time. Your idea is not a new one.....I have seen it implemented a number of times years back. The last one I saw was about 15 years ago, a Texas Commercial had one mounted behind the cab of his "semi" (independent of the trailer). I don't remember his name but I've seen his trucks since and he no longer uses that system. The equipment or location of the equipment itself is not the problem......rather the concept. The negatives, other then very limited situations, are overwhelmingly against this concept.

1)Weight: Just picking a number of 60 lbs per hive.....a S185 Bobcat (as pictured) weighs 6220 lbs alone resulting in a loss of 104 hives per load not counting the additional weight of the "contraption". A Hummerbee....4860 lbs or 81 hives and a 610 Bobcat.....3810 lbs or 64 hives. At todays transportation costs, these alone are serious numbers.

2)Reality: To honestly justify the ownership of a "semi" trailer.....a beek would, by necessity, need to be running a serious number of hives. Ownership of a "semi" trailer means you must also own (or rent) a tractor.....more problems and expense. Most of even the largest commercials do not own 'tractor/trailer' rigs......they hire them when needed....ownership simply doesn't pencil out in most cases. If you run that many hives...you've already got smaller trucks/trailers and probably employees...why not just use them and save the bed space for hives?

If you've already got this.....use it, but I'd sure have an eye on improving costs, efficiency and utility and I can't picture a scenario where this concept accomplishes that.


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

If you keep your eyes open in almonds you will see all kinds of different ways to get the job done.
Moving bees out of holding yards and into orchards takes some creativity if you ever want to get back home and get some sleep.
A buddy of mine has been running the pictured trailer(s) around just south of Chico for years and years and years, helping beekeepers place hives.
Now I know what you are going to say, so save your breath; he has a CDL for doubles!


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## dback (Jan 8, 2012)

HarryVanderpool said:


> If you keep your eyes open in almonds you will see all kinds of different ways to get the job done.


Yep...and "most" will be medium duty flatbeds with an equipment trailer.

Harry, I had a set up like that once for a VERY short period of time......I have a defective gene that doesn't allow me to back that thing up more then a couple of feet. Anything more.....each piece of equipment heads off in a different direction


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## beenut46 (Nov 12, 2011)

I run a one ton chev duramax with 9 ft bed 48 col infront of a 20 foot equipt trailer with another 48 col on front of trailer with a little old case skid loader which weights about 2200 lbs.I put a 20 hp honda engine on it. This lets me move 96 at a time .Looks funny but works for me.Been running this waysince 92 except I was using 94 dodge for a while I usualy load one pallet at a time run only 2 high.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Ever run over weight?


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## beenut46 (Nov 12, 2011)

Never been weighted .The little 1816 case loader why I can do this also run 1 and halfs mostly on 4 way pallets.


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