Do you move your beehives to better flowering spots?
I’ve been putting it of a long time but finally had a go at it.
Even though we have 30 acres there weren’t any flowers around so approached someone 30 km away where I spotted flowering Marri, Paperbark and a Jacaranda.
I moved them in the very early morning, after putting them on my ute ( similar to a 1/2 ton truck ) the night before.
As this was the first time I did this, found it heavy work and am looking at changes in the future. Maybe an old small trailer without the sides and just keeping the hives on it. This would allow me to move it whenever I wanted. The ute was a bit high.
How long would you leave your hives at a hew spot?
How many times a year would you move your hives?
I don’t move my hives but if I have to, I take all the frames out of the top box first to make it lighter to carry. I would think twice about a trailer, the bouncing could be a lot worse than on the back of a ute. I managed to talk a bloke out of taking his bees away on the back of a trailer, his was a single axle trailer, they bounce around more than a dual axle trailer. I would have thought that a ute with the tail gate down would have been fine.
Where are you @onrbikes. I am in Busselton district and Marri started about 2 weeks ago. Maybe still on its way to you.
Generally the natives flower like a wave. Starting in the North and moving down to the South. For example Marri will start around late Jan in Perth, late Feb in Northcliffe area and March in Albany.
Mind you flowering has been chaotic in last few years.
Most professionals move to get access to particular honey… Karri, Jarrah and Whitegum in particular.
You need to be assured of good blossom before going to the trouble of moving them. They will be much heavier coming home unless you de honey before hand.
I know professionals move their hives to where the honey flows but they have the equipment for loading, unloading and positioning their hives. Even so it must be physically arduous sometimes.
I currently have hives in two locations but they are only 5 or 6 km apart. Transport hasn’t been an issue for me because I only have a small number of hives and I keep some of them in small boxes. A single small box with base and lid fits neatly into the boot of my car.
Right now I’m experimenting with 5 and 6 frame boxes stacked 2 high. I’m building a 4 Flow frame super to stack on the top, but it’s not ready yet. I have difficulty lifting a full 8 frame super but I think I will be able to handle a 6 frame one without too much difficulty.
It seems the Marri is all around me and my girls have no flowers.
My block has Jarrah, Marri, Spotted and red river Gum trees. A good variety but not enough. Its been like that most of the year. Mind you spring was good.
I took them to a place in Narrikup that had a mountain of various flowers in bloom. I’ll be taking the honey out before taking them home.
Mind you of the 3 hives only one has a super with flow hives.
I have left one at home.
I did notice a Marri on the block just starting to blossom.
As I went to Perth last week saw Marri all along the way.
Nice area. We had a weekend at Kendenup a few years back.
If your young and fit, go where the honey is. Transport is a challenge though, not only in man handling but care not to damage anything inside.
Good luck and I am sure the Marri flower will be with you soon.