I learned two interesting things today.
1. You should not move hives in a garden cart - you have to lift the front and move it at an angle, and it bounces a lot.
2. Straps stretch.
With help from Sky and Cindy Thaxter, Chris Bond and Deborah (sorry I forgot your last name), I set out to move the two hives in front of Sarah Meacham's down Farm Hill a bit into the new bee yard. Earlier in the morning I closed up the hives and put a strap around each hive to keep them intact for the move.
Chris and I suited up and lifted the first hive onto a garden cart for the trip. We all then started off and before long the hive, bouncing around (see point 1) , came askew (see point 2) and just before reaching its new home, the hive opened up enough for them to pour out - the girls were quite mad about the undertaking (the bees, not Cindy and Deborah, although they were not too happy at this point either.)
Sky, Cindy and Deborah abandoned the project promptly, and Chris and I did get the hive in place, but were run off by them (the bees, not Sky, Cindy and Deborah.) I got stung around the ankles, and Deborah got one on her wrist.
We agreed that some additional planning was in order so we left the second hive in place for another day.
1. You should not move hives in a garden cart - you have to lift the front and move it at an angle, and it bounces a lot.
2. Straps stretch.
With help from Sky and Cindy Thaxter, Chris Bond and Deborah (sorry I forgot your last name), I set out to move the two hives in front of Sarah Meacham's down Farm Hill a bit into the new bee yard. Earlier in the morning I closed up the hives and put a strap around each hive to keep them intact for the move.
Chris and I suited up and lifted the first hive onto a garden cart for the trip. We all then started off and before long the hive, bouncing around (see point 1) , came askew (see point 2) and just before reaching its new home, the hive opened up enough for them to pour out - the girls were quite mad about the undertaking (the bees, not Cindy and Deborah, although they were not too happy at this point either.)
Sky, Cindy and Deborah abandoned the project promptly, and Chris and I did get the hive in place, but were run off by them (the bees, not Sky, Cindy and Deborah.) I got stung around the ankles, and Deborah got one on her wrist.
We agreed that some additional planning was in order so we left the second hive in place for another day.
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