Year 3 July - Moving Bees 🖊️

-Alfalfa, water, rabbitbrush, and a fantastic view.

The native plants have taken on that familiar Wyoming brown hue. It’s the signal to relocate the hives onto lush, irrigated farmland. Without those moist alfalfa pastures, the bees won’t make it.

Rabbitbrush, our late fall forage hero akin to Goldenrod elsewhere, is a must for a thriving late-summer beeyard. Alfalfa, with its water source, and access to rabbitbrush are the golden tickets.

My little red toy bee truck is loaded and good to go.*

The Move

Months of planning since last October are about to be put into action. Armed with a toy truck, a handcart, a shovel, and entrance screens, it’s moving day. Relocating bees is no picnic—they prefer crawling over flying, and upsetting a hive leads to a swarm of aggravated bees.

Timing is everything. The best bet is to move them before the sunrise. It’s cooler, the bees are more laid-back, and maneuvering is easier in the morning twilight.

Here’s the process:

• Give them a little smoke at the entrances.
• Insert the entrance screens.
• Wheel the hives to the truck.
• Lift and load.

The hives are light enough to lift without causing a ruckus:

• No dropped hives.
• No bees crawling everywhere.
• No problem, man.

The Yard

Trying not to disturb the farm’s slumber, I’ve taken a wrong turn, leading me to a colossal mud hole on the backtrack. An irrigation ditch has washed out, flooding the road. I rev up and take a chance. The soft bottom almost swallows me whole.

Note to self: go a bit faster next time. Thankful for the shovel and four-wheel drive. But all that splashing and gunning it awake the farm dogs a mile away. Stealth mission failed.

Time to unload the hives:

• Smoke each entrance.
• Lift and load.
• Wheel and place.
• More smoke.
• Remove the entrance screens.
• Cover entrances with green grass.

Two trips complete the yard move. The sun is up, and a few hives are eager to explore. It’s time to roll:

• Hurdle through the mud hole at a faster clip.
• Barely make it.
• But the bottom of the hole has vanished.

So, I won’t be taking this route again until the ditch gets fixed. Or maybe I’ll get a chance to play with a shovel.

Early mornings, loading bees, waking up farm dogs—it’s a refreshing change of pace. And best of all, unlike last year, the bees are in the optimal setup.

Not all moves go this smoothly. Grateful for this one.

-The sun is up. The bees are unloaded. I’m on the other side of the mud hole. One lucky and tired beekeeper. ✨

-Cheers, D 🌸🐝