One of the most repeated maxims in beekeeping is the advice on moving hives: “Move them either 3 feet or 3 miles.” It’s simple, memorable… and, in my experience, not quite the full story.
This spring, two of my four hanging swarm traps successfully attracted swarms.
Swarm #1: The Neighbor’s Backyard Adventure
On March 22, a swarm chose a trap hung on a tree limb in a neighbor’s backyard. After letting them settle in for a couple of days, I lowered the trap to a more stable, level position. These traps held five deep, foundation-less frames, so keeping things level was important. My backyard hive stand is only about 540 feet away—far too close for a direct move without causing confusion among returning foragers—ask me how I know.
Using the MABA Bee Neighbor List, I found a fellow club member just over a mile away who was willing to host my temporary relocation. After dusk—bees safely inside—the trap rode shotgun (literally, balanced on my knees while my spouse drove) to its temporary home.
Five days later, I brought the trap back to my backyard hive stand, where it stayed another four days before I finally transferred the frames into a proper nuc box. The bees handled it beautifully.
Swarm #2: A Backyard Puzzle
The second swarm, on April 13, selected my backyard hanging swarm trap—just 50 feet from where I ultimately wanted them.
This time, instead of a long-distance detour, I moved the trap in 10 foot steps. Each move was planned carefully: I leveled the next location the night before, then moved the trap at dawn.
In total, it took five intermediate moves to reach the final hive stand.
What I observed was fascinating: a 10-foot move caused only minor confusion among the bees, and they seemed to reorient themselves within about four hours. No chaos, no mass disorientation—just a brief adjustment period.
Rethinking “3 Feet or 3 Miles”
After these experiences, I’m not convinced the classic maxim tells the whole story. It’s a helpful guideline, sure—but real-world conditions offer more flexibility than it suggests.
If I had to rewrite it based on what I’ve seen, it might sound more like:
“Move them less than 10 feet… or at least a mile away.”
Not quite as catchy—but perhaps a bit closer to reality.
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