Loading Bees on a Semi Truck

Loading a semi truck with bees in North Georgia for a trip to South Dakota for clover and alfalfa honey production.

[@chrisbgarrett]

Thank you. Always interested in how the big boys do things. Very helpful, keep them coming!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@Jesstabulous]

I saw your candle making process. Idea and now I am so enthralled by the bee caretaking process and products and have been going on a video binge. You guys should include your business website in the description box, I was interested in some candle products bad had to hunt it down - it could help you guys sell and make more money. I love that you are so passionate about the bees 🐝❤️

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Jessica. That's a good idea and we will do it. Thanks for your comment.

[@manosnikoloudakis9938]

Amazing job i wish i could do the same Both you and others has been my inspiration for years i have 150 colonies in the island of crete greetings from greece!! 😃😃😃

[@sweeney5296]

This was incredible to watch. Very impressive! I've only ever moved a single hive about 15 miles.

[@bobbinnie9872]

All bee moves are work, even if it's only one.

[@josev9059]

Quantum physics student here. For some reason for a subject I have to create fake rental bee service company and this video was super useful to know what some of the hypothetical expenses would be, so thank you a lot sir!

[@babybeeapiaries8667]

By watching your videos I've noticed that you stop to appreciate being outdoors, and appreciate the beauty of nature. There are some who are too focused on the next thing to stop and smell the roses. You don't seem to be one of those.

[@jclavere73]

So here is a question perhaps dumb...Do you close up the entrances before moving them ? I only saw smoking to control them. Which would lead me to my next question. If you do not close entrances obviously some bees would be left behind, or lost along the way ? Just wondering if I perhaps missed that.

[@bobbinnie9872]

In this case we don't close any entrances. We load and unload in the dark when possible and keep the truck moving in the day for good ventilation.

[@capebee4839]

Do you prepare the hives in anyway before you transport them? Do you remove most honey and nectar a few days ahead of loading? What are the day time and night time temperatures while being transported? I am asking all of this because I am interested in the temperature management during transport. Where we are in South Africa, it is quite common to have a lot of dead over heated bees from just a two hour trip. And this is at night at the beginning of spring. Thanks James

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hello Cape Bee. It sounds like you have very hot conditions. I don't have single answers for most of your questions but I'll share some of what we do. We usually remove surplus honey before moving and if the colonies are strong and it's going to be hot we may add back an empty super and slide it back to create a crack between it and the brood boxes for extra ventilation. In this video you will also notice a substantial gap between the left and right rows down the center of the trailer to provide extra ventilation. This helps a lot. If we know it's going to be a long, hot trip we may completely soak the entire load with water before it leaves and the driver is instructed to not stop during the day and early evening. The load in this video had a 1600 mile, two day trip with daytime temperatures around 90 degrees F and night 70 F and they made it with minimum issues. I have moved bees long distances around 100 degrees and it was hard on them. I had a friend that had a pressurized water tank on his truck, like the ones you see on concrete delivery trucks, and would hook it up to soaker hoses stretched across the load so he could occasionally turn it on when crossing the desert in Nevada when leaving California in May and early June (very hot). I also know a beekeeper that would remove all of his hive lids and install a rim covered with screen for short moves ( 4 hours) in high temperatures. I hope this gives you some ideas and good luck.

[@pachko5418]

Wowwww, very nice presented information. Thank you!!! And when driving the bees in the day they don't fly out and make a mess inside the net? I'm working with 100 hives africanized bees in Bolivia and really hate moving them. Hope improving my methods will make the job more enjoyable :)

[@bobbinnie9872]

There are always some bees that go to the nets if the temperature is warm but if you can keep the truck moving there is always much less. Good luck with those africanized bees.

[@toddparsons5780]

How long does it take to load a semi (on average)? What are you using for V-Flats? Are those just some 2x6's across? Nice work fellas.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Todd. That load took 2 hours including nets, and tie down. The V boards on the front and rear were made from 2x4s and pieces of old 4 inch strap and that is 2x6 boards on top under each tie down strap.

[@curtissimpson7856]

What engine do u have in ur swingers I have a 110 and a 100 both with the gas contentinal would like to upgrade thees. Thank u

[@bobbinnie9872]

They have four cylinder Kubotas. So much better.

[@curtissimpson7856]

@@bobbinnie9872 do u have to lengthen them any and what kubota did u use

[@bobbinnie9872]

I had the change done at A&O forklift in Michigan (they build the Hummerbee) about eight years ago. It was a frame up overhaul. They didn't change the length but did alter a few things like the gas tank, hoses, etc. I would suggest calling them to ask which engines available today would work.

[@Nemanja_Ljeskovac]

Nice job,is it safe to transport hives with installed queen excluder?

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes, we've never had a problem with that.

[@Nemanja_Ljeskovac]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thank you

[@jimallen1176]

What is your opinion on the swinger forklifts? Trying to decide between Swinger & Hummerbee.

[@bobbinnie9872]

We have both. I bought a new Hummerbee classic about six months ago and am happy with it. I couldn't bring myself to spend the extra money on a turbo. We had extra counterweights installed so we can lift totes of syrup and it does just fine. Yesterday we unloaded a unit of 40 sheets of HDO 3/4" plywood with it (at least 3000 pounds) and it shocked us all with how well it did. I've had the swingers you see in the video about ten years and we've been happy with them too. They are older models but have been completely overhauled and are dependable. The only draw back to them is they are smaller and lighter and won't lift a full tote of syrup. Besides that they work fine. I've had several bobcats in the past but prefer what I have now for to many reasons to list here. Good luck with your choice.

[@runningdogapiary5009]

Was this move to gather nectar for a honey crop? If so, do you process the honey there or haul all the supers back to Georgia? Also, how do you clear the bees out of your supers? Thanks

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes, we were trying for a sweet clover crop. We got lucky and the bees did very well. These moves are always a gamble and some years we've done poorly. I have a friend in South Dakota that extracted all the honey and shipped it back to us in drums and all the supers were cleared with fume boards.

[@runningdogapiary5009]

Thanks for the reply. Glad that you made a crop 👍

[@runningdogapiary5009]

Nice friend 😊

[@bobbinnie9872]

He gets his cut too.

[@runningdogapiary5009]

@@bobbinnie9872 What product do you prefer to use on the fume boards?

[@curtissimpson7856]

I would like to talk to u sometime if there is a way to get hold of u

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Curtis. Use the email address found in the 'About" page on this channel or you can call our store at 706 782 6722 and check if I'm there.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

finally a channel I can relate to!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Hi Ian. I've been recommending your channel for a long time. Thanks for the comment.

[@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog]

I don’t know how I’ve never found your channel. I love it. Keep up the good work, love your management style

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thanks.

[@tifreire1]

Between you two and Kamon Reynolds I'm starting to feel optimistic that I will someday break even haha

[@FloryJohann]

I have been watching your channel and Kamon Reynolds channel which I recommended to folks and now I can add Bob Binnie channel to the list. Not to many KZbin channels on bees out there that are correct.

[@donotcare330]

Good video! You are bold for doing this at night. the Guy I worked for had white lights though. Major bad deal! one year We ran some hot hives from Texas, on a share crop deal and had to get them off the sunflowers there in SD (not going to say what operation I was at, for privacy reasons). i Ended up not getting my veil on right and took a mass amount of stings to the neck. Hell, it was so awful that a storm hit that night, while were trying to rush back to the Cabin, and kept running into washed out roads. I had to get me on some more antihistamines. lil b*strds got me enough i started shattin my (READ MORE) .. .bowels out and shaking. Ended up wrecking my pancreas for over a year. For us, we run pups. Put them out at the yards. put them on the trailer right before sunset. then wake back up at around sunrise, back the rig to the trailer, drop the net and pull. Today the Industry really sucks with ARB compliance and now here in 2024 they want us all to run Electric rigs into California. POS arb boys ought to go out and work a real job in their life, right?! You should invite them C*k suckers out to your operation and have them try this job for a day! Maybe teach them some manners! take it easy! keep posting videos!!

[@FloryJohann]

Thank you very much for this video. I just got some questions. If I seen that right, the entrance of the hive is open? What keeps the bees inside the hive while the truck goes down the road? Does that net keep the bees inside or on the trailer? Sorry for all those questions, I never seen anything like that. Just trying to learn more about bees and moving them. Can this be done on a smaller scale , like with an pick-up truck or pull-behind trailer?

[@bobbinnie9872]

The entrances are not closed and the nets do keep the bees on the trailer. As long as the truck keeps moving the majority of the bees tend to stick with their box. If it's cool ( below 45f ) the bees tend to stay inside anyway. It can be done on a small scale. The key is to keep moving.

[@craigmarti]

@@bobbinnie9872 Is there a reason why you don't close them though? Would there be harm in it? I hear you that you don't need to do it if the truck is moving but wouldn't it be safer to close it? What happens if the truck breaks down or an unplanned stop during the day happens?

[@bobbinnie9872]

@@craigmarti If strong colonies have their entrances screened on a long warm trip they can suffocate themselves by crowding and blocking their entrance. I have seen hives die from this. Also, the odds of those double deeps staying completely together for 1600 miles and holding the bees in isn't too good. On a smaller scale the entrance could be screened if the lid was removed and a top screen installed. That would give them the air they need. I actually broke down few times driving a semi loaded with bees. I believe they would have died with their entrances screened.

[@craigmarti]

@@bobbinnie9872 Thanks a lot! Really appreciate your insights and your videos.

[@TalkCDLTruckingPodcast]

Hi we would like permission to use this video on our Facebook page. We have a big truckers page.

[@bobbinnie9872]

Yes, of course, thanks for asking.

[@ke6gwf]

Do you drive the full day so that the constant wind keeps them in the hive and reduces losses? I suppose the airflow would also keep them cooler?

[@bobbinnie9872]

You are correct on both points unless the temperature is cold. Then the truck can stop for awhile.

[@NevadaBeeMan-nq3po]

How long does it take to normally load a semi with bees?

[@bobbinnie9872]

This load was loaded and tied down in 90 minutes.

[@NevadaBeeMan-nq3po]

@@bobbinnie9872 that’s impressive! I’ve never done it but thought it would take longer than that

[@bobbinnie9872]

It helps when everything is staged and ready to go.@@NevadaBeeMan-nq3po

[@Nemanja_Ljeskovac]

Hi Bob.Two questions.As i can see,they are all double deeps.On the new yard,before honey flow starts,they should be single(deep) with excluder and mediums on top.What do you do with that uper deeps when honey flow starts?Are they also equalised to 5 frames of brood 4 weeks before h.f.?Thanks

[@bobbinnie9872]

The possibilities are many. We actually prefer running our colonies as double deeps as you see in this video. We do not remove the upper deep on these colonies. Single story colonies as seen in some of our videos are usually first year colonies and we run them into our early summer honey flow that way to avoid having them fill out an extra second brood box first.

[@mikes1345]

As a small beginner I've been trying to learn. I had found several good channels and Ian's commercial operation was intriguing then a friend sent me your link recently. Different operations but extremely interesting to compare. Both of you have a very thoughtful presentation that I find helpful. The more I learn the more there is to learn. Thanks

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thank you.

[@leoj78]

Hi, How did you tie the load down? is that with baton boards over each row of hives or v-boards? have you ever done the netting last after strapping the load? cheers Joel

[@bobbinnie9872]

We always put the nets on first and then hold the load down with straps on top of 2x6 lumber cut the width of the load. If you use v-boards with a gap down the middle of the load the top tears of the load are pulled together. We're trying to hold the load down and not pull it in at the top and the 2x6 boards accomplish this.

[@wmrogerware]

What a quality team you have assembled. The moon was awesome too

[@bobbinnie9872]

Thank you

[@parrotbill9072]

Saw a flatbed truck full of bee hives at a truck stop near Savannah Georgia. The netting on the driver's side front of the trailer was ripped and bees were swarming everywhere. Poor driver couldn't get near the truck and had to call a bee keeper to come out and button everything up. It would seem a bee driver should be able to handle a problem like that himself. As it was, he was there several hours waiting for the bee keeper. If I was that driver, I would have a bee suit with me and would have sown the hole up with fishing line and got back on the road. As a truck driver in an earlier life, we had to work out our own problems. Also as a shrimpers for a few years, I know how to mend a net right, and also some short cuts to get the rigs back on the bottom fast. So this bee drive was caught with his pants down and no paper.

[@bobbinnie9872]

This sort of problem isn't unique to hauling bees. Many truck drivers are only willing to drive and will not help with anything else. To be fair there just as many good drivers that are not lazy and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

[@parrotbill9072]

@@bobbinnie9872 When I was driving, it was all about going to point B and getting back home as quickly as posible. I carried a small tool box with me and did minor repairs, like when a water hose broke, or fixing broken wires, lights what ever. Don't like waiting on someone else to show up. If I was that driver, I could have laced that netting up in about 10 minutes if I had a bee suit. And a bee driver should come equipped.

[@johndismang]

Bob who takes care of the bees while they are out there? Your friend you mentioned in the other comments I assume? Is this how things work for pollination also? I'm not a large enough operation to even consider it yet but it has my interest. How the bees are cared(ie splits, feeding, requeening) for between the time they leave to the time they come home is where I get lost. Also, I see many loads of bees for sale after pollination. Why is this? Sorry for so many questions but your knowledge is very appreciated out here as you can see from the comments! Thank You!

[@bobbinnie9872]

Questions are good. Our bees went to South Dakota on a 50/50 share crop deal. It's actually a very common practice in the industry. We paid the freight up and he paid the freight back. He spread the bees out on his locations, supered with his supers, extracted and sent the bees back when they were done. No actual beekeeping is done. Because of queen loss on these long trips we expect to have 10% to 15% loss or queenless colonies when the bees get back but the equipment returns OK. Some beekeepers sell colonies after almonds and then split their remaining to increase back to normal numbers. This saves on freight back home and can rotate out old equipment and replace it with new at a profit or simply be a way to profit from selling equipment and bees.