Moving the Mystery Hive: how to move a small hive and other boring ruminations

I’ve made a number of mistakes moving hives. For example, I actually had one hive twist apart when getting it into a wheelbarrow late at night with a helper wearing no protective clothing. This is to be avoided. I’ve also driven 200 miles with a stream of bees exiting my truck bed from improperly sealed hives. And so forth. The best advice is to move hives as little as possible. Usually when you are moving them, you have very good reasons to do so. Otherwise it is too much of a pain. Smaller hives are much easier to move than larger ones. Always plan ahead, and be willing to adapt as necessary. I am reminded of the words of the young 12 year old survivor of the Donner Party in 1847: “Never take no cutofs and hury along as fast as you can.” Good advice when handling bees in the middle of the night.