11pm: I'm delivering this last nuc of bees to their new home tomorrow morning so I came out after dark to make sure that all the bees were safely shut inside for the journey.
Not wanting to leave any homeless bees behind, I gave them a quick spray with the water mister. Thinking it was rain, they quickly nipped inside, then I could bung up the entrance with a chunk of foam padding.
I strapped up the nuc with the cords, one of them holding the bung tightly in place. The torch sat under the top strap pointing the way in the darkness.
I found a spot near the barn where the early morning sun won't hit it. There is very little ventilation in there now and there could easily be a total meltdown in there if it gets too hot!
I went back to the original site and placed an empty nuc there, full of frames.
Because this colony is only being relocated a mile and a half away, there is a risk that some foragers could return here. Standing this nuc here means that any stray ones can be easily caught. Depending on how many (if any) return, I'll work out what to do with them then.
