Why we opt for swapping a hive rather than moving it?
We often get asked to move hives a sort distance. The reasons very however it’s generally to make hives more visible/accessible to staff and the public who are interested in become more involved - we normally remove said hive and replace it with another - the rule for moving hives; three feet a day or over three miles. We generally opt for removal and replace.
Bees don’t see the same as humans, bees have five eyes, two compound eyes on the side of the head. consisting of thousands of tiny “micro-eyes” called ommatidium, they recognise colours, shapes and the immediate environment, the image transmitted into each lens forms an overall image of the bee’s surroundings and view of different angles.
The three small eyes on top of the bees head, arranged in a triangular pattern, enabling the bees to view the horizon line as the day begins and ends, primarily light sensors helping the bees navigate using the position of the sun. If you looked through the eyes of a bee, the image would look like a mosaic or grid. Nerves connect the ommatidium to the brain where the information is interpreted into an image that the bee understands.
The eyes are hairy, helping the bees measure, wind speed and direction, we often see bees cleaning their eyes and antenna before taking flight, removing any pollen particles, they also see ultraviolet light, helping them locate flowers that produce pollen and nectar - most flowers have evolved to be attractive to pollinating insects. Many have nectar guides that are only visible with UV light.
In short - if we moved a hive over three feet from its original spot the bees would not be able to find their way home, they simply return to the exact spot of the original hive!.