That's How It Happened

Less than three feet or more than three miles.
Beekeepers can't seem to agree on anything. As my cyber-apiarist colleague Turlough pointed out:

"Ask five beekeepers for an opinion, and you'll get six different answers."

However there is an old adage, that when moving a hive, you either have to shift it less than three feet or more than three miles. This is because bees will forage more than a mile and a half from their hive. If moved less than three miles, when released in the new location, they will quickly sight their old flightpaths, and return to the site of the old hive.

Unfortunately for me, having moved back into the familial home, my parents have promptly sold up. Their new residence is just one mile across Islington. After much pleading, the GF's parents in Berkshire have agreed to house the bees over the winter.

Ordinarily bees get transported on the back of flatbed trucks, or inside refridgerated lorries. I however have only a Smart at my disposal. The big move is due tomorrow. To prepare I've broken the hive down into two parts: the brood chamber (containing the queen and all 60,000 bees) and the separate honey "supers", needed for feeding the bees in deepest winter. After exacting measurement, I'm fairly sure all the parts fit in the tiny Smart boot.

I've considered driving down the motorway in my bee-suit, but the thought of a crash was too terrifying. Instead I've used metres of packing tape and clingfilm to seal the Smart into two compartments; one for bees, and one for humans. I still need to secure the hive tonight with luggage straps and foam in the entrance, then load up first thing in the morning. If I survive the drive I will update tomorrow with more news.

Update: Everyone who has seen this has had intimations of impending doom and disaster. I realise there's an element of risk here too, but please stop telling me how worried you all are. It's important to keep a cool head when transporting live bees. The last thing I need is to get all freaked out.