Change: The Bees Got It Right
We face change every day – in life and in the bee yard. Some good, some not so much… some with little immediate consequence. The real challenge is how we respond. This past spring, change came in big, unexpected ways for me and my bees.
My wife Sherry and I sold our house on five acres and downsized to a townhome about two miles from where we lived for 21 years. While the townhome is being renovated, we are living in a furnished rental. A lot of our stuff is in boxes—at the rental and in a storage unit. This is big change and stressful for sure.
Of course, leaving our property meant the relocation of my bees to a new yard. Knowing I was facing a spring move, I began scouting new bee yard locations in the fall – half-heartedly, I admit. Finally in January, I visited with the owner of a small organic farm with a cider press and traditional fall pumpkin patch. She was delighted to have bees on their property.
THAT was the easy part. Next came the move.
I am not a commercial beekeeper with colonies on pallets and ‘Hummerbee’ in tow, nor a large sideliner with a flatbed and crew. I am a small beekeeper with a friend who has a pickup truck.
In late March, my friend Paul and I made several runs in his pickup to move the 13 colonies and equipment seven miles to the new yard. No longer were my bees just a few steps off my back patio—this was change.
The new yard has multiple gates to unlatch and close – to keep the goats and sheep contained. The farm owner wanted the bees on a hillside. It’s not too bad of a hillside, as hills go. But it definitely is a challenge for positioning bee hives. We got the hive stands situated and the colonies in place without incident. Paul brought along a two-person hive lift—one of those tubular chrome contraptions I’d seen in beekeeping catalogs since the ’80s but never thought to buy. I’m glad he did. With the hives ratchet-strapped and the ground uneven, the lift made moving those early spring colonies smooth and surprisingly easy.
The new setup was in place. Nearly 15 miles from our rental place but settled. Just as I was feeling a sense of accomplishment, more change came – unexpected and unwelcome. I was at the new bee yard organizing and arranging equipment the following weekend when the property owner made her way down the hillside looking at me…her expression did not match the enthusiasm I felt for this fresh start.
“Well, we made it! Looking good, don’t you think?” I said trying to channel optimism, warding off whatever was triggering my tingling ‘guard bee alert’.
“Not really,” she replied matter-of-factly. “The bees are too close to this fence and gate. My guests can’t pet the goats, and my staff won’t go through the gate. You have to move the bees.”
I was stunned. The flat spot by the fence had seemed ideal, and I was sure we’d agreed on that spot back in January. That didn’t matter now.
I was exhausted from back-to-back weekends of moving bees and the household. Those words, the bees have to move, left me stammering before before I could recover. I ultimately agreed to move the back row of bees forward away from the ‘goat fence’ and gate.
Change. Really big change.
Beekeepers like to say, “If you’re going to move bees, it must be two feet or two miles”. I had to move them about ten feet. Forward. I didn’t have the energy or time to move them five miles away for a couple of weeks reset, then back to the new spot. I had until the end of the month.
The next weekend I enlisted Paul with his two-person hive mover and repositioned the bees onto their new stands ten feet forward. Additionally, I placed fir-tree boughs in front of the hive entrances to disrupt the forager’s and encouraging them to reorient to a new location. I’d done this in the past, but not on a move of this distance in the same bee yard. I went home expecting to find clumps of disoriented foragers on the ground on my next visit.
The following day was warmer and all appeared normal. No piles of dead bees. No disoriented foragers looking for their home. Whether it was the boughs, the upwind placement, or just their instinct, the bees accepted the change and settled into their new lives. A momentary adjustment from what was to what is. That’s all.
I think the bees got it right. Change isn’t good or bad – it’s just what is now. We adjust. We move forward.
Jeff Ott
Cohost, Producer, Editor & Audio Engineer... Chief Cook, Bottle Washer, Errand Boy
Jeff Ott blends science, storytelling, and hands-on experience into one buzz-worthy package. His journey with honey bees began as a kid, captivated by an observation hive on his bedroom desk—a fascination that sparked a lifelong passion for beekeeping. Over the years, Jeff grew from a hobbyist to a sideliner, managing colonies for honey production and local pollination, and serving as president of the Medina County Beekeepers Association in Ohio.
Now based in Olympia, Washington, Jeff is a Master Beekeeper certified by both the University of Montana and the Washington State Beekeepers Association. He is the co-founder, host, and producer of Beekeeping Today Podcast, which he launched in 2018 with the late Kim Flottum. Through his media company, Growing Planet Media, LLC, Jeff also produces Honey Bee Obscura with Dr. Jim Tew.
Whether he’s interviewing Congressmen, breaking down varroa resistance, or spotlighting sideliners scaling up their game, Jeff delivers clarity with calm authority and genuine curiosity. His goal is to inform and inspire beekeepers at all stages, from first-year beginners to seasoned professionals.
When he’s not behind the mic or tending to bees, Jeff works in IT services, cycles the scenic roads of the Pacific Northwest, and shares his home with Sherry Jennings and their quick-witted African Grey parrot, Frisco G. Byrd.
Predators in the Bee Yard: The Mantis
