EZPZ Day Tripper

Moving a colony of honey bees has some challenges but here’s something that makes the job a little easier. In order to keep most of the foragers with the colony, it was traditional to close them up at night and either move them at that time or wait until first light. This works fine but what if your time is limited or you don’t like driving at night.


I haul bees to the mountains of north Georgia every summer to catch the Sourwood flow. I really don’t like driving through the twisting turning mountain roads at night so I’ve worked for years to develop a way to collect foragers during the day. I’m very pleased to say this design works VERY well! Simply insert it in the center of your entrance and screen the sides as shown. Depending on how far they’re foraging, you’ll soon have the majority inside. The ones trying to go back out gather at the screens. You don’t even need to cover the entrance of the Day Tripper. They won’t find their way out of it for a very long time.


Directions: Use the 3/4 inch opening side of your 5, 8 or 10 frame hive. Insert a hive tool in the side of the entrance and lift slightly to insert the Day Tripper in the center. Make sure the flange is snug up against the face of the hive body. Secure a piece of your screen on either side to completely cover the entrance, overlapping the Day Tripper slightly. I use #8 hardware cloth and a staple gun. With short pieces of screen, one staple may be enough. Sit back and watch the girls fly home! While you’re waiting, secure the hive for transport. I use ratchet straps. If you need more ventilation, consider switching to screened bottom boards or a screened inner cover for the journey.

Once you see only a handful of foragers, it’s time to move! Load up and secure your hive from banging around in your vehicle. After setting them down at the destination, wait a few minutes before opening them. Start with the screens. Then use a hive tool to gently lift the hive body to remove the Day Tripper. Be careful as it may be stuck with propolis. Do NOT yank on it. The flange is thin enough to be flexible and is subject to breaking. There’s a tab inside the front of the entrance that’s good to grab with a small pair of pliers.

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