I always try to arrange them in a "U"-form or at least as a "V" with the front sides pointing at the middle.
Here in my backyard I have 3 of the "U"s and the open end comes out on a path.
In the mid of every "U" is something special, a blue bucket, a small tree, a big stone, for easy recognizing.
It's not recommanded to walk on this path because it's the bee highway.
They are coming in with an enourmous speed, slow down at their special "U" , curve in and dive down exactly to their hive.
When I had them in rows always the first and the last hive became much stronger in the season because of the drift.
I normally place my splits and nucs on the end of my rows so that they intentionally receive any drifters. My strongest hives are in the middle of the rows. In my outyards, where I have fewer hives, I place my splits or nucs on the downwind side of the other hives.
How close to each other do you set your hives? Mine are 12-15 ft (4-5m) apart and I didn't notice any significant drifting. I had some in an "U" formation and I changed that to allow all of them to get the morning sun during cold times.
I have double rows of treated four by fours for stands and set them in rows.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Beesource Beekeeping Forums
1.8M posts
54.7K members
Since 1999
A forum community dedicated to beekeeping, bee owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, honey production, health, behavior, hives, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!