c) Hive placement

[Barry]

Focus: Location, direction, stands, for hives. Things to consider when choosing an apiary site.

[NasalSponge]

Perfect timing Barry!!:) As I am looking around my backyard I found the perfect spot for my girls, side of the house where the house, shed, tree, and 6' fence will cause them to have to fly up 20' or so to take off. One glaring problem....the spot is 10 to 12 feet away from my A/C condenser....I would like some opinions as to whether you feel this is too close and the noise could cause mood issues with the ladies?
Thx

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#locating

[tedstruk]

The closer my bees were to the blackberry bush behind the hive, the more active they were. Choose a place where winter has some shelter and summer has a good breeze.

[Oldbee]

For those aspiring beekeepers that do not have a backyard, 'NO BEES' laws, or land to put hives on, you will have to think of some 'creative ways' to find/locate,.land/ someone within reasonable driving distance that would,...appreciate or allow/'love' some hives of honey bees to be placed on their land. My first opportunity was from a co-worker; so friends, relatives, co-workers may be a source of 'information'. I ended up putting an 'ad' in the weekly newspapers of the nearby small towns where I live and the major daily of course. I don't think this is the best method but I was lucky that way. If you have a 'farmers market' nearby, that may be a source; Craigs List has been mentioned on Beesource. Google Maps or something similar will show areas near you that may provide great foraging for the bees. It is GOOD to have as many options as possible when locating your hives because you should have acquired information from your reading as far as,.. accessibility, compass direction, foraging area, high land/low land, protection from winter winds,..etc.

In this regard: An agreement,...a handshake [friends,relatives, co-workers], a formal, perhaps written document/legal needs to be considered.

[Brent Bean]

MB’s web page says it all. I have a few hives that are in a windy area, in summer it’s not a problem but in winter it would be very tough for the bees. So I place a few bails of straw on the windward side which acts as a wind break. So far they have always come threw the winter in good shape. Without the wind break I think I would just be picking up dead outs in spring.

[paulnewbee1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Nectar_Sources_for_Honeybees#Trees_and_sh rubs

here is a site that was very helpful to me they have lots of things on bees and other plants nice chart telling which plants are major and minor

here where we live Black locust they get allot of honey but the Dep of natural Resources says its an evasive plant.

[NasalSponge]

I have been told that black locust nectar washes out easily and since here it is a very early bloomer (during the most rainy part of our season) it is hard to get any of the water white honey the nectar produces.:( Due to a fluke dry spring the first year I pulled honey I had one shallow super that was completely full of locust honey...got one gallon out of the super....you could read a newspaper thru the gallon jar. Very beautiful with an extremely delicate flavor. We however prefer darker more flavorful honeys like alfalfa. (And no I have never fed with a super on.):) While looking for city code/laws concerning beekeeping (there are none!! leave that all up to the state) I discovered it is illegal to plant a black locust tree in the city limits:mad:

[Ravenseye]

I wouldn't worry about the A/C condenser. Bees respond to vibration. They don't have ears. The distance sounds fine to me.

[Scrapfe]

You may bee able to slide a small smooth board under the drip drain, remember an air conditioner is also a de-humidifier. That way you don't run up your water bill. However you may live in an arid part of Oklahoma and you will need to supliment this free water during cool periods.:)

[tecumseh]

a site that is well drained (certain diseases are associated with wet locations) and accessable year round.

if I kept bees in town (which I don't) my first concern would be placing them in some spot where they would be difficult to impossible to see. out of sight.. out of mind.

[hillhousehoney]

What about placing hives under an elevated roof? Shelter house idea. Have even seen some videos where the hive is inside but the front porch is outside. Winter protection I suppose, and possibly a way to increase the life of the wooden hive body? Just guessing. Would definately keep the snow and wind out.

[NeilV]

If you are in a city/town, first check the ordinances to determine if beekeeping is allowed at all and whether there are specific requirements. For example, where I live you can have 4 hives per 1/4 acre of lot, they must be 20 feet from the property line and there must be a 6 foot barrier between the hive and the direction of the hive opening. Some people ignore ordinances, thinking that they don't matter unless somebody complains. I am not your boss, and I can't tell you what to do, but that approach could lead to problems.

Assuming there are no regulations, then, in town, I would try to put them out of sight and away from the property line.

Only after you worry about the neighbors should you start thinking about considerations like shade, etc.

[AR Beekeeper]

New beekeepers should rember that there are very few "perfect" locations, so just make the best of what you have to work with. What I value in a site is full sun, the ability to drive within carrying distance and a level work area.

Stands should be used to raise the colony above ground. The distance varies with the height of the person that will be doing inspections but I think 6 inches would be the minimum distance. My preference is one colony per stand and stands at least 6 feet apart, but that is a personal preference. I like to make stands out of treated wood, 2 x 4 legs with 1 x 4 frame work.

The direction a colony faces is not critical so face it in the direction that is best for you and your neighbors. Plan for increase, plan to reduce drift by facing enterances in different directions and give yourself enough room to work and mow the grass.

[Michael Bush]

>New beekeepers should rember that there are very few "perfect" locations, so just make the best of what you have to work with. What I value in a site is full sun, the ability to drive within carrying distance and a level work area.

Exactly. There are very few "perfect' locations, so it's a matter of a "best compromise".

[kopeck]

For those folks up north (I'm in Maine) you might want to consider more sun then shade. I started out with my first Colony in a shady spot and it sputtered all spring. Then after a friend suggested I move it into full sun things started to kick into gear. Now a flow might have picked up at that time too but the difference was quite dramatic.

Since then I've run screened bottom boards, and I prop up the top in the summer. Heat never seems to be an issue, even on those handful of 90+ days.

That and in the winter they get more sun which help keep the colony warm.

K

[newbeemike]

In Ed Weiss' book "The Queen and I" he mentions it's best to face the entrance south to southeast. The early morning sun coming in the entrance gets them out to work just a little sooner. Anybody else notice any difference with this?

[waynesgarden]

I'm also in Maine and have limited "ideal" space for the few hives I'm getting this spring.

No front or back yard to speak of with the road close in front on the south and steep, wooded hillside to swamp right in back on the north side. East side (morning sun) is a narrow strip between my attached barn and the neighbors' and bees there would be inconsiderate.

Leaves the long, narrow open side yard which holds my 50' x 90' garden. Full sun would place the hives smack in the middle of a working garden. I have a narrow strip between the garden fence on the north side and the steep hillside. This would place the hives just outside the garden but under the drip line of the trees. Hives would be in almost full sun all winter but shaded during the mid-summer days when the sun is at full height.

This is my likely location for the hives and I've thought that I'd build a 6' high fence made of screening along the fence to get the bees up and overhead while working the beds in the garden just a few feet away from the hive entrance.

The only alternatives are the corner of the garden near the house which would receive only afternoon sun or in the center of the garden behind the huge lilac where it would receive morning and afternoon sun, shaded only at midday and have a gardener (me) working with hoes and garden trowels right next to the hives.

I've never had to work before in such close proxiomity to hives before except many years ago when we mowed hay once or twice a year right in front of 6 or 7 hives.

Wayne

[mac]

A supply of water is a necessity if any of your neighbors have a swimming pool, even a couple of blocks away. Your bees will find it. A birdbath works O.K. but ya have to remember to keep water in it.

[beehive]

i am looking to place my hives about 20 ft from a semi traveled road in the summer, we get alot of busses traveling down it and once in a while delivery trucks. monster sanders and plows in the winter. this road is not a highway is a local through way. we have 15ft abrovites blocking our yard from the street. will this traffic be a problem. and if so is there any kind of shock absorbers it could rest on? i have no other option of placement.
mike

[walking bird]

I don't think they care much about the sound and vibrations of the trucks, if that's what you're worried about. There's a thriving feral hive in an oak tree limb directly in the middle of our local building supply yard, which is full of big trucks all day long.

[chillard willard]

Focus: Location, direction, stands, for hives. Things to consider when choosing an apiary site.

I usually put 30 - 50 hives in a site. What I look for is property with 5 acers or more, accessabilty with my truck that has a knack of getting stuck in even a pot hole, and southern exposure with north protection. I stay away from property with live stock (cows, horses, ect.).

I place the colonies on wooden pallets and face them south to west depending on location and convenience.

consider if bears or other predators are a problem, take the right measures. If vandalization will be a problem then don't even keep bees there (I wish we could shoot vandals). keep hives out of areas with a history of flooding. keep the grass in the yard mowed and away from the entrance of the hives. keep the yard clean.

[Barry]

It's obvious that you are coming at this as one who runs a business in beekeeping. Some of your points should be concerns for the beginner as well. Another point to be aware of are swimming pools. I went to go look at a possible property for placing hives and noticed the neighbor had a swimming pool. Even though the forage area was great, I declined to use the yard due to the pool in the area. Bees and pools don't usually go well together.

[JPK]

It's obvious that you are coming at this as one who runs a business in beekeeping. Some of your points should be concerns for the beginner as well. Another point to be aware of are swimming pools. I went to go look at a possible property for placing hives and noticed the neighbor had a swimming pool. Even though the forage area was great, I declined to use the yard due to the pool in the area. Bees and pools don't usually go well together.

Barry, any idea what the connection is between Bees and Pools? Is there an attraction to the clorine?

I have a stream that has water in it all season long and some of the girls will prefer to fly 1/4 -1/2 mile to the nearest pool. Thankfully the owner loves bees and rescues the ones she finds floating out there.

[chillard willard]

It's obvious that you are coming at this as one who runs a business in beekeeping. Some of your points should be concerns for the beginner as well. Another point to be aware of are swimming pools. I went to go look at a possible property for placing hives and noticed the neighbor had a swimming pool. Even though the forage area was great, I declined to use the yard due to the pool in the area. Bees and pools don't usually go well together.

But that which is good for 30 - 50 hives is good for a few hives too and vice versa. I was a beginner once myself.

About swimming pools, the complaints from the owners of the pool would bee the only problem, the few bees one would lose is nothing to worry about and the chlorine content is not a problem either as is so diluted. bees will prefer pool water for the same reason they prefer the run off of manure pile or salt licks, they, like all living creatures need electrolytes.

[Barry]

But that which is good for 30 - 50 hives is good for a few hives too and vice versa. I was a beginner once myself.

I'll have to disagree. The purpose for the forum is "getting started". The needs and concerns for one just starting out are quite different in some areas than one like yourself who may be running quite a bit more. A beginner will more than likely be keeping their hives in their backyard, unlike those that have more than 10 hives. That in itself brings up unique issues.

[chillard willard]

But we are talking about conditions not number of hives and a back yard will usually meet those conditions. On the other hand, if that back yard is in a resadential area, it might not be ideal either, one hive is enough to disgruntle neighbors.

[MSbeekeeper]

Well i am new and my first bees come in may, now I have done a lot of reading on this site which is great. I was thinking about putting two hives right next to my drive way. I have a short gravel drive way and I thought that would be good right next to a tree on the northside and I would face them south. I have two concerns, one we walk down the drive alot as do we drive drive down; how are they to passer bys? And two how do they take to mowing around the hive, is it best to be in a viel when mowing? I am mmore concerned with mowing than anything elese. I am a little apprehsive to keep them to close to the house but I dont want them far away.

I also though about putting them in our field but again I dont want to get swarmed while out bush hogging. I guess my main concern is mowing around them.

Thanks for the help

[tecumseh]

ms bee:
I would be cautious about placing a hive next to a driveway. very small likelyhood of problems during any given day, but after working a hive the girls will not look so kindly at anyone coming down the drive. this is 'if' the bees are fairly docile.. if you should perhaps obtains bees that are not so docile they can be represent a hazard for anyone coming down your drive for days (which quickly becomes weeks).

in a pasture with most farm type tractors unless you run over the hive or toss trimming onto the front of the hive there is little problem. with rotary (bush hog style) mowers the problem is they toss stuff everywhere.

in some areas a water source is the first essential thing to look for. the girls will haul in a lot of water during a year.. the hotter it gets the more water a hive needs. I discovered this one summer while attending bees in the texas panhandle in a year that was especially dry. we haul water constantly in 55 gallon drums.. that job became especially tedious and boring to boot.

[Cedar Hill]

Ms bee:
FWIW You must face the beehive away from the driveway so that their flight path will not be in the way of anyone walking or driving by in a car with open windows. A portion of stockade fence behind the hive and sheltering the beehive from the driveway might also be a good idea as far as mowing is concerned. It will force the bees to fly above it. You mow on the side of the fence and not in their flight path. When bees enter their hive during a good honey flow, they come in heavy and fast which means if they hit anyone, the stinger may tend to hit the person just as fast. If you have a lot of neighbors it might be better to have it out in the field. Also, if you park your car in your driveway any where near the bees, their cleansing flights will make a real mess of the car, when dry, those spots on the car's paint are sometimes difficult to remove depending on how long the sun baked them on. Same with any white sheets or clothing out drying on a clothesline, they are also tainted by the cleansing flights. Discouraging for a woman who likes her wash to stay clean at least for a while. Personally, I would put them out in the field unless you have vandalism. I have a couple of sections of stockade fence and have never used a veil to mow near the fence.

[MSbeekeeper]

Okay thanks. The jury is in and the hives will placed in the field. I dont really have any neighbors or vandals. The only thing is that in this field I have a 6000sqft greenhouse that we will be in and out of. I dont forsee a problem but I just want them to be in a good spot for thier safety and ours. I see videos on you tube where people have them in thier backyard right next to a house. I just cant get through that, I'm not affriad of bees but i dont want them all around me during my non bee time and I mean all around like trying to swarm me while mowing.

[Robert Brenchley]

Everything depends on the strain you have in that sort of situation. I'm extremely fussy about good temper since I'm on an allotment site with neighbours. If I get a hive which stings at all when I stand immediately in front of it, or makes any effort to sting during inspections (I don't count stings on my hands) then I requeen it. If you face hives into a hedge or solid fence so the bees have to fly up above head height as soon as they come out of the hive that makes a big difference.

[MSbeekeeper]

Well I have decided on the pasture the hives will be. I am putting them at a tree line of pines where they will face east. This will give them early sun and the trees will shade them in the late afternoon. Were I live it gets HOT:eek: will full sun at noon to 3 be okay? Or does this set up not sound to good?

Thanks for all the inputs!!

[bigbore]

sounds great, really sounds like a lot of setups I know of, including mine.

[mariongoose]

OK, so our property is located in the Olympics, WA state. The annual precipitation is appx. 85 inches a year, some of that comes as snow. Any opinions such as, don't bother? My bee club is in another area and that precipitaion is only around 45-50 inches a year. I know that no location is perfect in everyway. Other than the rain and many overcast days, the location is perfect If I told you how beautiful it is, you'd all be running to get here. I'm getting Italians, and most of my bee club members have Italians, and Carniolans. I've read all about sunny spot, no low lying areas, etc. I'm not worried about having a honey crop anytime soon, so that's not an issue. Any opinions?
Oh did I forget to mention the bears?

[Cedar Hill]

You are very fortunate - beautiful state. Would not use Italians, they tend to build up too fast in the Spring and don't winter as well as some other races. OMTCW Would choose New World Carniolans or dark Caucasians which winter very well and build up slower during a cold and damp Spring. Would definitely place them on a wind sheltered hill if possible, for water and damp air drainage - some small knoll sheltered on all sides and where the sun's heat beats down and is retained more than not would be ideal for that area.

[mariongoose]

Thanks for the adivise!

[Mikect05]

Hello, I just received my first hive for my birthday as a gift from my gf, I have been reading for hours on end but am still not sure where to put my hive. We have a small yard with neighbors. In the back of my yard we have a garden with a fence so I am thinking about putting it in the corner to hopefully force the bees up, but the the fence is only about 5 feet long on one side and then there are some small hedges where our yard meets the neighbors yard where there is an in-ground pool and children.
The other place I was thinking was between our house and our shed, the hive would fit pretty snug in there with only a few inches on either side to spare it would get no sun except for the entrance which i can place so that the first morning sun hits it. I don't know if the hive needs sun or if it might benefit it as it will be cool in the summer and very protected in the winter. I think I am leaning towards the garden.
The other thing I am concerned with is water, we also have a pool in our small yard along with the mentioned neighbors pool. I am thinking about burying a 5gal bucket in the ground right outside the hive with just an couple inches above ground. We go away every chance we get in the summer camping and to RI and the Cape for weekends or more if we can and so am worried if this will be sufficient. I was also thinking about just maybe cutting out the bottom of one 5gal and glueing it into another to make it deeper to hold more water and adding a willow branch to keep the water good and clean.
any suggestions for a new bee keeper? I am very excited, my girls should be arriving any day so I appreciate and look forward to any tips and ideas. Thank-you!!

[nurseric]

First things first. You do not want to put the hive on the side by the pool. Bees will seek out the closest water source. This would cause problems with the neighbor. As for between the shed and house? Not sure about that either. When you approach a hive, you do so from the rear. This will keep the bees more calm. You then give them a little smoke so that they will go down into the hive and also as a hello. Bees like a little runway as they re-enter the hive. They kinda come in for a landing so to speak. They also take off the same way. Facing a front entrance toward a wooden face is not good. A Wire fence would be ok. They just need a little personal space. They dont like weed wackers or mowers too much. A rock garden is a good location with a little pool or bird bath. You may consider the front yard. Good luck and hope this helps.

[Mikect05]

Okay, So I talked to the neighbor and he is fine with it and I also talked to some local bee keepers who gave me good advice. My neighbor's pool will actually be about 60 yards from the hive, our pool however will be much closer. I will keep the hive in the garden, and feel much better now that I talked to all the neighbors and none have any problems. Just in case I have someone in my extended family with bee experience who can take the hive if need be. Thx for the advice nurseric. :)

[Nan3902]

I always think this is so strange...meaning bees respond to vibration. That's all ears do, too.

I wouldn't worry about the A/C condenser. Bees respond to vibration. They don't have ears. The distance sounds fine to me.

[Ron Mann]

My problem is not my neighbors, who are more that 100 yards away from where I want to locate my hives, but it is my dog pens.

I have rabbit beagles and they are 25 yards from where I want to place my hives.

There is a stand of sumac, red maples, and an entanglement of honey suckle between the two locations.

Even with no clear line of sight, would this be to close?

I have other alternate locations on my place, but I would like to have the hives close to the house because of ease of access, but not at the peril of my dogs.

[Pa Gray]

[QUOTE=Ron Mann;467696]
I have rabbit beagles and they are 25 yards ... no clear line of sight, would this be too close?
/QUOTE]


Hi.
I'm absolutely new to this, but my concern is the dogs water the bees are going to be interested it if you don't acclimate them to a closer source before they find what fido needs. Even then on hot days who knows - but 25 yards is a good distance.

I'm interested to read what those with experience advise.

[Ron Mann]

[QUOTE=Ron Mann;467696]
I have rabbit beagles and they are 25 yards ... no clear line of sight, would this be too close?
/QUOTE]


Hi.
I'm absolutely new to this, but my concern is the dogs water the bees are going to be interested it if you don't acclimate them to a closer source before they find what fido needs. Even then on hot days who knows - but 25 yards is a good distance.

I'm interested to read what those with experience advise.

Water should not be a problem for the bees.

I have an old 250 gallon Rubbermaid watering tough that is going to be less than 10 yards away from the hives and it is located between the dogs and the hives.

It is just used by the song birds now as a bath.

I have cinder blocks and bricks up past the water level so that if they get down in it, they climb out and not drown.