Hive Location - Near Fence

[foxden]

I understand that it is recommended (in backyard situations) to place a hive near a fence to force the bees to fly high and not in the direction of passing pedestrians.

Does this mean that one should place the hive with the entrance right next to the fence? I am unsure how close to place it to our six foot shadow box wooden fence.

Any advice is appreciated.

[msapostol]

Our fence is about six feet in front of the hives so they space to ascend or descend. Are you also trying to keep the hives hidden also?

[jrbbees]

Maspostal has it right.

Not too close or it becomes a pain when you are working them.
Try to face the hive openning to the south.

The idea is to have the bees higher than people when they pass a walk way where people and the bees would cross paths.

But, Hiding your bees is also a key point. Keeping your bees in a residental area increases your need to work your bees to do swarm control. A swarm of bees doing circles above your back yard can be a dead give away that you have bees. Then when they land in the tree next door. People know they are YOUR bees in my yard.

[BigDaddyDS]

It really depends on the particular situation. If you have, say, a sidewalk right by where you keep your bees, you'd want an 8' foot fence, right between your hives and the sidewalk. The bees would fly up and over everyone's heads, and few people would be any the wiser.

If, in general, you're talking about placing your bees near a fence, I'd want enough space to walk around them and work them properly. For me, that would be about 5' feet between the fence and the hive. (I'm kind of a wide guy!) The entrance should be pointed away from walkways, but pointed toward the fence shouldn't matter much. The bees will fly from the landing board toward whatever nectar source they find, no matter which direction the entrance is pointed.

DS

[foxden]

Thanks for the advice.

We don't want the hive hidden and really don't anticipate any problems with neighbors. It is one on of the Garden Hives from Brushy Mountain Farm with a copper top and we want it visible. Our yard is fenced and this would be in back. My desire was just to keep their flight path higher. Sounds like 5 feet from the fence would work but they might not fly over it if the nectar source is in the opposite direction.

[Countryboy]

If the hive entrance is less than a foot away from a wall or solid fence, sometimes the bees will crawl down to the entrance instead of flying.

I'd think 1-2 feet away from a fence would be fine.

[My-smokepole]

At the same time I don't worry about working from the front of the hive. I see no reason for more than the 1-2" I have some between a fence and building that is maybe 6" wide. Bees are a foot away. The only problem I had was weed control.
David