[Sabina]

Hi there, I have some experience in permaculture and would like to do bee-keeping to. On the land, I would like to work with, I would love to have beehives as well but it is very, very close to the seaside. Therefore my question: How many meters from the seaside can I put beehives? Of course I would place them quite protected by trees and shrubs but still - there may be a minimum distance from the seaside? Thank you very much for your help!!!!

Best, Sabina

 

[little_john]

If you were to place a beehive on the shoreline itself, then the effective foraging area of that colony would be effectively halved - so theoretically that would not be such a good idea. But if the same hive was placed (say) 2-3 miles from the shoreline, then the presence of the sea - which has nothing much to offer the colony - would have little or no effect.

Having said that, CC Miller once wrote about a guy named Allen Latham, who kept a few hives on the shoreline at the north end of Cape Cod - which apparently is a most inhospitable location - and they did rather well and actually produced a reasonable honey-crop.

Sorry can't help more to answer your question - but I have zero experience with sea-side beekeeping. Hopefully others will chip in.
'best,
LJ

 

[Scot Mc Pherson]

Hi there, I have some experience in permaculture and would like to do bee-keeping to. On the land, I would like to work with, I would love to have beehives as well but it is very, very close to the seaside. Therefore my question: How many meters from the seaside can I put beehives? Of course I would place them quite protected by trees and shrubs but still - there may be a minimum distance from the seaside? Thank you very much for your help!!!!

Best, Sabina

I am setting up operation near the seashore, my closest to shore beeyard is about 1000 feet from the water on a peninsula. They have plenty of fresh water around, and it's important the bees can find some. I believe the honey will be special because it's shoreline honey.

regarding foraging area, it shouldn't be a problem so long as you don't overpopulate the area. If you only have forage on one side of you, then half the number of hives you would normally have. This shouldn't be a problem until you start to reach 30 hives at a site.

 

[Saltybee]

Sabina,
You do not give your location so your situation may be different. google Harpswell, Great Island, Maine. Sagadahoc beekeeper member keeps a few there. that's farther out to sea than I am. Your season will be short and your winters wet. Dearth may be light, with the morning dew keeping a few things going.
Spring time will be slow, hit 50 in the morning and it will be back into the 40's when the sea breeze kicks in. You will not sweat to death in your bee suit in August. Yes, a mile or two away from the shore makes a big spring difference.

South of the Cape is a different ocean.

 

[JWPalmer]

Sabina appears to live in Germany so I am guessing North Sea.

 

[Robert Holcombe]

" How many meters from the seaside can I put beehives?" I have a friend who keeps bees on Point Judith, in the town of Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA. His hives are about 300 feet ( ~ 100 meters) from the North Atlantic Ocean. He keeps about four hives there and has no out of the ordinary complaints. He also has very little competition.

I am about 2 from the ocean to the East, West, and North faces inland. My beekeeping friend is about 8 miles south of me. I am protected somewhat from constant high winds, it is wet, foggy at times, humid in summer, some winters are cold and snowy, some a walk in the park. I have nine colonies right now and plenty of honey for my family and neighbors. I hope to achieve a sustainable apiary this year. THis means, to me, I raise my own bees and queens. I will bring in outside mated queens if needed, especially to support apiary genetic diversity.

Take a chance, you will not regret it, given time.