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In the interest of revealing our total insanity and the fact that we've got nothing better to do while eagerly awaiting our first two nucs, I thought I'd share our new apiary.
Location: Grant Co. WV, elevation 1860 ft, plant hardiness zone 6b, remote from any agricultural fields, largely wooded mountainside with tulip poplars, black locusts, blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries, myriad wildflowers. A large meadow is a half-mile flight away. Native bees abound, but Apis sightings are rare. However, we spotted a single honeybee checking out the new apiary yesterday, so there must be some neighbors in flying distance.
Pest concerns: Black bears, skunks, raccoons, mice, and some large black ants with a demonstrated love of sugar and bark beetle grubs. We figured we should avoid letting any of the above develop a taste for bees or their products.
Apiary features: 7 ft high fence, 4x4 posts spaced 40.5 inches, with 42" wide panels of remesh (physically strong enough that it should stop black bears), 3 joule 7.5 kV electric fence charger (sufficient energy to get the attention of a bear). Remesh is grounded to deliver a particularly strong "negative reinforcement" to curious critters. Hive stand is my variation on the Charlie B pipe, plastic cap, and grease arrangement. These grease cups are split to allow removal, cleaning, and re-greasing. Ground is covered with weedblock and crusher-run gravel (may make life rough on SHB larvae). Small ... stand can hold 3-4 8-frame hives but enclosure can expand to double capacity by adding two posts and moving two posts.
Still to finish: Steel strap enhancement of remesh attachment, smaller mesh fencing inside lower parts of remesh to keep out smaller mammals, remesh the gate and hang it, weather cover for the fence energizer (nothing on the box said one was required ... grrrrr!). Ah, and the whole automated datalogging with hive scales, temperature, humidity, bee activity, and apidictor.
Location: Grant Co. WV, elevation 1860 ft, plant hardiness zone 6b, remote from any agricultural fields, largely wooded mountainside with tulip poplars, black locusts, blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries, myriad wildflowers. A large meadow is a half-mile flight away. Native bees abound, but Apis sightings are rare. However, we spotted a single honeybee checking out the new apiary yesterday, so there must be some neighbors in flying distance.
Pest concerns: Black bears, skunks, raccoons, mice, and some large black ants with a demonstrated love of sugar and bark beetle grubs. We figured we should avoid letting any of the above develop a taste for bees or their products.
Apiary features: 7 ft high fence, 4x4 posts spaced 40.5 inches, with 42" wide panels of remesh (physically strong enough that it should stop black bears), 3 joule 7.5 kV electric fence charger (sufficient energy to get the attention of a bear). Remesh is grounded to deliver a particularly strong "negative reinforcement" to curious critters. Hive stand is my variation on the Charlie B pipe, plastic cap, and grease arrangement. These grease cups are split to allow removal, cleaning, and re-greasing. Ground is covered with weedblock and crusher-run gravel (may make life rough on SHB larvae). Small ... stand can hold 3-4 8-frame hives but enclosure can expand to double capacity by adding two posts and moving two posts.
Still to finish: Steel strap enhancement of remesh attachment, smaller mesh fencing inside lower parts of remesh to keep out smaller mammals, remesh the gate and hang it, weather cover for the fence energizer (nothing on the box said one was required ... grrrrr!). Ah, and the whole automated datalogging with hive scales, temperature, humidity, bee activity, and apidictor.





