[honeydreams]

Ok I don't want to start a great debate on this. What I want is some ideas as how far to space hive from each other. I purfer about five to ten feet my friend likes to have his hives on a pallet with the backs to each other and so I bring this up to see what others do and like I don't think there is a wrong or right way.

 

[alpha6]

I run them on 4 way pallets. If I wasn't running them this way I think it would depend on the electric fence enclosure as to how spaced they would be...but I would max the space within that enclosure. If I didn't have to keep them in a fence...10 ft seems like a good distance. Far enough away to keep any drifting from taking place but close enough to work the hives.

 

[KQ6AR]

We left room too set hive boxes between the hives, & be able too walk around them. We work our hives from the sides.

 

[dickm]

No pallets. 4 feet: close enough to set stuff on the near hive. Enough room to work from the side.

dickm

 

[honeyman46408]

Different strokes for different folks--do it your way :banana:

 

[JohnK and Sheri]

We run pallets now but before we did, we left only about 3 feet between, sometimes less depending on room within the fence. Like Dickm, we liked to use the one next to it as a table top, place to put the smoker etc.
Sheri

 

[honeydreams]

I Just wanted to see what some people do and for what reason. I just like to see what works and why. I have to room and so I use it.

 

[Countryboy]

While I am not a migratory beekeeper, I find pallets are great for hives. I level the pallet and all 4 hives are level.

I prefer a minimum of 3 feet between pallets. I work my hives from the side, and any less than 3 feet I feel cramped and don't have room to work. 3-4 feet between pallets works for me.

Where I still have hives not on pallets, I put hives together in pairs, with 3-4 feet between each group of 2 hives.

 

[brooksbeefarm]

I like to leave enough room for my riding lawnmower and like some others said, i work mine from the side so for me about 5 ft. works for me. Jack

 

[Joseph Clemens]

I presently have my regular apiary arranged so that most of the hives are in pairs, with about two inches between hives and two to three feet between pairs of hives. The Nuc yard has Nucs on several raised platforms - each platform is facing a different direction, with room for about ten Nucs per platform and about three inches between Nucs.

 

[Roland]

Hives in pairs on rectangular hive stands, enough space between them that telescoping covers to not catch. The space between stands is just enough that two people can work, seated on their stools, back to back. Been that way since.....hmmmm.......... we switched to movable frames in the 1800's.

Roland
Linden Apiary, Est 1852

 

[Michael Bush]

Mine are all touching each other. I don't have time to level up 14 stands when I can level up one, nor do the places I put them have the real estate to spend spacing them out...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#hivestand

 

[Ron Mann]

Do you ever have a problem with rodents( wharf rats and mice) burrowing under the pallets?

 

[sylus p]

...it so so so much easier to work bees from the side... leave yourself room to stand next to them...

 

[Ross]

I typically leave at least a hive space between them so I can lay down the lid and set off the supers. It doesn't always work out that way however.

 

[bigbearomaha]

Just for historical reference, Abbe Warre suggested about 29 1/2 inches center to center, separation of hive boxes.

Big Bear

 

[honeydreams]

I think is awsome to see the diffrent ways beeks place thier hives that works best for them.

 

[Swobee]

Pallets with about 6" between. This space allows telescoping covers to stand vertically when feed jars are on top the inner covers. I pull one hive toward the front of the pallet and the adjacent one a few inches (8, 10, 12, whatever) back. My thought is that the different stance on a pallet makes for better orientation. The pallets I've been using are getting hard to find locally. They're plastic - no termites or rot bother them and very lightweight. A local automobile electrical wiring harness factory used to get them in once in a while. Been many months since I've found any in their pallet piles.

 

[NDnewbeek]

I presently have my regular apiary arranged so that most of the hives are in pairs, with about two inches between hives and two to three feet between pairs of hives. The Nuc yard has Nucs on several raised platforms - each platform is facing a different direction, with room for about ten Nucs per platform and about three inches between Nucs.

Mine are much the same as above.

 

[Michael Bush]

The other nice thing about hives that are against each other is winter warmth...