CHAPTER 1

 

 

LOCATING AN APIARY

 

 

An apiary is the place where beehives are kept. One of the most important decisions you must make is where to locate your apiary. Whether you have one or a hundred beehives, there are some basic requirements. They are:

 

  1. SOURCE OF NECTAR AND POLLEN -  There should be ample sources of nectar and pollen within two miles of your bees. A good location will have a variety of plants that bloom throughout the year. For example, in most parts of the country, Red Maple is an early source of pollen and nectar in the spring that stimulates the bees to start rearing young bees. Bees need pollen and nectar to raise young bees and store honey for the winter and surplus honey for the beekeeper.

 

  1. WATER – A clean reliable source of water must be available to the honeybees. Honeybees use water to cool the hive in hot weather as well as to hydrate themselves. A clean source of water must be within flying distance of the hive. Honeybees do not distinguish water available from a container, pond or a swimming pool. Honeybees generally will use water that is closest to their hive. There is nothing that will agitate your neighbors more than getting stung by honeybees in their swimming pool. So for good relations with the neighbors, provide a reliable source of water for your bees. A container of water should be kept near your hive(s). This water source should not be located more than one quarter of a mile from your apiary. Be sure to place a piece of wood or some other floating object on top of the water for the bees to rest on while they are drinking so they won’t fall into the water and drown.

 

  1. PROTECTION FROM THE WIND –  An apiary should be located where there is some protection from the prevailing winds. If you do not know which direction that is, a local meteorologist can provide that information. An apiary should not be located on the top of a hill, rather slightly below the peak. Trees, shrubs, or some other natural windbreak on the prevailing wind side would help protect the bees. Some beekeepers have constructed a fence to break the wind, especially where strong winds blow in the winter. However, if you build a fence, be sure to not make it a solid fence. A slat fence with spaces between the boards about half the board width works much better than a solid fence. A solid fence creates turbulence behind it much the same as a tractor-trailer truck does going down the highway. This turbulence can blow off tops and turn over hives if the wind is strong.

 

  1. EASY ACCESS FOR THE BEEKEEPER –  Most bee equipment that has bees and or honey in it is very heavy. There is nothing worse than climbing over two fences and opening three gates while trying to carry a hive body or super full of honey. Therefore you should locate your apiary where you can drive fairly close to the hives. As you put supers for honey on your hives or take supers full of honey off the hive, it is a lot less work to have a vehicle nearby. You should consider the local weather when making a location choice as you will need to go to your hives in all types of weather. For example, when the weather is wet in the spring or it snows in the winter, can you drive to where your bees are located? Remember, out of sight, out of mind. Although you should locate your bees near a road, it is best if they cannot be seen from the road. For example, if any of your neighbors gets stung or a swarm of bees goes through or settles in their yard, they will automatically be your bees whether they are or not.

 

  1. AMPLE SHADE –  You should have protection from the sun during the hottest part of the day. If you can face the hive entrance to the east and have some trees behind the hive to shade them when the sun is overhead would be ideal. It is better to place the hives completely in the sun than completely in the shade.

 

  1. BE GOOD BEE NEIGHBORS  -  Do not locate your bees close to your neighbors’ houses or livestock. If it cannot be avoided, you might consider a fence between your apiary and the neighbors. The fence should be between seven and eight feet high to force the bees to fly above the neighbors or livestock. Trees or shrubbery will work as well. Most stings occur when people or livestock walk into the flight path of a beehive. When the bee hits a person or livestock, then she will instinctively sting on impact.

 

  1. PREVENT DRIFTING OF BEES FROM COLONY TO COLONY  -  If you have multiple beehives, avoid placing them in neat straight rows.  Placing hives in groups with the fronts facing different directions is much better. Bees located in straight rows tend to drift to the colonies on the end thus weakening the middle hives.