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Apiary Location
Overview
The placement of a hive can be key to the hive's success: Below are some considerations.
Primary Apiary Location Considerations
- The hive must be emplaced where it is legal to do so. Check to ensure you have no local laws against keeping bees where you want to place the hive. Also, check your homeowner association regulations.
- Try to stay at least 10 feet from your property line. Your local laws may stipulate a different distance.
- Try to stay at least 50 feet from areas where any animals are tethered, penned, or kenneled. Such restrictions would prevent the animal from escaping a stinging incident.
- The colony should not be positioned where it represents a risk to others. For example, do not place the entrance so that the bees will be flying directly across a sidewalk.
- Consider placing an encumbrance in front of the hive, forcing the bees to fly up before flying away from the hive. An example of such an encumbrance is a 6-foot fence section, helping the bees to establish flyways above head height.
- The colony should have easy access to pollen and nectar.
- The colony should have easy access to water. Your source of water should be closer than the source at a neighbor's house, encouraging the bees to stay home. Also, for reasons we don't understand, bees seem to be attracted to swimming pools, so positioning the hive near a swimming pool is not recommended.
- The location should have wind breaks, especially in areas where winds can get quite high.
- Shade should considered. In areas where the weather gets quite hot, shade can greatly help the colony regulate heat. In more temperate areas, consider positioning the hive so that it gets morning sun to warm the hive for the day, and shade to keep it from overheating later in the day.
- The best direction for the entrance is South or Southeast.
- Avoid existing animal trails. Simply brushing up against the hives (to scratch an itch) can knock the hive over and possibly cause damage to the hive.
- Place the hives on hive stands.
Secondary Apiary Location Considerations
Where the hives are emplaced:
- The surface should be level.
- The location should be free from flooding.
- The location should provide the beekeeper easy access to all sides of the hive.
- The location should be easy to access by the beekeeper, even after a period of wet weather. Transporting equipment in and out of the area is necessary throughout the year. Ensure that is easily done. (A wagon should be considered for this.)
- The location should be a good distance from where you keep your equipment. It is not a good idea to store spare equipment in the apiary.
- The location should be a good distance from where you will park your car when performing maintenance activities. Sometimes a colony gets annoyed and some of the bees will follow you back from the hive. It is best to give them some distance to give up the chase.
- If your state requires registration of the bees, you should place your apiary where it is easily able to be inspected by the state's apiarist. The inspection schedule for them is quite tight, so chances are that the apiary inspector will want to inspect your apiary when you are not at the site. Making it easy for the inspector is a good idea.
- The location should be in an area where theft (of the honey) and vandalism are minimized.
More Information
Published Articles
- “Selecting Land for Your Bee Colonies” by Peterson, Ettamarie. Bee Culture magazine, June 2023.
Web Sites
- Beehive Placement: Where to put a Beehive, from Carolina Honeybees
- What Is the Best Location for a Bee Hive?, from BetterBee
- Where To Place A Beehive? 13 Placement Tips, from BeeProfessor
Disclaimer: eMail comments to me at BeekeepingBoK @ Gmail.com. The process of beekeeping can cause injury or be a health hazard unless proper precautions are taken, including the wearing of appropriate protective equipment. |