Beekeeping substantial estate is not all that unlike from human real estate : fix iseverything . conditions is a enceinte factor in a colony ’s success , and the placement of an individual beehive ( and an apiary as a whole ) can spell disaster or success , frustration or ease , for bothbeesand beekeeper alike .
1. Legality
First and foremost , verify it’slegalto keep bees in your municipality . Check code to see if bees must be placed a certain number of feet from sure structure or neighboring homes , and if there are any other confinement , such as the placement of beehives on rooftops .
2. Easy Access & View
When I first started keeping bee , my beekeeping mentor tell me to place my apiary where I could see the beehive from my home . What incredible advice this was ! In our first household keeping bee , I could see them from my kitchen window ( arguably , the windowpane I attend out from most often ) . From my vantage stop , I could determine if the beehive was awake for the day , if it was still just ( we have very combat-ready black bears in our region , so this is my defective beekeeping fearfulness ! ) ; if the beehive was still pass over in C. P. Snow in wintertime ; and so much more . I could even see the bodily function on a given Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . It also plainly prompt me not to blank out about the bees — that they were in my bearing and I had responsibilities to them throughout the year .
3. South Facing With Early Morning Sun
honeybee are Lord’s Day lovers , and they rise with the first light sun . The sun is more than warmth and living for them — they orient themselves to their locating , location of forage source , time of day , weather , and time of yr base on the position of the sun . In an ideal apiary , the urtication are to the south confront with former morning luminosity hit the entrance .
4. Dry
Dampness , particularly in winter , can have fateful event for a honeybee hive . Place thehivein an area where it does not stay damp and soggy . With good Dominicus photograph and placed out of flood zones , your bees will have a better chance of staying dry , and thus , thriving .
5. Low Wind Factor
summertime breezes are usually not much for concern , but winter winds can lash their way through and around a hive , causing unnecessary shudder , or , in extreme type , may knock a hive over exposing the vulnerable wintertime clustering inside to block temperature . If a high-pitched wind location is your only choice , give your bee a buffer by produce a wind barrier ; either a low fence , a hay bale wall or ahedge of sturdy George Bush .
Moving Existing Hives
Take a face at your existing apiary . Is currently residing in less than ideal stipulation ? Not to concern . Fortunately , a modest beehive is much comfortable to move than , say , a four - bedroom , two - bath , two - story ( human ) home , so if you do n’t get it right the first time , you ’ll have other chances . When move honeybee beehive , verify you have the proper equipment : strap , hardware cloth or entrance reducers ( to keep the bee in the beehive ) , dollies or beehive movers , and at least one other set of hand if not more . The general rule of pollex is to either move a hive just a few feet from its original locating or at least one mile off to ensure that the bees are able to reorientate themselves to the fresh positioning .
