Ten Things to Consider When Selecting an Apiary Location

For the novice beekeeper, locating his/her hives in an area that is conducive to regular visits is very important for two reasons—watching the activity of the bees in and around each hive is part of the learning process; it helps to differentiate between what is normal bee hive activity and what is not. This is essential to successful beekeeping!

 

Additionally, new hives will require regular monitoring to ensure the queen bee has been released, (as is the case with “package bees”), the queen is present in the hive and laying eggs, and the overall population and health of the colony is progressing as expected.

 

Here are ten things to consider when selecting a location for your apiary:

 

Check out local laws and restrictions.  This is absolutely the first step in your plan for beekeeping! The location of your apiary may be limited by local ordinances and other restrictions, including homeowner association rules and regulations. Additionally, permits may be required. It is best to be aware of and deal with these issues early in the decision making process or you may find yourself on the nasty end of a lawsuit.

 

Locate the hives near a clean source of water. Bees use a lot of water, not only for satisfying their own thirst, but to help cool the hive during the heat of our long, hot Texas summers. Do not place the hive in a gulley—the air will be damp and still, thus creating an unhealthy environment. If there is not a nearby source of clean water, you will need to provide one for them.

 

Placing a bird bath or other shallow water source near your hives with some small rocks above water level for the bees to safely land on and drink will provide adequate water.  If you will not be able to check on your bee’s water source daily, a 5-gallon bucket will suffice. Drill some small drainage holes a few inches from the top of the bucket. Fill the bucket to just below the drainage holes and drop some Styrofoam packing kernels in the bucket. The rain will help to renew the water in the bucket, the packing kernels provide “landing pads” for the bees to perch on and avoid drowning while drinking, and the drain holes keep the bucket from filling up and dumping the packing kernels out of the bucket. In the best case scenario, the rain will keep it filled, but check on it regularly, and keep the bucket filled, clean, and sanitary. You can also buy commercially available watering devices for your bees.

 

The apiary must be accessible by vehicle. Bee hives, when filled with bees and honey, can be very heavy; ensure you can easily get a vehicle into and out of the apiary for hive setup and maintenance. Save your back, ensure you can park directly behind or beside your hives! Having your vehicle on hand is convenient for accessing tools and equipment parts as needed while inspecting your hives or pulling honey supers from the hive for honey extraction.

Keep in mind relocation of your hives may be required during emergency situations, such as forest fires or rising tides from an approaching tropical storm. Have a plan for emergency evacuation of your hives!

Provide some security and privacy for your bees. It is advisable to place your hives in a fenced, locked area so they are less apt to be seen by passersby. Beekeepers have had their hives destroyed by vandals and even stolen. Fencing will additionally keep small children, pets, and livestock away from the hives, as well as known “hive raiders”, such as skunks. There is some evidence that bees are sensitive to the presence of horses – give this serious consideration when selecting a location for your hives. Do not locate your hive adjacent to areas of high foot traffic or areas, such as patios where food will be served, especially sweets, or you will have uninvited guests - many, many of them!

Place your hive on firm ground with good drainage. If placed on ground that has poor drainage or very loose soil, you run the risk of the hive becoming unstable. As it sinks into the soil, it may collapse and kill your bees. Beekeepers placing their hives in areas with poor drainage risk vehicles becoming mired in mud as well, and the area may become totally inaccessible, even by foot, during certain times of the year.

Adequate sunlight and shade. The hives should have southern or eastern exposure to provide adequate sunlight. Place the hives facing southeast, so the sun pours into the hive entrance and serves as an alarm clock to wake up your bees. Avoid placing the hives in deep shade from trees or structures. Your hives will do well with non-evergreen trees located to the west and southwest of their position as they will receive afternoon shade during the summer’s peak temperatures, and benefit from the sun’s warming rays during the late fall and winter.

Provide windbreaks in the direction of the prevailing winds.  Placing your hives behind a windbreak - and additionally wrapping each hive if the winter is extremely cold and/or windy - will help the bees maintain required heat levels during severe weather and reduce consumption of winter food stores in the hive. DO NOT BLOCK THE HIVE ENTRANCE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!

Avoid placing the hive on a hilltop where it can be buffeted by winter winds or in gullies where the air will be damp and still.

Setting the Hive in Place

Do not set the hive in contact with the ground. To minimize damp conditions and reduce deterioration of the hive’s woodenware, the bottom board of the hive should not be set directly on the ground. Any number of solutions to this issue is available from commercially offered hive stands to placing the hive on concrete blocks, or homemade tables, etc. As the colony grows and additional brood boxes/honey supers are added to the hive, the stand upon which the hive has been placed must be sturdy enough to support the added weigh and remain stable or the hive may collapse.  Some beekeepers in areas prone to raids by skunks place their hives on stands at least 18 inches off the ground – as the “raiders” stretch to reach the hive entrance, their underbelly is exposed to the bees’ sting. Do not make tables or stands so high you cannot safely lift the boxes off the hive for maintenance or honey harvest.

Further deterring of unwanted visitors can be achieved by placing a board with protruding tacks in front of the hive—it will be extremely uncomfortable footing. As an alternative, a small roll of barbed or other wire that will not block access by the bees, but keep predators from reaching the hive entrance, may be employed.

Mulch or old carpet placed around the hive will keep down weeds and tall grasses, so the hive is easily accessible by bees in flight. If using a screened bottom board - clear, accessible space beneath the hive will enhance keeping the area clean of debris.

Tilt hive and face away from prevailing winds. The hive, when set in place, is best facing away from prevailing winds to aid the bees in keeping the hive warm during inclement weather. Tilt the hive very slightly forward. Inevitably rain will blow inside the hive, by tilting the hive slightly forward the water will automatically drain once the storm has passed. This will keep the hive’s bottom board and entrance dry and free from mildew and mold.

Place a small weight on outer hive cover.  High winds can easily blow the cover off your hive and expose the bees to rain, wind, and chilling temperatures thus killing your bees. Reduce the chance of this happening by placing some weight on the hive cover - a small rock or two will usually be sufficient. Small, flat concrete garden border blocks work well.

Bottom line, the time to make decisions about how and where to setup your hive is not the day you take possession of the bees. Some forethought will get your beekeeping venture off to the good start!