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Author Topic: Where is the ideal hive placement???  (Read 3516 times)

Offline Apis629

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Where is the ideal hive placement???
« on: May 16, 2005, 06:34:30 pm »
Im planning on getting a package of bees for my hive by the end of this month.  I've set up an area where I think it may work but, my only concern is that te bees won't have a long enough fly way.   I have set up the hive so that it will be 18" from  a wall of 30".  The hive enterence recives full sun from about 8:00am untill about 2:00pm.  Accesing it is fine and their is a water source ( Orvel Redenbocher popcorn bucket filed with water and styrophome penuts) about 5' away.  My only concern is that did I place the hive to close to the wall?  I live in a city so I REALY need some sort of wall to prevent people from seeing the hive and fore the bees up higher faster.  I would appreciate any comments on this.

Offline Miss Chick-a-BEE

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Where is the ideal hive placement???
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2005, 07:30:45 pm »
That sounds fine to me. I believe bees orient themselves mostly by the sun and shapes. I think they'll learn about the fence. It's not like it's a 6 foot fence directly infront of the entrance. I've watched my bees take off and come back to the hive. It's very possible (even with the open space they have) that by the time they are 2 feet from the hive they are already 4 feet in the air - same coming home. They fly nearly straight up. I know for sure that by the time they are 10 feet from the hive, they are 20 feet in the air.

Beth

Offline Apis629

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Where is the ideal hive placement???
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2005, 08:49:45 pm »
Wow.  I had no idea that they ascend that fast!  AND there's another bonus I forgot to mention.  THe fence is covered in bleeding heart vines so there's a source of nectar 18" from the hive.  Thanks for the fast reply.

Offline leominsterbeeman

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Where is the ideal hive placement???
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2005, 09:40:07 pm »
Quote
Where is the ideal hive placement???


Why outdoors, of course.

Your placement is fine.  Getting sun on the entrance is good too.  
The early bee gets the nectar.


The land be level or should slope away from the hive, not in a ditch.


_______good__________good
...................................................\
....................................................\
.....................................................\
......................................................\___bad__/-----

Cold damp air will collect in a ditch.
Michael Keane
leominsterbeeman@comcast.net
http://www.leominsterbeeman.com

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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Where is the ideal hive placement???
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2005, 10:42:42 pm »
Sounds like a great wind block for the hives too. :D
Ryan Horn

 

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