hives

[colbees]

is it ok to place a hive near water and, should you have an enterance reducer on the hive right when you first put the bees in it. :camp:

[rbinhood]

Water is good....and yes a small entrance is necessary until the hive is well established.

[AllenF]

I keep reducers on most of my hives year round.  (I also run screened bottoms year round also)

[BlueBee]

Define water?  Lake Superior, or a mountain stream? 

Bees need water for evaporative cooling in the summer and for raising brood.  Having a source of water nearby is a good thing.  My bees like sucking water out of mud, peat moss, or sawdust I have setting a 5 gallon bucket waiting to get dumped.  Sometimes, lazy pays!  They also like bird baths.

They have no problem flying to a water source, so it’s not like you need to park your hives on some river bank.  I would probably go for a sunny site over river bank myself.

[indypartridge]

Define water? 

You also want to avoid someplace that is perpertually damp.

[Jim134]

How near is near ??? 6'' or 6'



   BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[Michael Bush]

I wouldn't want them low enough they get flooded or low enough that the air is always moist... they seem to do better part way up a hill rather than in the bottom of a valley.

[colbees]

Hi sorry i didnt tell you it is a small swamp that im going to put the hive near and there is about 6-7 feet in front of it that is dry land.

[AllenF]

Perfect.