locations for hives?

[turando]

Hi,

How do you choose locations for hives? Is there areas to avoid or areas to consider based on certain info?

I had a look at the information on what's flowering etc but couldn't really make sense of it.
Thanks

[BeeMaster2]

Location for a hobbyist is based on a location where you can comfortably watch your bees every day. Mine are in my backyard with their backs to my workshop with enough space behind them so that I can comfortably walk and work behind them. They are also located so that I can see all of them from my bathroom window. When I first got them I had a flash light in the bathroom so that I could see what they were doing when ever I went in the bathroom. The more you can watch them, the more you will learn about their habits.
Your bees will fly 2 miles to find food. If there is no food in that range, they will go out to 7 miles and more if needed.
A 2 mile radius is a lot of land mass to cover to find food. If you are in a suburban area, there will lots of different trees to provide plenty of food.
Jim

[Sydney guy]

I'm only a newbie as well but a position with as much sun as possible was recommended to me. I positioned mine to face east to get that morning sun.

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[BeeMaster2]

Mine are in almost full shade. Most of my yard is in shade. If I had an open area, not up against my one neighbor who went biserk when I told him I was planning on getting bees, I would have them in full sun. If I did not use oil trays to kill small hive beetles by the thousands, I probably could not keep bees.
Jim

[turando]

Thanks for the replies everyone. We are currently in suburban northern melbourne but want to move to a large block of land and expand our beehives. Just not sure if the areas we are looking at are good areas for bees. Is there such a thing as a bad area for a bee if they can fly that far?

[Honeycomb king]

It's possibly as tough in the kinglake ranges as any where in and around melbourne.  And we survive. Yes the season is shorter here.
Keep them out of the wind!

[turando]

Thanks honeycomb king. Are you in Kinglake? We were looking at Beveridge and a bit more north to buy up in. Are there particular other areas that are considered good areas for bees? Just want to keep my options open and look around and not really familiar with the locations as to what is 'good' for bees. How do you deal with wind? We're building up slowly and it's a great learning experience.

[Honeycomb king]

Yeah up in the kinglake ranges. It's great up here, but tough on the bees if it's a long winter.  Better places will give you bigger better harvest. Harder places you just have to make sure you leave enough for the bees in times of dearth.
Keeping out of the prevailing wind can be tough around Beveridge.  Use buildings and screens etc. Still air is easier to keep at a stable temperature. Hot or cold wind can make it hard work on the hive.
Enjoy. It's going to be a great season.

[turando]

My in laws drive through kinglake nearly every week. They love driving through there just for a drive (they live in doncaster). They stop somewhere for a coffee and cake. I think they'd love to buy there one day.

Beveridge or Kilmore looks like where we might move as it would mean not too far from day job (maybe one day I can quit and be able to do this full time). Lots of learning to do in the meantime.   

[Honeycomb king]

"Flying tarts cafe" they know me well there. If your with your in laws ask for Vin the beekeeper. If looking around for land come on up and have a look around here its a great place to raise a family. Or maybe you want to go the other way, away from the in laws (I know the feeling).
Looking for someone to work with me at the moment.  Think I'll put on a junior so I can teach them. I'm sure the right person will come along.

[Michael Bush]

>How do you choose locations for hives?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#locating

[Rhino86]

If your inital location isn't the best, you can move it. Call it the beauty of hindsight and make it a lesson learned. Smoke them first :)

[Wombat2]

One thing everyone has a story about but no one mentions unless it comes up in conversation and that is keep at least 3 km from the local dump. The bees will drink any water laying around and it has all sorts of nasty stuff in it.