Location for hives

[DayValleyDahlias]

Just preapring to set out our first hive...trying to find the best location.  How crucial is early morning sun? 
We are going nuts trying to find a spot that perfect...

Thanks

[LET-CA]

The only spot available for my hives is in my very small back yard with filtered shade, facing north.  They do just fine.

[likes2grill]

The bees will do best in full sun. The sooner the morning sun hits them the sooner they will go to work. Also I don't know where you live but in the winter it will help warm them up after a cold night.

[annette]

I installed my hive on a very, warm, sunny knoll facing southeast.  The hive gets some late afternoon sun, but it still remains extremely hot. The bees made it through 106 degrees for about 1 week last summer. And we have many days of over 100 degrees here in the summer.They seem to do just fine even in the hot sun, although providing some afternoon shade would be nice for them.
This shows how adaptable they are.

There is a beekeeper that lives in grass valley ca and he owns 500 hives of bees. He said he places some of them in the hot desert and they do just fine. Hard to believe.

[LocustHoney]

Do you use wired foundation for the heat? If you do use it do you use it for the heat of extracting purposes??? :-D I ask because I have my hives in direct sunlight. I have been told that direct sunlight means less pest problems but also less honey  and more shade means more pest but more honey. I have not experience with this though. Does anyone else know???

[Understudy]

Set out all hives in the yard of the white house with the green trim and the big strangler fig.

Oh you meant your yard?

Yes, early morning sun is very important.

Did I mention my yard gets lots of it. :)

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[KONASDAD]

I live in heavy suburbia. My neighbors were a greater conscern than an optimum location. Otherwise, early and late sun, wind protection and water nearby are good things.

[AndersMNelson]

I put mine on a small mound in out back yard to give it good elevation, along with a couple cinder blocks.  I even put mulch around it to prevent erosion :)

[beeginner]

Thay do better in the full sun it keeps the mites down and the hive beetles down to. Im helping the state bee guy and I askd him that? and that is what he told me.  Good luck

[DayValleyDahlias]

Thanks all for your input, I haven't filled out the profile info yet...duh...I live in Santa Cruz County California ZONE 9...very moderate Mediterranean temperatures...Well, guess I will try the best spot I can find, in the middle of about 50 lavender plants...It is visible from the road which concerns me a bit...my land in fenced in, but I still worry about human varmints... :-*

[annette]

Do you use wired foundation for the heat? If you do use it do you use it for the heat of extracting purposes??? :-D I ask because I have my hives in direct sunlight. I have been told that direct sunlight means less pest problems but also less honey  and more shade means more pest but more honey. I have not experience with this though. Does anyone else know???

I believe you are asking me this question. I use the plastic foundation. I never heard anything about getting less honey from placing in the sun.  My bees did so well in the sunny knoll that they overpopulated this winter and then swarmed last month. (not the sunny spot's
fault - just my mismanagement and inexperience)

[Michael Bush]

>How crucial is early morning sun? 

Few things are crucial.  Bees are VERY adaptable.  But I find full sun all day long seems to work the best.

[DayValleyDahlias]

Awesome advice, much thanks

[ndvan]

I had similar questions when trying to decide where to put my hives.  We have high summer temps here (usually at least a couple of weeks over 100 degrees and a bunch of days in the high 90s).  Around here, the beeks generally say that afternoon shade is a good thing.  I have heard that SHBs are worse in shade, if you have them where you are, but as I understand it heavy shade in the woods  is where they tend to get out of control and part shade is not a significant problem.  However, I am a newbie and this is just passing along the consensus that I got from talking to beekeepers in my area.

[Michael Bush]

Don't put them somewhere inconvenient for you.  Make sure you can drive to them.  Make sure they aren't "in the way" of things you want to do.  If you can give them the things you'd like, such as full sun and a wind break, great.  If not, they will adapt.