Author Topic: Your Best and Worst Hive locations...Post pictures! (Read 4670 times)

Lburou · « **on:** April 19, 2016, 10:35:38 pm »

Every new beekeeper needs to decide where to put their new hive. There are some general rules to abide by for best results, let's share the best and worst characteristics of locating that perfect location.

I'll start with my worst location and the picture I took this afternoon...This bench is in a floodplain.

I placed empty hives and hive bodies under each hive yesterday just in case. The water was receding at sunset today. I'll put my flame suit on now...

neillsayers · « **Reply #1 on:** April 19, 2016, 10:42:49 pm »

Wow Lee,
if this keeps up you might look into building your hive stand on pontoons.

Lburou · « **Reply #2 on:** April 19, 2016, 10:57:44 pm »

I agree Neil...I was halfway out to check the bees and thought I should have been in a canoe. Neil, do you have any pictures of your bee yards?

I had originally used that location for mating NUCs, but they grew into more than that as you can see. To illustrate a better location, I built this oval area for the bees, ABOVE the 500 year flood line:

iddee · « **Reply #3 on:** April 19, 2016, 11:29:01 pm »

Well, Lee, I guess it's safe to say your drought is over now, eh?

apisbees · « **Reply #4 on:** April 20, 2016, 07:40:04 am »

Wow Lee the water is even higher this year than it was last year. I wonder if flooding is a good natural treatment for killing the small hive beetle larva in the ground.

Lburou · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2016, 11:07:10 am »

I hope so Apis...But the beetles aren't as much of a problem as the high water.

Les · « **Reply #6 on:** April 20, 2016, 11:30:54 am »

You folks in Texas just can't get a break with the flooding.

neillsayers · « **Reply #7 on:** April 20, 2016, 01:53:13 pm »

Lee,

If the sun breaks out I'll take some pics, don't have any on file.

Neill

Dunkel · « **Reply #8 on:** April 21, 2016, 08:04:14 am »

Besides flooding, the low lying areas around here are also colder on average. I have found that at a couple of spots I have placed bees, my wintering percentage drops to fifty percent. The temperature difference can be several degrees between the top of the hill or down in the holler. That adds up over the winter. Also the moisture levels are higher down low. I wish I had someone tell me this at the beginning. It would have saved lots of bees and disappointment.

Lburou · « **Reply #9 on:** April 21, 2016, 09:55:46 am »

@ Les, Living next to a flood plain, I won't complain.

@ Neil, Interested in your pictures, passing on experience is helpful to a beginner.

@ Dunkel, Cold air flows downhill just like water. In some training situation, in a former life, the speaker pointed to the weather in the lowlands of the Mississippi river and its tributaries and explained how colder air tends to settle there and make very cold winters in the MidWest. Very interesting Dunkel, thanks.

There must be others with good and bad experiences out there...don't be bashful.

apisbees · « **Reply #10 on:** April 21, 2016, 02:00:06 pm »

Dunkel In most books when it talks about hive yard locations It always recommended good air flow. As you have discovered it is not in a low laying pocket. Hives on a bit of sloped ground tend to stay dryer in the winter. At times it is a trade off between having bees in your back yard or the best location for bees.
It is a good point to bring up. It could help explain why some may be having over wintering problems, and let them think and analyze where their hives are and how it could effect their survival.

gtrr4 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 23, 2016, 07:58:36 am »

Lee, what's the purpose of the tie downs with your hives? Rodents? This could be a third topic for this thread. I have one location where skunks are popular. I get mine higher than normal. This requires the skunks to get on their hind legs. This the exposes there belly which the bees can then get their stingers applied.

Lburou · « **Reply #12 on:** April 23, 2016, 08:58:26 am »

Quote from: apisbees on April 21, 2016, 02:00:06 pm

...At times it is a trade off between having bees in your back yard or the best location for bees...

A very practical observation Apis. As a hobbyist, I don't enjoy the hives away from my house, so that limits the options. Sometimes the question is how to ameliorate the limits of your home location.

@ gttr, We have frequent wind gusts of 60+, mph and rope tie downs keep the lids from flying off. In the case of the picture from the previous post, if the water had risen above the bench, I wanted to anchor the hives to the bench and keep them from floating.
In the 2012 incident of tornadic winds in the yard, the ropes held the hives in place -I don't think the winds got over 80-90mph in that spot on that day however, here are a couple of pictures taken after the storm:

neillsayers · « **Reply #13 on:** April 24, 2016, 06:44:05 pm »

Lee,
As promised here are some pics of my little unimpressive bee yard. It is tucked on the edge of our garden. Only one hive is active at this time but I hope to split it soon. The two langs will have nucs installed this coming Saturday.

Lburou · « **Reply #14 on:** April 24, 2016, 07:20:32 pm »

Thank you Neil! I enjoyed seeing your hives and their situation next to the garden. It looks like you are serious about gardening too. Are those horizontal hives I see?

neillsayers · « **Reply #15 on:** April 24, 2016, 07:39:06 pm »

The hives on the front row are warres. The back stand has two 8-frame deeps. Behind that is some old truck toolboxes I repurposed to hold my beeyard tools and supplies.

riverbee · « **Reply #16 on:** April 24, 2016, 09:31:41 pm »

lee, great thread..........

i took these pics just for you yesterday.............

best and worst?
anywhere on my land without a bear fence, (learned the hard way) or in the flood plain of the river is just asking for trouble.
so very many great places to put hives (mostly near the river) but bear fencing is a must and is tedious work and also moving hives out of flooding when the river floods every year is not my idea of how i want to haul bees around from here and there.

when we purchased this property in wisconsin along the rush river, it had an old corn crib. i can smoosh about 10 to 12 hives in here, a bit of a fortress, keeps the bears out and also other critters, but do have it solar fenced.
this is a great place for my bees in summer months, shade is provided from the roof. in winter months, not so good, the roof blocks the sun and also very little wind protection, but it works for me. also, for as many flood events we have had, and right up to the crib, water has never risen/flooded above the concrete.

we had just taken off the feeder pails and added supers:

close up of one of the hive's testing my patience and skills........

side view of the crib:

check out the door.........there was no door, just a vertical row of chutes.......i removed the chutes, cut out an opening, shored it up and custom built the door.........

looking inside the bee crib........just enough room to carry equipment in and out........
the plywood you see behind the first hive is to keep the snow and ice from drifting in during winter........otherwise, wouldn't be able to get the door open.

and btw lee..........
gimp gear and gloves............

neillsayers · « **Reply #17 on:** April 24, 2016, 11:04:56 pm »

I like your setup, RB. Is that a concrete pad? Was it already there?

Lburou · « **Reply #18 on:** April 24, 2016, 11:14:59 pm »

I'd love to have a crib like that RB! Very nice and organized hives, impressive. A great spot! It's amazing how each location has its own independent conditions. Those bears are one problem I am glad we don't have here yet, but black bears are expanding their range in some parts of Texas.

Iddee & Les, I checked the drought map and we are definitely off the map for a while.

Added: Neglected to acknowledge your gimp gear RB, and happy to see it out near the bees.

neillsayers · « **Reply #19 on:** April 24, 2016, 11:23:59 pm »

Lee,
Bears are my biggest threat to hives here or even gardening. Lately feral hogs are becoming a problem but I don't know to what degree they threaten hives. I have a few yard dogs here to keep the bears away. The other day they took off after what I thought was a bear, When they came back had to take three of them to the vet. I'm not sure but the wounds look like could be boar tusks. "Thanks" to all the hog hunters who release them on government land.
I shared all this cause I figured you might know a thing or two about them. I've heard Texas has serious feral hog problems.

Lburou · « **Reply #20 on:** April 24, 2016, 11:43:11 pm »

Quote from: neillsayers on April 24, 2016, 11:23:59 pm

Lee,
Bears are my biggest threat to hives here or even gardening. Lately feral hogs are becoming a problem but I don't know to what degree they threaten hives. I have a few yard dogs here to keep the bears away. The other day they took off after what I thought was a bear, When they came back had to take three of them to the vet. I'm not sure but the wounds look like could be boar tusks. "Thanks" to all the hog hunters who release them on government land.
I shared all this cause I figured you might know a thing or two about them. I've heard Texas has serious feral hog problems.

You are not that far from Texas, glad the bear problem isn't here yet...But the feral hogs are definitely here. I'm outfitted to see and shoot in the dark, but haven't had a hog browse in the yard for about 13 months and that one didn't make it home. Hogs have not bothered my few hives yet.

riverbee · « **Reply #21 on:** April 24, 2016, 11:47:48 pm »

"I like your setup, RB. Is that a concrete pad? Was it already there?"

neil, thanks, yes the concrete pad and corn crib was already in place when we purchased the property, it's been a great place to put the bees primarily because of bears. also protects from other critters as well. after losing hives to bears elsewhere on the land, my bees went into this crib with some fixes and haven't looked back since.

"I'd love to have a crib like that RB! Very nice and organized hives, impressive. A great spot! It's amazing how each location has its own independent conditions. Those bears are one problem I am glad we don't have here yet, but black bears are expanding their range in some parts of Texas. "

thanks lee, nice and organized yes, i guess i am anal retentive..............

it is amazing how our locations have independent conditions! very true!
yes, the bears are a problem here, a major pest. we all have pests to deal with.........i think i'd rather have bears than shb, at least i can put up an electric fence to send them on their way...........shb, not so.....
this spot has always concerned me in the winter lee, some harsh winds blow through and not a great place without much protection. a choice for me, and a compromise on placement of my bees.

EDIT AND ADD:
"Neglected to acknowledge your gimp gear RB, and happy to see it out near the bees. "

lol, thanks lee, i threw that in.........thought it might make you laugh!........