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Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:10 Jul 2019, 11:42
by Japey Edge
Hi Everyone,

At the moment, my garden apiary was supposed to be temporary until I got my allotment. That scenario has been dragged out and it turns out my bees are good in the garden, with the exception of a few poop marks here and there.

So, we're going to properly set the hives up on a single stand that I have already made. The hives will be about 500mm from each other, entrances in the same direction. I have read that it's best to twist/turn them to face different ways so a bit of wind doesn't push an incoming bee into the wrong hive, but I've also seen plenty of photos of apiaries where hives are closer together.

How do you have your setup? Photos welcome!

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:10 Jul 2019, 11:42
by Japey Edge
Image search for "Apiary" and one of the first results:

Image

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:10 Jul 2019, 13:01
by NigelP
Nearly all mine face the same direction. Makes inspection from behind much easier.
Different directions is supposed to stop drifting, but can't say I've ever noticed any. And if there was they are all my bees so I don't care which hives they are in.

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:10 Jul 2019, 13:16
by Japey Edge
Cheers Nigel - are they all pretty close to each other too?

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:10 Jul 2019, 14:18
by Patrick
My main apiary is in two rows facing each other in between rows in an orchard. The gap between them is what it is... two or three metres or less if another has been plonked there. I want to walk behind or stand beside each hive with a stack of supers on the upturned roof without tripping over them. Immediately next to each other is fine in a stack but rather chaotic when inspecting.

I do think there is something with the orientation of entrances to the prevailing most sunshine in terms of bees starting work earlier...but in practice, there are often other priorities which are far more important regarding orientation- specifically convenient flight lines of exiting and returning bees.

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:10 Jul 2019, 16:15
by NigelP
Yes Jazz very close together like 4 to a stand with a few inches between them in some cases.

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:11 Jul 2019, 09:34
by AdamD
My hives are generally 3 - 4 few feet apart - so it allow one to be slipped in between if needed. If you want to pop a nuc next to a hive from say, an out apiary, in order to replace the queen by a newspaper unite to the nuc, then you do need space between them.

Visually the ones in the photo are not good as they hives are all the same - variations in size/colour etc would allow the bees to identify their own hive more easily, I guess.

Bro Adam positioned his hives in blocks of 4 with entrances facing different ways.

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:11 Jul 2019, 14:04
by Japey Edge
Thanks guys! I can stick with my hive stand then. There's enough room to stand between the boxes to inspect, and also the colour schemes per hive vary quite a bit so I'm happy with that :-D

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:11 Jul 2019, 16:29
by Patrick
Books are usually a bit unhelpful regarding hive layouts. They seem to assume we all have huge Edwardian rectory gardens or keep bees in rural locations with a sumptuous array of options open to us.

I have seen bees thrive in hives pointing to every compass angle, in woodland and tucked onto flat roofs. It’s probably as much about what is possible and convenient to your personal circumstances.

Re: Apiary Setup - Stand Locations

PostPosted:12 Jul 2019, 13:47
by Alfred
So in real life all day sunshine would only benefit the honey production?
Does this have a large bearing on temper?

https://ibb.co/m0RVF3J

Mine are in a row backing on to an East facing hedgerow so they only get proper sunlight from late morning until sunset