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Setting up a Hobbyist Apiary. Layout. With 2 or 3 hives, orienting the entrances where the rising morning sun “lights up the bedroom” gets the bees out and ...

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Published by , 2017-07-14 04:10:03

Setting up a Hobbyist Apiary - traviscountybeekeepers.org

Setting up a Hobbyist Apiary. Layout. With 2 or 3 hives, orienting the entrances where the rising morning sun “lights up the bedroom” gets the bees out and ...

Setting up a Hobbyist Apiary

Layout

With 2 or 3 hives, orienting the entrances where the rising morning sun “lights up the bedroom” gets
the bees out and foraging a little faster in the morning. Pairing hives in a more or less orderly line
often works well so that when resources need to be shared, hives are near each other. Allow working
space behind and to the sides of the hives and avoid having a flight path oriented over a walkway.
Working from the side or leaning around to take a peek at an entrance is impossible if hives are
placed tightly together in a long orderly line. With more hives, apiary space becomes a consideration
and a pallet holding 4 hives back to back becomes an often used solution.

Varying hive colors and entrance orientation may be helpful to reduce drifting (returning foragers
going to the wrong hive) but the effect of drifting is mostly negligible. I find pairing hives with some
working room between pairs to be an acceptable solution. My hive colors run the gamut - though
largely a result of the available paint colors from year to year rather than some preplanned schema.

Note that the City of Austin requires hives be set back 10 feet from any property line and (lacking a
very large parcel) a flyway barrier extending 6 feet high.

Consider the path that a hive with 100 or more pounds of bees, equipment and honey may need to
be taken over. What works for 1 hive may not be for 8 and may be impossible after heavy rain!

Shelter

In addition to the shelter offered by the hive itself, the hives should be sheltered from wind, rain and
flood.

It is important to consider wind exposure, if strong drafts are able to enter the hive, this risks chilling
the colony, resulting in the loss of brood during the spring season and loss of adults during the winter.
Trees or a structure to the north can help to baffle the sometimes brutal winter “Northerners.”
Generally, avoid orienting hives toward the North as cold fronts and hard driven wind typically comes
from that direction. Hives that are raised off the ground 12-16 inches don’t suffer from heavy rain
splashing back up the hive wall and have better protection from skunks and other marauding animals.
If an apiary is next to a river or stream, make sure that the hives are not at risk of being flooded or
washed away.

An open southern or southeastern exposure with full sun is nice for most of the day, remember that
bees evolved in a tropical climate, keep a brood nest over 90 degrees, and have little difficulty using
evaporative cooling to cool the brood nest. Full sun also appears to help keep Small Hive Beetle
(SHB) in better control. A tree to the Southwest can offer a cool respite in an August afternoon for
both the bees and the beekeeper. .

A beekeeper may find it helpful to keep a heavy weight such as a rock or brick on the hive roof (or a
bungee cord / hive strap) to prevent it from blowing off. Shortly following any high winds it is worth
paying a visit to the apiary just in case a hive has been blown over or a roof blown off. Slipshod,
unbalanced hive stands also have a tendency to tip over when soil becomes sodden from heavy
rains.

Availability of food and water

Water is used by bees to dilute their honey before they eat it, prepare the brood food (a dilute
mixture of honey or nectar and pollen) and regulate the temperature of the hive by via evaporative
cooling. Water from either a year round stream or a manmade device needs to be a short distance
from the hive but NOT in the immediate flight path. Bees evacuate their bowels upon leaving the
hive and will refuse water thus contaminated. Be sure your bees are accustomed to a water source
(or multiple sources) within YOUR control BEFORE hot weather hits. Once bees become
accustomed to a water source, it’s tough to get them to go elsewhere. The biggest complaint
beekeepers receive is that a neighbor's pool, hot tub, outdoor shower, decorative pond or pet
water dishes are being raided by "your" bees. Some beekeepers use a shallow tray filled with
gravel, we have had good luck with a small pond with floating plants. Bees appear to be more
attracted to shallow water with an odor or some salt in it. A strong hive on a hot day can use over
a quart of water a day, this occupies 800 workers each making up to 50 trips to the water hole a
day. A colony is more efficient if workers don't have to travel far for water as this frees more
workers for nectar and pollen gathering.

When considering available food, the beekeeper needs to consider the pollen and nectar available
in an area within about 2 miles from their hives. April may present a dense wildflower bloom in
easy foraging distance yet late July and August typically offer little available food. Urban
environments (as opposed to rural sites) provide somewhat better forage in the late summer due to
irrigated ornamentals such as crepe myrtle. Riparian zones and green belts offer diverse forage
and a prolonged bloom, these have proven to be my preferred sites. Most apiary sites can support
2 or more hives but with the highly variable weather of Central Texas, beekeepers should be
prepared to feed at times. Every site is different; I’ve seen sites where 3 hives struggled and
another 10 miles away which appears able to support 30 hives.

Access and Distance (from you)

Having your beehive(s) reasonably close to where you live and/or work has distinct advantages. If
you can find a spot in your yard or nearby, you will easily be able to look after your bees. If your
home does not offer an appropriate area, friends, coworkers and strangers often offer potential
locations.

Proximity certainly helps when keeping bees. If your time is limited (e.g. due to work commitments),
you will be better able to look after your bees if you don’t have to spend long periods travelling.
During long spells of rainy weather you will find it easier to visit your bees on clear days. As you
gain experience, a small out yard of 8 hives can usually be worked in an hour, having it so, “minutes
away” is very convenient. Many successful agreements involve little more than a handshake, the
promise of pollination and a little honey. The use of “Outyards” is another topic altogether but a few
points: the risk of killed hives and theft is higher; arrangements can change at a moment’s notice;
and if someone intends to use “your bees” for “their agricultural valuation [exemption]” the
relationship is much more complex than agreements of the past.

Bees can also be “too close” = on your front porch, roof or balcony can present logistical issues –
consider that at some point heavy boxes of angry bees will need to be moved.

Neighbors

Before placing any bees in your yard, consider the reaction of your neighbors. Some people may not
mind living next to a few beehives others may be alarmed to find they have bees just on the other
side of the fence and fear for the safety of their children and pets.

Many beekeepers keep hives “under the radar” or only discuss the placement with a few immediate
neighbors. A neighbor’s large black dog that barks and jumps on the fence while you are working
hives could be at significant risk but most neighbors are largely unaware there is a hive in the
neighborhood. Notifying neighbors you believe may be impacted is likely a good idea and providing
them with a jar of honey is probably a great idea. Difficult neighbors may blame “your bees” for every
encounter with an errant wasp, yellow jacket or native stinging insect. Be forewarned that at some
point, an occasional colony may become defensive and may attack people or pets nearby
(particularly following a hive inspection), proper use of smoke and experience can minimize the risk
but, you should be prepared to quickly either re-queen and/or move the hive to another, less public
location. Swarms that alight in a neighbor’s trees or roofline will be assumed as “yours” by those
neighbors that know you have hives (this may be seen as a nuisance or simply, “cool” depending on
the individuals).

Complaints from neighbors (within the City of Austin Jurisdiction) will bring about a health code
inspection. The inspectors are NOT apiary inspectors; expect a minimal amount of beekeeping
knowledge. It appears that if the clearly written portions of the code are complied with,
https://www.municode.com/library/tx/austin/ the part left for to interpretation involves “stinging
without provocation.” If you believe a stinging incident did not involve YOUR bees, or that a swarm
in the neighborhood did not come from your hives, or a stinging incident was “provoked” by kids
throwing rocks then you need to clearly say so. While some debate occurs from inspector to
inspector regarding whether a Top Bar Hive is a Langstroth-style hive, there have been no issues
taken with that style of hive. Other cities have differing rules and may prohibit beekeeping entirely.

Pets and Farm Animals

Do not assume that because your bees have not bothered your dog or other pet, they will not. The
demeanor of hives changes with their size and disposition. If hives are sighted on a farm, it is
important to consider what farm animals (if any) may have access to the apiary, larger animals such
as cows, horses and donkeys can easily knock over a hive. If a hive is knocked over the resultant
angry bees may sting the animal to death; fatal scenarios typically involve animals that are in a small
pen and can’t escape or older frail animals. Confining animals close to hives should be avoided.

Pesticides

A beekeeper may have to consider whether a farmer or neighbor is likely to spray plants with
something harmful to bees. Many municipalities also spray for mosquitos which has killed hives on
numerous occasions. If possible, a beekeeper should arrange to be contacted in advance before
spraying begins so that the hives can either be closed up the night before or moved to another
location.

Other considerations

A beekeeper with 6 or more hives should register as an apiary and receive a brand. A “brand” is
simply a registration number and does not need to be burned into equipment. Branding equipment
can assist with identifying stolen equipment and resolving property disputes (especially when hives
are kept on other people’s property). Theft (believe it or not, all beekeepers aren’t “good” people)
should always be a concern, hives out of plain sight from a casual passerby and within sight of a
home are less likely targets.


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