Apiary location - confused

[DuaneB]

Hi everyone,

I'm confused as to where is  a good location.  I've read full sun all day long, and just morning sun with dappled sun in the afternoon.  I can do either.  Right now they have morning sun and dappled afternoon sun.

Thanks

[NasalSponge]

Either will work with full sun being better if you have shb issues.

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[iddee]

You are fine where they are if the SHB don't become a problem. If they do, just move them into more sun a little at a time until the SHB quit being a problem.

[BeeMaster2]

Duane,
I have my bees in partial sun in the morning till about 11:00 and full sun the rest of the day. I?m not seeing very many beetles in this site.
Jim

[Oldbeavo]

To us siting of the bees is totally temperature dependant, in Winter for us at about 10-14 C, full sun entrance facing north,
In summer with temps of 32-40 C we will look for shade, if possible shade from midday onwards at a minimum.
We did get caught with a site and ended up with full summer sun, some 38 C days but luckily they were our Paradise hives and had no issues.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

I have been told hives in full sun will sting less, better temperament.  This comes from a very experienced beek that keeps hives in both full sun and shade.  The fella swears the shaded bees sting him more,,,, like 4:1 that is four times as many stings from shaded hives.  He does not wear gloves and works with short sleeves.

Can others verify this??  I would like more observations on this sun/shade temperament.
Thanks

[BeeMaster2]

If you are putting your bees in full sun, as I am most of the day, put a good layer of insulation in the cover. I have 2 layers, one in the telescoping cover and one in the screen top board. Both layers have foil coatings on most of my hives. It really reduces bearding.
Jim

[little john]

I place my hives in full sun (bearing in mind that this is Britain, where the word 'sunshine' doesn't exactly have the same meaning as it does in Florida ...

Even so, I often ponder upon the fact that, historically, bees have been tree-dwelling creatures, and yet the interior of forests are frequently deprived of direct sunlight.
LJ

[DuaneB]

As I am a very new beek, I'll leave the bees where they are - morning sun with mid-afternoon shade.  I only have a hive with two deeps on it.  If I get to a point where I need to split it, I 'll set the other hive over about 10 feet and it will get all-day sun.  From that I can keep mental notes on the temperament of the hives. As well as other factors like Varroa mites, SHB, and anything else to be concerned with.

DB

[DuaneB]

Duane,
I have my bees in partial sun in the morning till about 11:00 and full sun the rest of the day. I?m not seeing very many beetles in this site.
Jim

This is how my bees were originally set up.  Since that is still set up, I can put the split over there.  That would put the two hives about 100+ feet apart.

DB

[Beeboy01]

If you are planning on having a long term bee yard at that location check to see the the surrounding trees won't block off the sun in a few years. I had a bee yard set up in afternoon sun and after about three years the surrounding trees grew out enough so the yard was in almost total shade all day. The bees didn't like it but the small hive beetles did. Luckily the last two years of hurricanes took care of the tree problem around my bee yard.

[DuaneB]

The tree that gives it shade is pretty mature.  I don't see it growing outward much more.  Its the only one in that area.  Right now my wife and I 'say' we don't want more than 8 hives, but we'll see if that stands when we have 8.  We're on 3.13 acres; so we can have a few 'bee friendly' areas.

DB

[eltalia]

I have been told hives in full sun will sting less, better temperament.  This comes from a very experienced beek that keeps hives in both full sun and shade.  The fella swears the shaded bees sting him more,,,, like 4:1 that is four times as many stings from shaded hives.  He does not wear gloves and works with short sleeves.

Can others verify this??  I would like more observations on this sun/shade temperament.
Thanks

Confirmed.
Always in full sun, entrances facing North (roughly) paying heed to prevailing weather (rain).
Colonys in shade after sunrise or on overcast days can get antsy.
Roofs have always ran insulation.
Back in the day I used spun f'glass laid inside a standard ventilated lid, meshed off,  today
they are foamed up (50mm minimum) using Builders Foam-in-a-Can. Hive bodies all run
50mm screened vents, opposite side to entrance.

Bill

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Thanks Bill, on this side of the equator I try to face hives South, away from polar cold wind,,,, same as you are doing.  Agreed,,,, on cloudy days I try to let the bees be, on rainy days I don?t even think about bees,,,,, on sunny days we (me and bees) play.  Good to hear from ya Buddy,
Blessings

[Michael Bush]

There is no perfect place.

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

[eltalia]

There is no perfect place.

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

I beg to differ Mr. BUSH.. an' believe you would feel so yourself
having been to Byron, and Nimbin I bet. You missed us ol'hippies
left in Kuranda and Cedar Bay as we didn't have a hive to sell but
Byron is good enough example of "perfect" ;-))))

0h..Michael, you are not " the beeman didst atr0llin' go"...yeah?
:chortles:

Bill

[Michael Bush]

I was there in Byron Bay and it was perfect weather... but I think the topic is more about a site to put a beehive...

[eltalia]

I was there in Byron Bay and it was perfect weather... but I think the topic is more about
a site to put a beehive...

Yep, agree.
Emigrate Michael.
I'll sign the declaration myself, as I welcome both your humour
and the opportunity to use your book writing skills in reshaping
a volume for new players, the World over. Heh.. :-)))

Billl