Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: yes2matt on November 16, 2019, 08:45:43 pm

Title: Location evaluation
Post by: yes2matt on November 16, 2019, 08:45:43 pm
I just finished my third full season of keeping bees at this house. And I've got a couple colonies in the city, and I manage colonies at a farm in exchange for veggies.

So I've got some experience to compare this to, and I've come to the conclusion that my home apiary location is *horrible * for forage. After June 1, I have to feed sugar constantly.

So I have a little trailer frame and I guess I'm going start using it. Or maybe just move them all out to a different permanent home yard.

When you are scouting for locations, what do you look for? Do you use google earth or other tools?  What do you look for with that?  What are warning signs that a place is high risk?

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Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: BeeMaster2 on November 16, 2019, 09:28:00 pm
Matt,
The best location that I have found is in expensive residential areas where there are lots and lots of planted fancy trees that provide all varieties of flowering trees all spring, summer and fall.
My house in Jacksonxille is perfect for this but it is now rented out. I have tried real hard to find a place close to it to put my bees but nothing has worked out for my 18 hive trailer.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: Ben Framed on November 16, 2019, 09:35:30 pm
Good post Matt.
Jim your answer is a good one. I also would like to hear more advice from others per the same questions that Matt ask as this may help Matt, you, and myself and the rest of us in time?
Phillip 
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: MikeyN.C. on November 17, 2019, 01:58:06 pm
Matt,
I'm in a similar situation. Some yrs. here we're in a nectar and pollen desert, but this year was different, they're bringing in pollen all year , even after tropical storms. In late October they stopped bringing in pollen so I bought UltraBee and it is unbelievable and I mean (everyone needs to try it) . I'm only 4-5 years in bee's so take this with a grain of salt ! It's my opinion that bee's in the wild have good and bad years (pollen &nectar) so they can survive. So that being said I believe that man's intervention in colonys only creates this problem by taking honey from hives in nectar deserts and manipulation of frames. I only take honey from dead-outs. It's a hobby for me , so I understand that inspection are required and changes can be made. Now if I get a hive that has 3 supers fully capped I'll take 1.
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: van from Arkansas on November 17, 2019, 04:15:04 pm
Every area is different and beekeepers have different goals.  The good beekeepers usually adapt to given circumstances and make the best of issues.  Some, hobbyist, or may be commercial: some want honey while others want to raise queens which requires completely different management strategies.  So there is reasons as to why so many answers to a single question.  We are diversified as there are no limits to the imagination coupled with the fact the bees themselves are adaptable.

My area is the hardwood country of N. Arkansas.  Spring is always full of blooms, every direction I look I can see trees such as wild plum bursting with blooms.  By July things really slow down as far as flowers go, even with rain, flowers are in short supply.

Me personally:
I Enjoy the challenge of rearing the best queens in Arkansas.  Am I bias, you bet ya, I am very proud of my queens outstanding performance.  I don?t sell queens so this is not a sales pitch.  I do give away queens, no charge period, to whoever wants to drive over and say howdy.  My goal is to derive the best queens on the planet: hygienic, gentle, honey producers.  Ok, I told ya I was bias.

Blessings

Van
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: Ben Framed on November 17, 2019, 06:05:28 pm
You have every right to be bias!  Great work has been done by many people throughout history. Even with all accomplishments during a lifetime of work, including you and your scientific research.  Many go on to achieve continued great work even after retirement! Keep up the good science Mr Van!
Phillip
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: MikeyN.C. on November 17, 2019, 07:16:04 pm
Van,
Trying the treatment free.😄
Fingers crossed
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: yes2matt on November 17, 2019, 07:31:25 pm
Every area is different and beekeepers have different goals.  The good beekeepers usually adapt to given circumstances and make the best of issues.  Some, hobbyist, or may be commercial: some want honey while others want to raise queens which requires completely different management strategies.  So there is reasons as to why so many answers to a single question.  We are diversified as there are no limits to the imagination coupled with the fact the bees themselves are adaptable.

My area is the hardwood country of N. Arkansas.  Spring is always full of blooms, every direction I look I can see trees such as wild plum bursting with blooms.  By July things really slow down as far as flowers go, even with rain, flowers are in short supply.

Me personally:
I Enjoy the challenge of rearing the best queens in Arkansas.  Am I bias, you bet ya, I am very proud of my queens outstanding performance.  I don?t sell queens so this is not a sales pitch.  I do give away queens, no charge period, to whoever wants to drive over and say howdy.  My goal is to derive the best queens on the planet: hygienic, gentle, honey producers.  Ok, I told ya I was bias.

Blessings

Van
I'm on my way. 

You're right that different use demands different management. I guess I have some goals which require a move and I'm wondering how to find a good spot that won't take me years of poking around.

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Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: Ben Framed on November 17, 2019, 08:07:37 pm
Matt,
The best location that I have found is in expensive residential areas where there are lots and lots of planted fancy trees that provide all varieties of flowering trees all spring, summer and fall.
My house in Jacksonxille is perfect for this but it is now rented out. I have tried real hard to find a place close to it to put my bees but nothing has worked out for my 18 hive trailer.
Jim Altmiller

Jim I really doubt that anyone will come up with a better answer than yours as far as a location for honey goes. May I ask, about how much honey was your bees producing there in Jacksonville on an average? I am supposing there in Florida, in the right location that production is pretty good with your climate, Yall have a long production season?
Thanks, Phillip
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: van from Arkansas on November 17, 2019, 10:17:07 pm
Every area is different and beekeepers have different goals.  The good beekeepers usually adapt to given circumstances and make the best of issues.  Some, hobbyist, or may be commercial: some want honey while others want to raise queens which requires completely different management strategies.  So there is reasons as to why so many answers to a single question.  We are diversified as there are no limits to the imagination coupled with the fact the bees themselves are adaptable.

My area is the hardwood country of N. Arkansas.  Spring is always full of blooms, every direction I look I can see trees such as wild plum bursting with blooms.  By July things really slow down as far as flowers go, even with rain, flowers are in short supply.

Me personally:
I Enjoy the challenge of rearing the best queens in Arkansas.  Am I bias, you bet ya, I am very proud of my queens outstanding performance.  I don?t sell queens so this is not a sales pitch.  I do give away queens, no charge period, to whoever wants to drive over and say howdy.  My goal is to derive the best queens on the planet: hygienic, gentle, honey producers.  Ok, I told ya I was bias.

Blessings

Van
I'm on my way. 

You're right that different use demands different management. I guess I have some goals which require a move and I'm wondering how to find a good spot that won't take me years of poking around.

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In any city as already mentioned is good for honey production if regulations don?t interfere.  In agriculture area, fields of soy, cotton, or whatever produces honey by the barrel full.  Most farmers want bees and will gladly allow hives.

Be careful of placing hives in the open next to a road, hives do get stolen.

Blessings
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: Ben Framed on November 17, 2019, 11:16:51 pm
In any city as already mentioned is good for honey production if regulations don?t interfere.  In agriculture area, fields of soy, cotton, or whatever produces honey by the barrel full.  Most farmers want bees and will gladly allow hives.
Be careful of placing hives in the open next to a road, hives do get stolen.
Blessings
/quote]

Mr Van you are correct again. I read an article a few months ago about a family further south of here in Wiggins, Mississippi, that catches two major flows a season, one I am thinking, in the home area where blooming starts earlier, and the second they distribute hives throughout the Mississippi and Arkansas Delta, I am thinking it said all the way to Jonesboro Arkansas, (a little closer to you),  they place hives, (or at least his dad places hives), in Arkansas. According to this article they usually average a very substantial amount of honey per hive. I will try and find the article. If so, I will gladly post it here.

This is really overkill but here it is. The article was in Bee Culture and It would not let me copy the link but this video was in the article.

https://youtu.be/4YZBsrKrweU
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: FloridaGardener on November 17, 2019, 11:28:39 pm
Matt,
The best location that I have found is in expensive residential areas where there are lots and lots of planted fancy trees that provide all varieties of flowering trees all spring, summer and fall.
x2 and add: OLDER residential areas. 
               1. They usually have larger lot sizes = less paved surface and more plants.
               2. Trees and shrubs are mature, and of a size that can host many bees. 
               3. Newer developments tend to have detention ponds & HOAs, meaning less plant variety, more mow-blow-go type landscaping.
               4. Older developments sometimes have no sidewalks = more weeds.  In my area right now (Nov) the winter Cassia is blooming, last of the goldenrod, Spanish Needle, and tiny little yellow aster (chrysopsis) in the highway meridians. 

Also suggest: ask your state's Dept of Environmental Protection for location of wetlands
                     search for state parks
                   
High risk: Dumpsters.  I had a hive get AFB in an outyard only half-mile from school/restaurants/gas stations... probably from feeding off imported honey packet trash.  All hives around it were ok, I caught it fast, but the infected hive & colony had to be destroyed.
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: Ben Framed on November 17, 2019, 11:43:03 pm
Good post FG
Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: yes2matt on November 22, 2019, 04:13:40 pm
Yes I have one little "just for show" out yard in an older urban neighborhood and I definitely never need to feed those bees. They're not always on a flow, but they always have honey stored.

I have put the buzz in the ear of a new brewery opening up. Nice big flat roof, room for 20 hives I think. No SHB up there! And access to all kinds of old-neighborhood type forage. And the brewery would buy the honey.

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Title: Re: Location evaluation
Post by: Acebird on November 22, 2019, 05:34:45 pm
Google maps and look for an abandoned farm.  You want native wild plants (weeds).  You don't want an active farm.