Apiary layout and drift

[UrbisAgricola]

I am reading BEEKEEPING AT BUCKFAST ABBEY. Bro. Adam describes placing hives in groups of four with each facing a different direction in order to combat drift.  If you have tried this or something like it, how well did it seem to work?  Any downsides you found in practice?

[GSF]

Mine are facing about 3 different directions. They all seem to be content with it.

[UrbisAgricola]

Thanks. 

[Groundhawg]

Mine are all facing the same direction and each about 3 feet apart.  They and I all seem happy about it.

[UrbisAgricola]

Yeah, that's how mine are.  They are healthy but I do notice there is drift to the hives on the ends.  Reading Buckfast piqued my curiously.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Due to ants and or snow, my hives are elevated off the ground and on stands facing south.  Facing south is for wind.  Some of my hives are only 10 inches apart but painted different colors.  Each entrance has a unique color and some kind of entrance reducer.  I don't have drift that I can notice  with my 20 beautiful healthy hives.  Of course drone drift is not included, as that's what drones do, they drift to any hive they wish.

I'm just stating what works for me.  If this text conflicts with Brother Adam's book; by all means follow Brother Adam.
Blessings

[little john]

FWIW - I ran an experiment a few years ago to try and put a figure on just how close entrances could be on the same side of a hive array without drifting occurring.  In order to establish this, I set up two 'quad-nuc' (4x5-frame) hives next to each other thusly:



The box entrances were 9" or so from each other, with the two entrances 'across the gap' being around 12-14".  (Can't remember that exact measurement offhand - it's written down somewhere).

During Season 1, the colonies in the yellow and green slots at the furthest ends of the array became very strong; the colonies in the yellow and green slots 'across the gap' were of medium strength; whereas the colonies in the blue and white slots in both boxes had become depleted and were struggling.  Very clearly, drifting had been occurring in favour of colonies within end slots, despite the bees being Carniolans which are generally considered to be the least likely of all bees to engage in drifting.

Towards the end of Season 1, and in view of the above, colonies in the blue and white slots were removed, extra brood given to them, and re-housed.  Those entrances were then sealed, the outer dividers in both boxes removed leaving just the central divider in place, thus creating 2x 10-frame cavities within each box, with their entrances then being some 24" apart.  The separation distance between the hives was increased such that the distance between the adjacent end entrances was 18".
Throughout Season 2, all four colonies developed without any obvious drifting having taken place.  An 18" entrance separation was thus established as being the minimum for these bees, at this location, for hives with entrances located on the same side.

Following this experiment, those entrance arrangements were stripped away, and four fresh entrances made, one on each face of the box - following which no obvious drifting has been observed.

Hives within this apiary are placed randomly - some in rows, some not - all are distanced from each other by at least 18", usually by several feet.  The majority of entrances face South or South-East, with a view to benefitting from the early morning sun, but not all - indeed, this is a feature which doesn't appear to make a huge difference.

LJ

[Acebird]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3P10AB7VQLPY1ywj1
I am not sure the link works, trying google for hosting photos.

These are the hives for this year as a result of splitting the middle hive.  The hive on the right was my first split.  It did OK but I didn't take any honey from it.  The hive on the left was the second split.  It was doing OK but in July it crashed and I suspect the middle one got most the honey.  It is normal to get drift when splitting especially when they are so close.  Even though the one on the right is farther away I think the one on the left failed because it was under a mouse attack and split a month later.  Our summer was horrible this year which screwed up the flows.  Hardly got any golden rod and it usually amounts to two boxes per hive.

FB link
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=635477890174465&set=a.635477853507802.1073741829.100011367786490&type=3

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Hi Ace, I could not get the link to work.

Hi Lil John, I believe bees see blue and white as almost the same color, blue is brighter though, with their ultraviolet vision.  Bees cannot detect red, varroa is red, not a coincidence to me.

Blessings

[little john]

Hi Van - hope this finds you well, and not itching too much !

I remember reading some research on hive entrances (can't put my hands on it right now), which showed that location is the most important factor, followed by entrance orientation (direction). Then nearby landmarks. Colour comes way down the list of what's important - with shapes and patterns having more effect than block colours.
My reasons for using coloured entrances on those experimental hives was to give the colonies the best possible chance of not drifting.  But these days, I've pretty-much given-up on using coloured entrances - for when you think about it, natural hive entrances in trees are all exactly the same colour !

As for bees not seeing 'red' - that may well be true, but a large number of my hives are red, and yet the bees manage to find their way home perfectly ok.  Terra-cotta red is a favourite colour of floor paint over here, and it turns up at Boot (bring & buy) Sales with some regularity, as folk tend to buy far more paint than they need. Such paint is 100% waterproof and very hard-wearing ... and tends to be fairly cheap too, as it's invariably unwanted.

LJ

I did find this (related to queen-drifting - not quite the same thing):
https://www.apidologie.org/articles/apido/pdf/2008/06/m08048.pdf
Pairs of nucs six-feet apart, with opposing entrances ...

[Acebird]

Hi Ace, I could not get the link to work.

I added a FB link if it helps

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Thank you Lil John, Buddy, bee sting itch is much better.

I believe I have read the article you mentioned, conclusion: shape and objects at entrance(s) serve as more importance than color pertaining to drift.  A simple dark color "X" place above entrance showed less drift.

I believe bees see red as a shade of gray.
Blessings

[BeeMaster2]

The statement that bees cannot see red is basically true but not 100%. 99.99% yes. I use a red head light long before sunrise to close up my hives to move them. It works well but there is always at least one or two bees out of the dozen hives that can see the red light and come right to my face.
Jim

[Acebird]

Jim, unless you had a very expensive filter on your light source the light is not 100% red.  Even in a dark room the light is not 100% red and that is why you keep your photo paper sealed until you use it.  And don't forget bees can sense inferred which your body will always emanate.  Due to the blood flow to your head it will be a hot spot.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Red Lazer:  just out of couriousosity I shined a red lazer at guard bees on the hive entrance.  The bees did not react.  The bees acted completely blind to this super bright red spot.  This was done during daylight, not at night.
Blessings

[Acebird]

I would think if it was a real lasar it might have cooked or blinded the bee.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Yep, Ace, an oblation laser would have turned those bees to gas in an instant. 

[Acebird]

Even some pointers have enough power to set off a match head.

[Acebird]

Hi Ace, I could not get the link to work.

Van I changed the google link.  Please see if it works.  Thanks.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Yes, Ace, the link works.  Nice looking hives.  You need a ladder, do ya?
Blessings