3: Where To Put Your Hive - Save Yourself Some Pain!
5LESSON
Where to situate your hive, and why
Registering your hive [TEXT ONLY]
Biosecurity contacts [TEXT ONLY]
Beekeeping safety [DOWNLOAD]
ASSESMENT (Optional)
Where to situate your hive, and why
3: Where To Put Your Hive - Save Yourself Some Pain!
Deciding where to put your beehive is one of the first and most important decisions you will have to make as a new beekeeper. Here are some things to consider:
- Safety is the number one priority. Some people are severely allergic to bee stings, so make sure to read our safety information.
- Bees usually like to fly away from the hive in the direction the entrance is facing. Point your entrance so that their flight path is clear, and is not pointing towards an area where people will be sitting or walking.
- Avoid pointing your hive entrance toward the neighbour’s washing line or their car. The bees will poo on whatever is in their flight path.
- Don’t have a light shining directly at your hive at night.
- Your hive should be up off the ground to keep the bees out of reach of ground-dwelling predators, but not so high that it will make working on the hive difficult.
- Some beekeepers put fences around their hives to protect them from wild animals, livestock, pets or people.
- Although honeybees can thrive in full sun or full shade, it’s often best to have a mix of both. Too much shade can result in dampness and more pathogens.
- Many beekeepers situate their hive with the entrances facing the morning sun so that the bees get up and start to forage earlier.
- Make sure your hive is level so that the bees will build their comb correctly if you’re using foundationless brood frames.
- It’s a good idea to keep your hive sheltered from strong winds.