Which direction should beehives face?

Face the hive entrance away from the prevailing winds. Ideally, face the entrance in a southerly direction if you're in the northern hemisphere and northerly direction for the southern hemisphere.

Where is the best placement for a bee hive?

Can beehives face north?

If you live in a temperate climate where the summer is not too hot and the winters are not too cold, you can safely position your bees in any orientation that you like. Some beekeepers in these regions build stands that accommodate 4 beehives simultaneously, one facing north, one south, one east, and one west.

Should beehives be in full sun?

Beekeepers agree that morning sun is more important. Most beekeepers would agree that their beehives that they placed in the full sun are more productive than their shaded hives.

How far should beehives be from a house?

Even though each case is different, we can use some general estimates of a safe distance to be from the hive. For a honey bee colony with a calm temperature, give yourself at least 4 feet of clearance behind the hive and on each side if possible. At the hive entrance, an area of 25 feet is the best minimum.

Beekeeping | Where Is The Best Location For Your Hive, Facing South?

How do you attract bees to a beehive?

How high off the ground should beehives be?

How high should my hive stand be? A. While this is heavily dependant on your stature, an ideal height for a hive stand is approximately 18in off of the ground. Unless you are 6'5", this height will be ideal for working your hives without destroying your back.

How do you attract bees to a bee house?

Summary. Having a bee house in your garden is a fun family activity that also helps native bees. To attract bees to a bee house you should provide good housing, provide a mud source, plant a pollinator garden, and use an attractant spray.

Do bee houses actually work?

Bee houses consist of a wooden, birdhouse-like structure containing native bee nesting materials—typically hollow reeds or cardboard tubes. They are the perfect habitat for solitary, hole-nesting bees, who also happen to be some of the best pollinators around.

Why are my bees not building comb?

Bees will only draw out new comb when there is a strong nectar flow. If there's no nectar to make honey with in the super, there's no point in wasting energy on building comb that will then sit empty, right? So, if you place a super on your hive during a time of dearth, don't expect your bees to fill it.

What are two potential problems with bee hotels?

Many of the insect hotels sold in garden markets, DIY stores or similar places are death traps: the borings, stems etc. have frayed edges. This can injure or kill the animals. Not exactly what people mean by “saving the bees”, isn't it? Simplification is harmless at best, but sometimes – like in this case – harmful.

Can I mow around my beehive?

In most cases, you can mow right up to the edge of a beehive, as long as you don't bump it with the mower. This is definitely a time to read your bees' behavior, though; if they start taking an interest in you when you are 15 or 20 feet away, it would be wiser to back off.

What do you put under a beehive?

The ground under and hives should be kept weed free. Some people place the hives on mulch, wood chips and even carpet remnants. I added a layer of wood chips to the ground where the hives would be located. I placed two cinder blocks per hive on the ground, one in the front and one in the back.

Can I put mulch under my beehives?

Not sprayed mulch is great around the hives. Bark is the best. Bees love to take the moisture in which develops microfauna.

How do you attract a swarm of honey bees?

How long do bees occupy a hive?

Typically, swarms only stay in one place for a few hours or maybe a day, but some swarms may remain for several days.

What time of day do bees swarm?

Swarming usually occurs from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, while bearding may occur late in the afternoon into the evening. Generally, bearding bees don't do back inside until the temperature drops—which may be quite late in the day.

How close does a water source need to be to a beehive?

Bees are highly efficient insects who aren't going to fly 50 yards to a bird bath if your neighbor's pool or dog water-bowl is 5 yards away. Be sure to place a water source with gently sloping sides, or stones to land on, within 50-100 feet of your hive.

Do bees need a landing board?

Landing boards and wee porches are unnecessary for honey bees. Nevertheless, the subject is polarizing. Some beekeepers swear by them, others hate them.

Should I leave a Super on my hive over winter?

Can You Leave a Honey Super on Over Winter? Yes, you can leave a honey super or several on the hive over Winter. In fact, most beekeepers do have a super or two designated for use by the bees.

How many times a year can you harvest honey?

In a healthy, productive hive, it is normal to be able to harvest honey two to three times each season. Most beekeepers will harvest honey between June and September, but how often you harvest and how much honey you get will depend on a number of factors.

Do bees react to noise?

It has long been known that bees respond to vibrations in the comb, also known as substrate-borne sound — for example, they respond to striking a hive by moving upward, even absconding. But it is relatively recently that it has been shown that bees can perceive airborne sound as well.

What happens when a bee hive falls?

If a hive is completely destroyed, meaning that the queen bee and all of the larval bees are lost, then there is no way to restart a colony and salvage it. In partially destroyed hives or in the case of a dead queen bee, a new queen can be inserted, around which the drones and workers will once again unite.

When should I clean my bee house?

Currently, pending further experimentation, we say that if you choose to clean your Bee Brick or Bee Block bee house between seasons then just ensure that the nest has definitely either failed or emptied. It's best to time it at the end of the season, so late September to October time.

When should I put my bee hotel outside?

It is damp not cold that destroys larvae. Not only will this protect the larvae and adult bees waiting to emerge in the spring but it will mean that your nest box will last longer. You can place the box outdoors in the spring, from March onwards.