Apiaries

[plumber]

I will over the next few month be sounding out the farmers that use the pubs that I drink in about use of a corner of land as an apary.
could you give any tips to swing the scale in my favour, also do you pay in cash
in kind or as a service i e pollenation or a few jars of honey and a bottle of malt at xmas.
what size of apary would you say would be suitable for six hives would you fence or hedge it off.

regards
Mik

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I think you have already stuck the nail on the head, with the word PUB. That will grease the wheels.

Main thing I would consider is access. There no point having a great site if you have to walk a mile across a ploughed field with a full super or 2.

As for size for 6 hives, about 10m x 10m, I doubt they will let you plant a hedge or even a fence, so best to pick a spot that either has them or dose not required them

 

[hedgerow pete]

plumber get a cusion and starting reading, are we ready then i will start the long reply!

so lets start from the begining.
pubs are the best place in the world to start to ask a farmer any question
what we are aiming to use is the set a side strip thats 6m wide and surrounds all of there eco fields, if not there we are next looking at the strips or corners of fields that have the young small trees in them, farmers dont do corners so they get left out and planted with trees as cover for the shooting birds on there lands

next is the copise that are also set up for the shoot set up but you want to be on the outside of it not the inside of the trees we also need to be on the south face to allow the sun to warm up the hives
hedges, simple, forget it, it is not worth the cost out lay ,they wont allow it and everyone gets shot down

just ask to put bees on land end of, do not ask to do anything else, it will only confuse a simple farmer

once we have land it does not matter that the corner we have is the far side of a ploughed field , which is the old boys speaking so i will start a heretic corner an say they are talking dribble, i would rather have a corner of land over the far far side of a doubly ploughed field any day than NONE at all, once we have a hive on his land then we point out the next new spot which is where we realy want our hives once on there land moments are easy but getting on is the hard part, and is it me but whats wroung with a flippin wheel barrow do they only sell them to hairy builders and not beeks

almost finished ranting how are we doing plumber,
hedges are there to either protect our hives from animals or from people

from animals a roll of chicken wire (£40) and fence posts (£3) will cheaply suround your hives and keep most beasts away bigger beasts just get bigger wire wire mesh say C80 /100/80 or ask for sheep netting its easier than me giving a break down of mesh sizes, humans try a small electric fence enigizer thats solar powered around £150 but if you are the far far end of a ploughed field they wont see your hives and lastly dont forget to paint them green to keep eyes off them