Apiary Windbreaks

[Haughton Honey]

I am currently looking in to surrounding my apiaries with 5ft-6ft windbreaks in the Autumn and wondered what fellow 'beeks' on here used for the purpose - as well as helping to perhaps hide my hives I'm most interested in providing additional Winter protection for them.

Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[susbees]

Yep, we are thinking about it too. Got our bees on a 3.5 acre field (ours) with willow breaks which are not really thick enough for full protection yet. Various galebreaker-type meshes about.

 

[peteinwilts]

autumn!! tomorrow is meant to be a rough one!

I place mine close to hedgerows. Even when facing the prevailing, the wind just whips over the top of the hedgerow.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Most of my sites are secluded and well sheltered naturally......but have one where it gets a bit raw in winter.....used cedar slabs, which is waste from the logs we sawmill,makes very good windbreak.

 

[8LGM]

Hi,

Mine are reasonably well shelered from wind but was thinking of a roof to cover the hives (2 close together) to keep rain, snow and frost off.

Good, bad or indifferent idea?

 

[MuswellMetro]

mine are in a victorian walled garden...heat in summer is my problem, but we have used pampas grass as a fast growing screen to keep theiving eyes away...handfull of 20 20 10 fertiliser in the planting hole, already bl,,,,dy big at 8ft and getting bushy after a year

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have willow hurdles around mine. I took two down so that the hives got as much sun as poss but they will be up for winter. Also making a wooden jacket for them, leaving room for entry and exit, so that each sits in its own mini shed

 

[Silly Bee]

I have grown cuttings of Worcester Berries. I did hope to plant them in front of the hives.

They can be grow into a really thick hedge, and the fruit is good. (Beware of the thorns)

If you are going to grow a wind break, grow something you can take a crop from.

 

[Onge]

Here is a picture of my allotment apiary before I repopulated it after moving them to another sight. I used recycled fence posts and scaffold netting, working a treat so far.