Bees under trees?

[Farmer Tom]

I don't have any hives (yet) but have spent the past year looking for suitable locations on my farm.
So,
Not too obvious from the road: tick.
Not too close to the house/neighbour: tick.
Southerly view, sensible flight-path, sheltered from the South Westerlies, protected from cattle. I can tick all those boxes, but I've been told not to site hives under trees because the bees don't appreciate water dripping from the branches.
Unfortunately, ALL my best locations are either up against a hedge or under established trees. I do like my trees.

Is it really such a problem siting hives under trees?
After all, water pours out of the sky here......

Tom

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No.
association apiary surrounded by trees.
Home apiary has quite a few trees - overhanging some hives.
One of my out apiaries is tucked in a small clearing closely surrounded by mature trees

 

[madasafish]

No.
association apiary surrounded by trees.
s

Same here..

 

[Gilberdyke John]

No.
association apiary surrounded by trees.
Home apiary has quite a few trees - overhanging some hives.
One of my out apiaries is tucked in a small clearing closely surrounded by mature trees

I agree. Our association apiary is in a wood.
It would be nice if the trees include plum, apple, pear, chestnut, willow etc. and ivy grows amongst them. Blackthorn hedge is also popular with bees and plenty of dandelions in any grassland

 

[user 6228]

Unfortunately, ALL my best locations are either up against a hedge or under established trees. I do like my trees.

Is it really such a problem siting hives under trees?
After all, water pours out of the sky here......

Tom

honeybees (apis mellifera) natural abode is a tree hollow with a southerly entrance 5m up.

 

[Griffo]

I have 3 hives in woodland with some overhanging branches. The bees have done well and have given no indication that they don't like it. The trees provide good shelter and provide a handy stopping-off point for any swarms you may miss.

 

[Farmer Tom]

Thanks all.
I have around five potential sites which are all under/near/around trees.
As I explained elsewhere, I'm not likely to have bees soon ( work commitments),
but I'm doing a bit of planning in advance.
cheers,
Tom

 

[beeno]

Hi Farmer Tom, The issues with trees as I understand it is risk of branches falling to damage the colonies and shade. Hives are supposed to be positioned facing south, SE and have the morning sun on them to get them foraging in the mornings. A little shade in the afternoons is supposed to be good, but avoid shade all day long, as could be the case from overhanging trees, as it causes a damp environment.

 

[enrico]

Last year I had two in the open and two in woodland. The ones in shaded woodland were always slower to start flying and in bed first, if the weather was cool they never bothered coming out so I would suggest some sun would be good, especially in the morning if at all possible.
E

 

[masterBK]

Are woodpecker attacks more frequent in woodland? There used to be a saying "bees in a wood don't do any good". I had problems with slow spring buildup and more cases of Nosema/dysentery when I kept some in a wood although that may be a case of pure coincidence (correlation is not proof of cause). Certainly damp conditions more likely.

 

[alldigging]

Hi Farmer Tom, The issues with trees as I understand it is risk of branches falling to damage the colonies and shade. Hives are supposed to be positioned facing south, SE and have the morning sun on them to get them foraging in the mornings. A little shade in the afternoons is supposed to be good, but avoid shade all day long, as could be the case from overhanging trees, as it causes a damp environment.

Indeed.

Came home to see the bees in the garden (nice and sunny) having a whale of a time dancing about. Much less activity in the shaded allotment apiary.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I have around five potential sites which are all under/near/around trees.
As I explained elsewhere, I'm not likely to have bees soon ( work commitments),
but I'm doing a bit of planning in advance.

There's not much wrong with keeping bees in woodland as long as it isn't too heavily shaded for too many hours of the day. Almost all the colonies I've seen that are in permanent deep shade do less well than those with some sunlight. One I saw last week wasn't active until after midday, and then only for a couple of hours, whilst mine were still flying when I saw them later that day.

Also, dry shade is better than damp shade - bees on damp soil do seem to have much more chalkbrood than those on dryer soil.

 

[Teemore]

Are woodpecker attacks more frequent in woodland? There used to be a saying "bees in a wood don't do any good". I had problems with slow spring buildup and more cases of Nosema/dysentery when I kept some in a wood although that may be a case of pure coincidence (correlation is not proof of cause). Certainly damp conditions more likely.

No native woodpeckers in Ireland but I gather a pair of Greater Spotted woodpeckers may have bred in or around Phoenix park in Dublin a year or so ago....

 

[user 6228]

There's not much wrong with keeping bees in woodland as long as it isn't too heavily shaded for too many hours of the day. Almost all the colonies I've seen that are in permanent deep shade do less well than those with some sunlight. One I saw last week wasn't active until after midday, and then only for a couple of hours, whilst mine were still flying when I saw them later that day.

Also, dry shade is better than damp shade - bees on damp soil do seem to have much more chalkbrood than those on dryer soil.

Chalkbrood : humidity is secondary to temperature. Was this evidence from insulated hives with reasonably adequate sized colonies i.e MCR > 1 ?

 

[BeeJayBee]

Also, dry shade is better than damp shade - bees on damp soil do seem to have much more chalkbrood than those on dryer soil.

Chalkbrood : humidity is secondary to temperature. Was this evidence from insulated hives with reasonably adequate sized colonies i.e MCR > 1 ?

Both poly and cedar hives in the same apiaries where some are in a shadier and damper spot than others.