Colony density

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Cefn Eithaf

New Bee
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
36
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15
Location
Anglesey
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
8
Does anyone know of any studies on the effect on yields of colony density ?
I have a suspicion that the influx of new beekeepers is dampening my yields. Live in a very rural area in Wales which is stock based and no arable crops. Thank you
 
Lots of comments on London being swamped with hives and yields falling.. But no studies I have seen
 
"The Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority are advocating the support of increased beekeeping in London. They say, “In the winter of 2009/10, Britain lost a third of its bee colonies. Bees are a vital part of Britain’s ecology, and are directly responsible for pollinating at least 30% of the food crops we eat. They are also an important indicator of our ecosystem’s overall health.

There are many reasons for the decline of bees. What is clear however is that large, urban centres are becoming havens for bee populations. They provide a milder climate and a wider range of food than the countryside. London has a key part to play in the future survival of Britain’s bee populations and with more Londoners than ever choosing to grow their own food, bees are more important than ever."


Source : Bees in London City Beekeeping
 
I did read something recently about this but I've lost track of where. When I tried to work out the logistics I think it was primarily based on the maximum ranges of any competing colonies and looking at what might naturally have happened if mankind hadn't come on the scene.
I'm sure you can easily flood an area with too many colonies. You should try overlaying a three mile circle centred on your apiary using Google Maps. I was amazed to see just how much of my local area was covered by this. I am aware of at least five serious amateur beekeepers whose own three mile "circles" will intersect with mine.
 
I did read something recently about this but I've lost track of where. When I tried to work out the logistics I think it was primarily based on the maximum ranges of any competing colonies and looking at what might naturally have happened if mankind hadn't come on the scene.
I'm sure you can easily flood an area with too many colonies. You should try overlaying a three mile circle centred on your apiary using Google Maps. I was amazed to see just how much of my local area was covered by this. I am aware of at least five serious amateur beekeepers whose own three mile "circles" will intersect with mine.
Makes for "interesting" open matings .
 
This thread has got me plotting a 2 mile radius from the hives in my garden. Everywhere seems much closer as the bees flies. They can even comfortably get to Kew Gardens for some exotic nectar. I wonder if they would fly above or below the Chiswick Flyover ;-) Anyone on here within this circle?
 

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After listening to Jo Widdecombe on the BIBBA talk this evening I did a similar thing but a 3 mile circle. I have 8 apiaries with 40 hives within it and only know of one other beekeeper within the circle. I did plot another 8 nests or abandoned hives tho.
 
After listening to Jo Widdecombe on the BIBBA talk this evening I did a similar thing but a 3 mile circle. I have 8 apiaries with 40 hives within it and only know of one other beekeeper within the circle. I did plot another 8 nests or abandoned hives tho.
Tell me where the abonden hives are I'm on a mission from the bee goddess demeter!!
 
I have studied 30 years the idea of good pastures and number of hives, what is usefull to keep in one spot.

That I know that 3 mile (4.5 km) is really too big circle to evaluate pastures. I look 1 km circle. And 2 km is too big. You just loose your yield because of distance. If bees must fly over one km to reach rape field, half of the yield is missing.

In my environment pastures changes all the time. I see it when I compare yield in different places. Local rains is one explanation to yields. And so on...
 
Its not just urban areas.
I've Just checked bee base. There are 131 apiaries within 10km of my home apiary, and that's only the ones that are registered on beebase. I do know that 10km is too wide an area but cannot reduce the radius to a smaller scale to obtain more accurate data. Poor honey yields are not just down to the weather and poor husbandry !
 
Topography is going to affect your colonies foraging range so the radius is bound to include colonies that would never be competition to your bees, plus the fact that you can't delete any old registered site. I know of four apiaries near me that no longer exist, they were mine and they are still on beebase.
 
Topography is going to affect your colonies foraging range so the radius is bound to include colonies that would never be competition to your bees, plus the fact that you can't delete any old registered site. I know of four apiaries near me that no longer exist, they were mine and they are still on beebase.
Makes the tool a bit useless then doesn't it ?
 
It does. Not sure how accurate it is either, one apiary showed 82 and my next showed 127, less than half a mile away. Taking each apiary as the centre point, I can't see 45 apiaries difference.
 
Its not just urban areas.
I've Just checked bee base. There are 131 apiaries within 10km of my home apiary, and that's only the ones that are registered on beebase. I do know that 10km is too wide an area but cannot reduce the radius to a smaller scale to obtain more accurate data. Poor honey yields are not just down to the weather and poor husbandry !
Just because they'r listed on beebase, doesn't mean they're active, there is no facility to delete an apiary off the database, so if you move your apiary from one end of a farm to another, you end up with two registered sites. I have apiaries registered to me that haven't had hives on for years.
 
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Does anyone know of any studies on the effect on yields of colony density ?
I have a suspicion that the influx of new beekeepers is dampening my yields. Live in a very rural area in Wales which is stock based and no arable crops. Thank you
Baum et al 2005 though the study is about feral colonies. Perhaps what happens in the wilds has reasons?
 
Tell me where the abonden hives are I'm on a mission from the bee goddess demeter!!
Unfortunately they are in a guys garden. I only saw them when I removed a swarm from an adjacent footpath. He was not interested in me doing anything with them so I placed a bait hive in a local tree and picked up another swarm a month later.
 
Unfortunately they are in a guys garden. I only saw them when I removed a swarm from an adjacent footpath. He was not interested in me doing anything with them so I placed a bait hive in a local tree and picked up another swarm a month later.
Don't you have enough free bees now Neil.
 
I do, but I just can't resist them 😀..... I love assessing their qualities. I have picked up 2 brilliant swarms this year most of the others have or will be requeened.
 
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