Fruit cage as apiary site

[kjet2]

Good morning all, we are moving Somerset, where I will finally have space for a decent sized plot for bees.

I was thinking to encourage them to take height on flight (ie avoid as much contact as possible with children and pets in the garden), I would site the apiary in a 3.8m x 3.8m fruit cage that is 2.1m high. The one that I am looking to order is: Fruit Cage | 2 Bay x 2 Bay Fruit Cage measures 3.8m wide x 3.8m long

Planning on between 2-4 hives. Gravel base, with each hive on a concrete tile, locking gate on cage.

I will have to replace the netting with something that has a "tighter" weave, but just wanted to ensure that before I launch into this, that I benefit from any advice that this group may have in respect of mistakes to avoid when taking this approach. There are also badgers that cross the garden, so will have 1.8m high stock fence around the cage.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Ian123]

Why bother with the cage just get some fence posts.

 

[Norton Caff]

You probably don't need to surround them. Just put a willow fence or similar to drive them upwards from the entrance. Can't advise about badgers! Welcome to Somerset. Where abouts are you going to be?

 

[kjet2]

Why bother with the cage just get some fence posts.

Thank you Ian. Until this morning, that had been my plan, but I tend to over-engineer things and the price of timber is pretty high, so it was a cost/time/longevity/minimal future disruption consideration. Open to any advice here.

 

[kjet2]

You probably don't need to surround them. Just put a willow fence or similar to drive them upwards from the entrance. Can't advise about badgers! Welcome to Somerset. Where abouts are you going to be?

Thank you. Over Stratton by South Petherton.

 

[Boston Bees]

Good morning all, we are moving Somerset, where I will finally have space for a decent sized plot for bees.

I was thinking to encourage them to take height on flight (ie avoid as much contact as possible with children and pets in the garden), I would site the apiary in a 3.8m x 3.8m fruit cage that is 2.1m high. The one that I am looking to order is: Fruit Cage | 2 Bay x 2 Bay Fruit Cage measures 3.8m wide x 3.8m long

Planning on between 2-4 hives. Gravel base, with each hive on a concrete tile, locking gate on cage.

I will have to replace the netting with something that has a "tighter" weave, but just wanted to ensure that before I launch into this, that I benefit from any advice that this group may have in respect of mistakes to avoid when taking this approach. There are also badgers that cross the garden, so will have 1.8m high stock fence around the cage.

Thank you in advance.

You certainly wouldn't want any mesh above them i.e. the roof mesh showing in the advert. That would encourage them to fly sideways, which is precisely what you don't want.

But as long as you leave the roof mesh out, I would say this is a good product. It will let almost all the light in, and allow you to see what is going on, without being at risk of bees flying horizontally.

You certainly don't need tighter weave on the sides - as long as the roof is open, this is easily tight enough to make them choose the easier route of going up. So you can just use what they supply.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Why bother with the cage just get some fence posts.

or just sell the pets and put the kids into care
Or vice versa even

 

[Mint Bee]

If a badger wants to go somewhere it will. they are suppressing agile and if they cant dig under an obstruction, they will climb. A friend, a bit further out in the sticks, would block the tunnels into his garden and would occasionally be confronted by a pissed off badger scuttling along the top of a 6 ft fence, when he went out at night. Personally I have setts next to a couple of apiaries and am yet to see any issue. Just keep it tidy and should be OK.