Have I chosen a good location?

[cak29]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and the world of beekeeping, expecting to pickup my first hives and bees this spring. Have been doing lots of reading books and of this forum (full of useful info), and think I have selected an appropriate location for the hives, but would like your opinions.

We live on the outskirts of a village, with acres of orchards at the bottom of our road and various fields opposite our house. Our garden is about 125ft long and we have a corner pergola in the left hand corner which is where we were planning to locate the hives (under the pergola which is 3m by 3m and 2.5m tall). The garden is surrounded by 6ft fences (including in this corner) which should provide good shelter from wind, they will point south so will get the sun most of the day and we are going to put up trellis/trellis gate around the sides of the pergola to provide some shading from the sun, encourage them to fly through the top (made of 5 long thin beams) and prevent the dogs getting too curious.

Is there a problem with them being this enclosed and will it encourage bee eating birds to lie in wait for them?

 

[wondervet]

our hives are penned in an area 3m x 2m by barriers 2m tall on all sides (fence, shed, garage and bee-proof netting). They cope fine as far as I can tell. After take off they spiral up and out before entering warp speed once above the fence. You do sometimes find cold bees stranded on the outside of the net in the evenings so maybe lose the odd one.

birds not a big issue.

 

[hedgerow pete]

dont you just hate people with proper gardens, mines so small if i put a hive in the back garden it would hang over the fence on both sides

 

[tonybloke]

Hi, welcome to the forum!!


since when has Cambridge been a village? ( I was raised in Fordham, nr cambridge)

your apiary site sounds very good, btw

 

[cak29]

Thanks for comments so far.

If you makes you feel better H Pete, we did have to view over 40 houses before we found one with a decent sized garden and something we could afford. The garden was initially for the dogs to run around in (2 Labradors), but is now becoming veg plots, flower beds etc etc and the latest addition.....

Ah, we are actually north of Cambridge in Willingham

 

[Silly Bee]

dont you just hate people with proper gardens, mines so small if i put a hive in the back garden it would hang over the fence on both sides

LOL


I bet you buy that wafer thin ham from Tesco, its so thin it only has one side.

 

[keithgrimes]

sounds like a close to ideal site

 

[Vergilius]

Yep, seems fine... There are bees sited in much less "ideal" sites like your's that do very well...

Ben P

 

[hedgerow pete]

i would say my garden is so small i have to use the nieghbours washing line to hang out my socks, one day just after winning the lottery i will have a garden so big it will be in two time zones let alone post codes, all i can say is god help hive maker when that happens the poor bugger is going to working 24 hours a day to get the list of hives finished

 

[Midland Beek]

Is there a problem with them being this enclosed and will it encourage bee eating birds to lie in wait for them?

If you were a bird, would you eat a bee? There is not a single bee eating bird in the UK. If there was, I would have seen one sat outside my beehives by now.

 

[PaleoPerson]

If you were a bird, would you eat a bee? There is not a single bee eating bird in the UK. If there was, I would have seen one sat outside my beehives by now.

Errr, have you seen http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=552

How far from you is that MB?

 

[drstitson]

"There is not a single bee eating bird in the UK"

quite right - there is a pair!!!!

 

[tonybloke]

If you were a bird, would you eat a bee? There is not a single bee eating bird in the UK. If there was, I would have seen one sat outside my beehives by now.

I quite regularly have great tits picking off bees from the front of my hives!

 

[timaye100]

Sounds like a good location

Sounds like a good location!

I am siting my hives next to my cottage which is south facing and a good high fence to protect the neighbours

If you are worried about birds, you could perch a large plastic owl on top of your hive

Cheers

 

[cak29]

Thanks all, that has reassured me that my site should be ok.

 

[peterbees]

This sounds like the site I've spent 30 years looking for!
Your bees will pollinate the fruit trees in the orchards, and the trees will provide pollen and nectar. The village gardens will have a range of useful forage, and you may have oil seed rape and possibly borage within reach. Maybe lime trees late summer, they make a delicious honey.
Suggest you check out if there are other beekeepers nearby. It would be courteous to let them know.

 

[cak29]

This sounds like the site I've spent 30 years looking for!
Your bees will pollinate the fruit trees in the orchards, and the trees will provide pollen and nectar. The village gardens will have a range of useful forage, and you may have oil seed rape and possibly borage within reach. Maybe lime trees late summer, they make a delicious honey.
Suggest you check out if there are other beekeepers nearby. It would be courteous to let them know.

Thanks, have come to realise that my garden should make a good home the surroundings are a big bonus. We are looking forward to their arrival, realise still have a lot to learn but hopeful thats where you guys can help answer questions.

I am aware of some bee keepers nearish me, 1 in the next village but haven't found anyone in the same village yet. Would the beekeepers association be able to let you know beekeeper neighbours?

 

[tonybloke]

easy answer is YES !!