Help - honey house size

[damianpeters]

Hi all,

I wondered if it would be possible to speak with someone in this forum for some guidance in relation to honey bee keeping, particularly the size a honey house would need to be to facilitate the requirements for twenty or so colonies of bees to start off with and possibly more with growth in the future.

I have read numerous posts relating to this subject on bee keeping forums and the general sense I am getting is that however big my honey house is, I am likely to require bigger. Therefore, I want to ensure I get the right size for all necessary equipment for extracting honey, winter storage for bee hives and anything further required. Unfortunately, I have been unable to achieve clarity on this subject. I have spoken with the Food Standards Agency who in turn have referred me to DEFRA. After asking DEFRA this very same question, they suggested I look at information provided on their website, which does not cover this point/enquiry.

I would very much appreciate any guidance/advice that anybody could offer in relation to this matter.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Damian

 

[Hivemaker.]

Hi all,
I wondered if it would be possible to speak with someone in this forum for some guidance in relation to honey bee keeping, particularly the size a honey house would need to be to facilitate the requirements for twenty or so colonies of bees to start off with and possibly more with growth in the future.

Hi Damian, welcome.
How much growth in the future, 50 hives, 350?

 

[Heather]

Start with 2 and learn ....

 

[Moggett]

Start with 2 and learn ....

and go on a beginner's course before getting any.

 

[enrico]

Hi Damian and welcome. There are many experienced beekeepers in here that would not attempt looking after 20 hives of bees. I am not sure of your experience but it doesn't sound as though you have much. You may even find one hive daunting! If you indeed have no experience then why go to all the expense of bee houses before you know if you can even manage one hive! Ok increase that to two for a challenge and see how you get on. The expense to set you up would be vast, the time needed for twenty hives is a great deal every week during the swarming season. There are many questions. If you have a bee house you obviously don't expect to move your hives. Do you have forage for twenty plus hives?
Give us a bit more help here.....how much experience do you actually have or is this just a spurious question? With the right information some of us will be willing to help you out!
This is a good forum with much experience to hand. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!
E

 

[REDWOOD]

When you say honey house is that the place you want for uncapping, extraction and canning or a house for putting bee in ?

 

[Dadnlad]

By honey house do you mean shed ?..... If so, it will never be big enough (sort of reverse Tardis effect)

 

[Dishmop]

Do you know how many bees there are in an average hive during the main season?

 

[Dadnlad]

There are plans for a 20 hive honey house in this month's (Dec) BBKA News page 407

 

[Hebeegeebee]

There are plans for a 20 hive honey house in this month's (Dec) BBKA News page 407

But then the OP has to join the BBKA last month....

Best to get a couple of colonies first - with 4 hives to cope with swarming and run them for a couple of years before expanding. Join the local association, do some learnin' ...

 

[Little John]

[...] the right size for all necessary equipment for extracting honey, winter storage for bee hives [sic - supers ?] and anything further required.

So it's to be a shed for 'all the stuff', rather than a 'bee-house' ?

In general terms, about the size of a single garage might do it. The reason no-one can say for sure is that 'it all depends' on how much stuff you intend to accumulate - and only you will know that ... eventually.
I would prophesy however, that no matter how big your shed is, you'll always want something 50% bigger ...

But - regardless of how big the shed is - what you will need is plenty of shelves.

As other have said, suggest you start with 2 (or even 2 & 1/2 ) hives and see how you go. 20 would be a helluva lot to start off with.

Also suggest you either join an association OR ('cause they ain't for everybody) find yourself an experienced beekeeper to 'shadow' for a year.

Good luck

LJ

 

[Arfermo]

Hi all,I wondered if it would be possible to speak with someone in this forum for some guidance in relation to honey bee keeping, particularly the size a honey house would need to be to facilitate the requirements for twenty or so colonies of bees to start off with and possibly more with growth in the future.
I have read numerous posts relating to this subject on bee keeping forums and the general sense I am getting is that however big my honey house is, I am likely to require bigger. Therefore, I want to ensure I get the right size for all necessary equipment for extracting honey, winter storage for bee hives and anything further required. Unfortunately, I have been unable to achieve clarity on this subject. I have spoken with the Food Standards Agency who in turn have referred me to DEFRA. After asking DEFRA this very same question, they suggested I look at information provided on their website, which does not cover this point/enquiry.I would very much appreciate any guidance/advice that anybody could offer in relation to this matter.
I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Damian

You seem to be trying to start big without much of a clue as to what you are letting yourself in for - commercially by the look of it? A daunting prospect even for experienced beekeepers. If you need advice, join the British Beekeepers Assn. via membership of a local BKA (list of them if you Google to BBKA website). Alternatively, have a look at the Beesource Forum which is in US where commercial type beekeeping is popular; also
http://www.honeyshop.co.uk/Bee.html and http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=4353.an Beehouses/sheds seem to be quite popular in eastern Europe too, so some surfing in order.

 

[damianpeters]

Hi,

The overall site is 7.5 acres, but its quite rural having fields to three sides. I don't think that I would have the time for it to grow beyond fifty hives in total, but I'm keen for myself, my dad and my son to have a fun business/hobby together.

My dad has kept beehives at his home since 1990 so although I'm new to bee keeping my dad has more experience than anybody else I know in keeping honey bees - the issue I'm having is that although the local Council are happy for my land to be used for keeping honey bees I have been asked to provide them with specific information regarding how big the required barn should be and also why this size is needed? I know that I will need something that's big enough for secure storage of the bee keeping equipment, storage of tools and machinery, areas for storage, cleaning and hygiene maintenance of bee keeping equipment, extraction and also the short term storage of the extracted material. I will need sufficient space for the hives to be stored when not in use (over wintering) and an area would also be used for the repair and routine maintenance of the hives, supers & frames etc.
It would be nice to have a small covered area for my quad bike and trailer to be stored when not in use, but I suppose this isn't essential.

Is there a web link to the plans you mentioned for a twenty hive honey house in BBKA?

I have contacted my local bee keeping association, DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency to ask them for guidence for the size or honey house required for up to fifty hives, but its now been a number of months and nobody has been able/willing to help.

Many thanks

Damian

 

[VEG]

Defra and the fsa will have no idea what size room you need, as they like you have no idea of what you need.(not meant in a rude way)

 

[Jimmy]

Visit a (semi-)commercial beekeeper and see what space they use.

 

[MuswellMetro]

By honey house do you mean shed ?..... If so, it will never be big enough (sort of reverse Tardis effect)

what he he wants from his post is diffiuclt to understand becauses honey house is not a term in regular usage in the uk, perhaps he has read an american book and means extraction room but if it is just storage i have no idea why he would want to store them in side

However if inside storrage is requireuired then my best estimate of maximum would be for every active 14x12 brood box he needs one extra 14x12 hive plus four supers plus floor and plus roof

so about 3 time the storage volume for each hive and any ancillaries he needs added

 

[Hivemaker.]

20ft x 35ft

 

[MuswellMetro]

So it's to be a shed for 'all the stuff', rather than a 'bee-house' ?

In general terms, about the size of a single garage might do it. The reason no-one can say for sure is that 'it all depends' on how much stuff you intend to accumulate - and only you will know that ... eventually.
I would prophesy however, that no matter how big your shed is, you'll always want something 50% bigger ...

But - regardless of how big the shed is - what you will need is plenty of shelves.

As other have said, suggest you start with 2 (or even 2 & 1/2 ) hives and see how you go. 20 would be a helluva lot to start off with.

Also suggest you either join an association OR ('cause they ain't for everybody) find yourself an experienced beekeeper to 'shadow' for a year.

Good luck

LJ

seconded

 

[alldigging]

You're after an agriculture building essential for the work you're planning to do... with an extraction room which will need water and power?

 

[MuswellMetro]

i would also query what the resultant honey yields will be if he puts 50 hives in a 3 Hectare field, he may get a higher net yield of honey with 20 than 50

it going to cause lots of drifting/disease spread and the bees will find quite a dearth of spring pollen in arable areas of Hertfordshire causing a slow build up, whats the local forage like, i have seen 50 hectare arable and pasture fields in Hertfordshire where bees would starve

Hopefully his 3 Hectare field is nowhere near other beekeepers as they will be cursing him for their drop in honey yields and also at the other end of Hertfordshire to my own one hectare feild in Hertsfordshire

At 50 hives he will also have invalidated his BBKA £10m public liability and hive produce insurance so he will need to either get his own insurance or try to join the British Bee Farmers Assocotion

so give me an indication of what part of Hertfordshire it is in ( not the exact location just the nearest village) and i might be able to give more advice