Hive location

[sandysman]

Thanks for the feedback re the expansion yesterday. Can I float this passed you more experienced beeks for feedback.

I currently have a hive situated at my home address on the Notts/Derbs boarder (national hive omf). We are on an elevated site with a hedge and trellis-work protecting two sides of the site where the hive is (north and east) but we are exposed from the west where we get most of the prevailing winds. I am in the process of erecting some mist netting on the west side which will, I hope, cut down the worse of the winds. I know we are not in an ideal location from the bees perspective over the winter period but I want to make sure that I give them the best chance I can through the winter.This time of year is okay for them as we have loads of forage in the fields at the back of us with wild flowers in the hedge rows etc. I do have an opportunity to move the hive over winter to a more sheltered site. Thoughts please?

 

[susbees]

You have sheltered the cold wind sides, the directions that bring snow and biting winds. We put green gale reducer mesh (the cheap stuff) on the top of all our hives last winter, angled out at 45 deg front and back and held down with rocks (we have plenty!). This possibly helped certainly stopping them freezing to death on snowy days when they might otherwise have flown and frozen. Also a bit of insulation in the roof.

The other thing you could do is put an empty super under the OMF, Scottish style I believe.

 

[RoseCottage]

Besides protection from winter weather ask yourself whether the colony will get the early morning sun in spring.
We had a great summer location last year but due to shade it turned out a poor spring location and nearly did for our colonies.
They didn't get out to forage early enough and the queens didn't start laying. We moved them but just, and I mean just, in time.

Sam

 

[chickendave]

[QUOTE
We had a great summer location last year but due to shade it turned out a poor spring location and nearly did for our colonies.
They didn't get out to forage early enough and the queens didn't start laying. We moved them but just, and I mean just, in time.

Sam[/QUOTE]



I gave up my first out apiary site for exactly that reason, the owner did not want me to move the bees to a more suitible location in the orchard so I removed them from the site

 

[susbees]

We had a great summer location last year but due to shade it turned out a poor spring location and nearly did for our colonies.
They didn't get out to forage early enough and the queens didn't start laying. We moved them but just, and I mean just, in time.

Sam

About to move our bottom stand of three hives...trees have grown and they just do less than all the rest. Keep forgetting the scythe....