Hive postion ??????

[Grub]

Hi All
Nearly all sorted with equipment etc
My question is and I would appreciate your thoughts.
I have a small river at the bottom of my garden, so my garden ends and then slopes down, I own the land as such and no access to public apart fron occasionaly Enviroment agaency, across the river is used by the public walking dogs etc, so I am reluctant to have the hive on the other side of the fence as depending on the weather the river can be very shallow I was wondering if I cut a space in the fence and have the hive flush against it, and taking in to account it wont get any sun until late afternoon can you see any problems

Grub

 

[RoofTops]

It will work but you will miss out on being able to see the bees going in and out - from which you can tell quite a lot. I would face the hive towards the fence but a couple of feet back from it. The bees will then tend to fly up and over the fence.

 

[grizzly]

Damp could be an issue ? i cant really picture your spot, but air should really circulate the hive, and it would be better to send them up and over a fence as then they will be above head height.

 

[steveselvage]

I had mine at the bottom of a bank facing a stream in a similar situation as yours, i have moved mine further up the bank over the winter as i found the area by the stream to be cold,damp,had shrubs keeping them in shade,awkward to work as it was on a slope and also a bit of a frost pocket.
Mine were put there initially because i didnt know how close i could have bees to my chickens and dog kennels, i thought a few yards would make all the difference.
Also i faced the entrances away from the garden, this was the most annoying mistake because i really wanted to see what was going on.

 

[mbc]

bees dont like being swept away in floods

 

[shonabee]

I have mine at the top of a river bank, and it works well for me (it's open but sheltered from cold winds, and gets lots of morning sun). But you do need to be very careful that the hive is well clear of any flood water - err on the side of caution.

 

[sherwood]

1. It is safe to say that it is damp rather cold that kills bees
2. You will find that the sooner the sun is on the hive the earlier the bees are out foraging putting them in shadows can reduce length of time spent foraging,

I live in a valley where the sun doesnt get to an hour later than others around me and equally well the sun goes down an hour or so earlier than other local beekeepers experience.

Whilst this has little effect on the bees in the height of summer it does effect them in early spring and autumn as the ambient tempertures are lower quicker.