Hives on garage roof

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blackcavebees

Field Bee
Joined
Sep 21, 2011
Messages
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Location
Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland
Hive Type
National
Looking for a bit of advice guys ...

Wanting to expand next year but space in garden limited because of chickens, backyard rabbit farm and all available area into veg beds.

I have a large workshop block shed at bottom of garden with steel roof at maybe 12 degree pitch. Tree line behind.

Any problems with siting 3 hives on top of the roof if strapped to the roof? I've had 2 large men on top of the roof working so will take the extra weight ok.

Thought it would keep flight line up away from neighbours gardens

Obviously not ideal to remove multiple supers down ladder but as only a couple of times a year can be done with a little help

Comments, suggestions?
 
I m new so take my advice bearing that in mind. I have 2 hives on top of my conservatory (6 inch bearers 2 foot apart) and got 3 supers on the pair of them in my first year with no signs of anything going wrong. I intend to put another 3 on teh garage roof (8 inch bearers 2 foot apart) next year and another on the conservatory. They are about 6 feet away from where we eat outside (or would do if the weather ever allowed) and they have caused me no problems whatsoever bar the occasional sat nav not working and ending up in the house but we open a window and out they go. They tend to fly over the roof of the house (bungalow) so are up to 20 feet before they go off anywhere. As for the ladder, this year it has been a ladder but next year I ll be buying 2 loft ladders to extend down as a spiral staircase is a bit expensive. Personally speaking I can see no downers bar the weight and you can level them out with an extra pice of 2x1 or 3x2 using a spirit level. Go for it.
 
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You will find out soon how wise the idea is. I think that it is wise not at all.
Most of all the place is not safe to work. Bee stuff is very heavy to handle even on ground.
To play health game is not worth of it.
Second, you brake your garage roof.
 
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I had two 'Bait Hives' on my flat roof
Until the window cleaner got stung !
 
Sounds good until you've got two or three supers to get down. Carrying one of those suckers across log grass can be difficult, so heaving it over a precipice sounds plain daft to me.
Even if it doesn't pull you down, think of the mess it would cause (and the robbing frenzy) if you dropped one. Just find an out apiary. You have until next season, after all.

Looking for a bit of advice guys ...

Wanting to expand next year but space in garden limited because of chickens, backyard rabbit farm and all available area into veg beds.

I have a large workshop block shed at bottom of garden with steel roof at maybe 12 degree pitch. Tree line behind.

Any problems with siting 3 hives on top of the roof if strapped to the roof? I've had 2 large men on top of the roof working so will take the extra weight ok.

Thought it would keep flight line up away from neighbours gardens

Obviously not ideal to remove multiple supers down ladder but as only a couple of times a year can be done with a little help

Comments, suggestions?
 
I had two 'Bait Hives' on my flat roof
Until the window cleaner got stung !

But a Bait Hive is a very different proposition to a full operational hive.
 
Have 1 fullhive n Nuc on shed roof no problems with them ,but am going to put them on stands on the ground over the winter for ease of working in the spring ,up and down to the roof on ladders ok when empty handed not the best when carrying equipment ,worked for me for a while though needed the room .
 
A strong flat roof can be great - *IF* access does not involve a ladder!
 
I have 3 hives on my 1940s air raid shelter roof. It's 8' - 9' high, and access is by ladder, but it's no problem getting either me or equipment up and down. Heavy supers (if only I could get some honey this year) can be placed at the edge, then passed to a tall person or people standing on the ground. The bees are totally untroubled by people standing below them, watching their comings and goings, and by my mowing the lawn immediately below them.

However, my roof is totally flat. It's your degree of pitch that worries me.
 
I have 3 hives on my 1940s air raid shelter roof. It's 8' - 9' high, and access is by ladder, but it's no problem getting either me or equipment up and down. Heavy supers (if only I could get some honey this year) can be placed at the edge, then passed to a tall person or people standing on the ground. The bees are totally untroubled by people standing below them, watching their comings and goings, and by my mowing the lawn immediately below them.

However, my roof is totally flat. It's your degree of pitch that worries me.

THat's fine if the shelter is of the uncommon type with a concrete cap for a roof, but any pitch with a heavy object is a recipe for disaster.
 
One thing I forgot to mention is they wont suffer from ground frost at all being that much higher. In terms of carrying the supers down which I did yesterday on a normal ladder, I just put the step ladder next to it and passed it on to that then took it from there. its just not a problem for the once a year I have carry the supers down. A one person job still.
 
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One thing more.
Hives suffer from wind.
But first of all, it is dangerous place to work with heavy loads.

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if a risk assesment is carried out first, sort of thing everyone does every day just crossing the road, then I don't see a problem, its easy enough to fit up a box on a rope to pull up, lower down filled supers or bee equipment, did no one see the young lad in hackney east london, 8 nationals on the house flat roof, 2 floors up, only access via a long ladder
 
*the young lad* - says it all :D
 
:iagree: I agree with Finman on this, ideal to have a bait hive or two but to handle fully developed colonies on a roof can result in accidents
.
You will find out soon how wise the idea is. I think that it is wise not at all.
Most of all the place is not safe to work. Bee stuff is very heavy to handle even on ground.
To play health game is not worth of it.
Second, you brake your garage roof.
 

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