Maximum number of colonies within Apiary

[BMH]

Having gathered all my colonies back to base for winter, I was thinking whats the maximum number of colonies you could have at one site for production purposes.

Obviously its completely dependent on the available forage and other beehives in the area, but assuming there is excellent forage available, what are peoples thoughts?

I cant see the commercial operators having sites with 5-10 hives. More like 50-60 in each spot.

Any thoughts?

 

[Poly Hive]

Manley spelt it out.

You keep increasing until the rule of diminishing returns takes effect.

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

Manley spelt it out.

You keep increasing until the rule of diminishing returns takes effect.

PH

The number that it is worth lighting the smoker for!

Chons da

 

[Anduril]

A bee farmer near me will only have sites where he can place a minimum of 30 hives on.

 

[Poly Hive]

I used to put 40 on OSR sites and it seemed to make no odds. On the heaather, I just put the lot on the one spot and again it made no odds.

PH

 

[Antipodes]

-what happens here on Crown land, is that others decide site capacity for you.....generally there is a forestry assessment (the beekeeper pays for it) and an allocation committee etc. You have to substantially use the site within a couple of years or you can lose it. Is that sort of how it works in the UK on Crown land?

 

[Poly Hive]

No such thing as Crown land here that I know of.

What does it mean over in Tassie?

PH

 

[Finman]

.
I had this summer one hive on fireweed pastures. It got 100 kg in 4 weeks

I use to keep maximum 4-5 hives in each spot. In poor pastures only one.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No such thing as Crown land here that I know of.

Plenty of crown land here - just hardly any of it suitable for beekeeping

 

[Finman]

.
In a good flow and in a good flowering time there are lots of nectar on pastures. It lasts 2-3 weeks. What about rest of summer? There may be pollen and nectar for 2-4 hives, but not for 20.

 

[Poly Hive]

Never heard of it? Can you explain what it is in Wales then?

PH

 

[Repwoc]

The Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_land

 

[B+.]

Never heard of it? Can you explain what it is in Wales then?

PH

I know of a couple of farms that are leased from the Crown Estate which, I assume, is the same thing.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Never heard of it? Can you explain what it is in Wales then?

PH

same as in England and Scotland

Also includes all land below Mean High water springs and all river banks below the higher tidal navigation mark

 

[maz0]

I have around 10 acres to play with at home. I plan to keep on growing until they stop filling supers. I've heard in a talk of bees being found foraging up to 13km away.

 

[B+.]

I have around 10 acres to play with at home. I plan to keep on growing until they stop filling supers. I've heard in a talk of bees being found foraging up to 13km away.

Were they Cornish Black Bees?

 

[Antipodes]

Parks and Wildlife Service and Sustainable Timber Tasmania are the sort of government agencies that manage the land and they have arrangements for licences and apiary sites for beekeepers. They are generally forested areas mainly in the wetter western half of the state, so have tea tree, leatherwood, various eucalypt species and so on within them. I've heard of sites with a 15 hive capacity up to sites of 50 hives, (sites are almost impossible to acquire). Often the forest (which can be impenetrable) and the topography limits the space, so those issues can restrict numbers of hives, they are sort of on the sides of gravel roads mostly. It's public land really so anyone can drive unimpeded up to where your hives are.
The hives don't stay in the forests all year because it is generally unsuitable in the colder months ....so it is a lot of moving hives and travel.

 

[maz0]

Were they Cornish Black Bees?

Probably more like starving black bee's!

It was actually 14km, oops

https://youtu.be/pkJQ4GUSj8I?t=736

 

[For want of a better word]

Were they Cornish Black Bees?