New out-apiary or stick with what I've got?

[Beemum]

I may need to move about an hour south soon, and where the bees will live is a big part of deliberations.

Current site - my own very small field, high up on a fell so long winters and plenty of rain the rest of the year. But, plenty of forage nearby with early season willow to heather later, and I can plant/manage how I like to provide more nectar/pollen. It has a stream and is sheltered from the worst weather with an ok level of winter sunshine, albeit spring comes late. Fairly accessible with parking nearby and enough space for a bee shed.

New site yet to be found but it'll be lower altitude and slightly less vicious winters/a little drier but still Yorkshire! As I'm downsizing for financial reasons I doubt I'll find/afford a place with a big garden or adjacent field so the biggest issue is I'll be on someone else's land. Everything else yet to be determined of course.

Obviously I've been spoilt having my bees near home, but would it be daft to consider leaving them here and travelling back to care for them? Does being in full control of the current field outweigh some of the negatives about the site, and the travelling, or do you all manage perfectly well in out apiaries and I should stop fussing?

Challenge is I will need to decide about the field before I sell the house...

 

[enrico]

I may need to move about an hour south soon, and where the bees will live is a big part of deliberations.

Current site - my own very small field, high up on a fell so long winters and plenty of rain the rest of the year. But, plenty of forage nearby with early season willow to heather later, and I can plant/manage how I like to provide more nectar/pollen. It has a stream and is sheltered from the worst weather with an ok level of winter sunshine, albeit spring comes late. Fairly accessible with parking nearby and enough space for a bee shed.

New site yet to be found but it'll be lower altitude and slightly less vicious winters/a little drier but still Yorkshire! As I'm downsizing for financial reasons I doubt I'll find/afford a place with a big garden or adjacent field so the biggest issue is I'll be on someone else's land. Everything else yet to be determined of course.

Obviously I've been spoilt having my bees near home, but would it be daft to consider leaving them here and travelling back to care for them? Does being in full control of the current field outweigh some of the negatives about the site, and the travelling, or do you all manage perfectly well in out apiaries and I should stop fussing?

Challenge is I will need to decide about the field before I sell the house...

I like to have mine close but that is because I still waste hours watching what they are doing. To me that is a part of the satisfaction of a hobby beekeeper. But...... Neighbours can be a REAL problem so given the choice, isolated rather than nea

 

[Murox]

Catch 22 .
Maybe you will want to use the field as an escape from wherever you end up ?and you can always create more shelter from winds, You mentioned a bee shed, what about keeping the hives in a shed, people do that. I have to keep my bees on other peoples land, its ok but not ideal and I hate moving all the kit around. I don't think distance is a problem, maybe the time is, but you need X amount of kit in your vehicle regardless of distance. Although I use two sites I am looking for a third option in case I ever have to quit one of the others, thats the issue I think always needing to have/find an alternative.

 

[Blunt Spike]

I've got three out apiaries, two on farms and one on a private estate. If you talk to landowners and explain your needs which for me were out of public view, away from public footpaths, they showed me around and I picked my spot. Ive found farmers love the idea of having bees on their land and the rent paid in honey seems to be the cream on top for them.

I have had to buy a 4x4 this year though, as the rain made driving along tractor tracks in a vauxhall astra near impossible.

If you buy a field, you may find there's limited forage... especially if you don't know the area. If you use a farmers land and the location isn't perfect, just find a new site.

 

[drex]

Having just moved home, for the first time, I have an out apiary. In new home I would not have bees in garden as we are next to a primary school playing field.
To find a site I used local Facebook page. Inundated with offers. My apiary is only about a mile away. I am now used to planning ahead to make sure I have the right kit when needed, but it is still a bit of a pain. However I am so grateful that I can still enjoy my bees.

 

[ericbeaumont]

decide about the field before I sell the house

find/afford a place with a big garden

If sale of the field would enable you to buy a bigger garden then do it, but really, a garden doesn't need to be very big to hold two colonies. On the other hand, an out-apiary must justify the fuel and travel, which is why many beekeepers keep 10-20 on distant sites.

If a home garden is not on the cards, it wouldn't be hard to persuade a local landowner. Check on Google Earth and walk the dog to find a secure, hidden, accessible spot within 10 minutes of your new home.

 

[Beemum]

Thanks everyone, lots to think about...and I will recce the apiary situation in the new area before I go much further!

 

[pargyle]

Thanks everyone, lots to think about...and I will recce the apiary situation in the new area before I go much further!

It's really hard isn't it ? I keep my bees at home and it's lovely to be able to just pop round and have a look at them, my kit is always on hand so when I forget something it's not usually a problem. I had an out apiary at my mums house about 7 miles away for a few years ... and I looked after some hives a couple of miles away. I found that even these small distances had disadvantages insomuch as you do have to either have a complete second set of kit on site or be totally organised. You really do need to be on top of your inspections in the season .. swarming and having to go and see what's happening at odd times is not helpful and with fuel costs these days it soon mounts up.

There are a lot of valid points in the posts above - lots to take into account you probably need to consider all the pros and cons very carefully and it may be that your new home is what dictates the decision to keep or let your existing field go. In the meantime if you know what area you are moving to there's nothing to stop you looking around to see what sites might be available. Good luck with the move - second most stressful thing in life after divorce !

 

[Beemum]

It's really hard isn't it ? I keep my bees at home and it's lovely to be able to just pop round and have a look at them, my kit is always on hand so when I forget something it's not usually a problem. I had an out apiary at my mums house about 7 miles away for a few years ... and I looked after some hives a couple of miles away. I found that even these small distances had disadvantages insomuch as you do have to either have a complete second set of kit on site or be totally organised. You really do need to be on top of your inspections in the season .. swarming and having to go and see what's happening at odd times is not helpful and with fuel costs these days it soon mounts up.

There are a lot of valid points in the posts above - lots to take into account you probably need to consider all the pros and cons very carefully and it may be that your new home is what dictates the decision to keep or let your existing field go. In the meantime if you know what area you are moving to there's nothing to stop you looking around to see what sites might be available. Good luck with the move - second most stressful thing in life after divorce !

Unfortunately I've just done the divorce that's why I need to move! But yes, pros and cons to all the options, and I've found someone who already keeps bees in the new area, so I'm going to contact him to check on forage...which will be the start of the information gathering! I know I've been v lucky with the existing field, and letting that go for an option where I have less control is a bit scary...(it's also a place I love which isn't helping!)

 

[Garry R]

Lovely if you have two close by apiaries about 1.5 miles apart in different directions from home. Makes moving nucs etc very simple and the space you need for each can be really small.