Out Apiary or garden ?

[Sir Quej]

What have most people got? I currently have my bees in three gardens (my own, my mums and my sisters). I would love to have them all together at an out apiary but worry about vandalism, how to arrange it etc etc.....

How do farmers generally react to being asked? How do you go about asking? What is the best sort of place to have them?

Any advice would be great?

 

[eleanor20]

I love having mine at home, if I'm having a cup of tea and the sun's shining I just wonder out and watch them.... Having said that, I have a large garden, surrounded by fields, and the bees are kept in a walled garden, safe from the children and dogs.

 

[dpearce4]

Had mine at home for 1 year, the neibour got stung twice in one day so thought it advisable to move them.

I now have them about 2 miles from where i live but i do miss them in the garden. I will be being a bit sneaky and put one back next year i hope without my neibour noticing.

 

[Sir Quej]

Had mine at home for 1 year, the neibour got stung twice in one day so thought it advisable to move them.

I now have them about 2 miles from where i live but i do miss them in the garden. I will be being a bit sneaky and put one back next year i hope without my neibour noticing.

I must admit that my neighbour wasnt chuffed when I brought mine home, but she has come round now and they dont bother her anymore.

There is the obvious concern of them swarming but with regular inspections, this should be avoided hopefullY so fingers crossed

 

[VEG]

There is the obvious concern of them swarming but with regular inspections, this should be avoided hopefullY so fingers crossed

Lol remember this when they swarm. We all miss them at some time.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Ours are at home, and a neighbour has two feral colonies in their chimneys. We have two out-apiaries available if need be.

 

[Alphakillpestie]

I keep my swarms in the garden for 10 day and then move them to the out-apiary, I have the use of a spinney in the middle of farmland it`s out of the way and no neighbours or other issues to worry about.

Yes I have to do some regular "gardening" with the petrol strimmer to keep the pathways clear but it`s turning out to be a very good spot

This is the place before I moved the girls in, it looks much more bee friendly now.

 

[thorn]

Following the amalgamation of two weak/Q- colonies I'm now down to three hives, one in my next-door neighbour's garden and two in mine. It was three in mine and two in my neighbour's (she'll never find out, they're hidden behind her fruit bushes). As you'll know, Sir Quej, there aren't too many farms in Headingley that could offer a site for an out apiary.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I currently have my bees in three gardens (my own, my mums and my sisters). I would love to have them all together at an out apiary but worry about vandalism, how to arrange it etc etc.....

Just a thought - most people I know who have quite a few hives have them on different sites. I've been told it spreads the risk of disease and offers a greater variety of forage.

Landowners are quite receptive, at least that's what I found when I approached people. I used google to find a possible site on their land, and then knocked on the door to explain what I'd like, and where.

 

[ratcatcher]

only a newbie, but things take off fast, although I have bees in my garden, I also was given an apiary by a private allotment, well fenced off and cctv cameras, although they say they never had any trouble, my garden houses national hives, but the out apiary has top bar hives, home made little cost (around £15 each) I also asked the farmer that I do free rabbit control for, it took a month or two for him to say yes, I already knew he had bad pollination this year, he has given me a spinney too, accessible in a 4x4 but away from prying eye's, I'll set up a couple of top bar hives there and see how we get on

 

[itma]

Having an out apiary - at least having one available as a possible bail out option - is important if you keep garden bees.
An association apiary might be one option.