Site for a hive?

[JimBee463]

Afternoon all,

i'm starting on my beekeeping journey this weekend with a beginners course. If all goes well with that i'll probably look to keep bees. My question is, is it feasible to keep bees in the garden? I have put a diagram below but as a general description the garden is about 30 metres from the house to the end and about 10-12 metres wide. We have a fruit cage/vegetable patch on the left hand side which is sheltered by a bank on the far left, with large trees and shrubs on it (the overall height is about 4 metres).

Along the right hand side of the garden is a Devon bank of around 1.2m in height, and a 'gap' between the bank and a stock fence of around 1-2m. The garden adjoins a horse paddock which has a small stream/brook running through it (around 30 metres away from the bank). my propose hive site would be on the right hand side of the bank with the entrance facing the horse paddock (this is roughly due East). The entrance to the hive would be around 2m above the ground level of the horse paddock and the bank has large tress along the top of it (a mix of fruit and normal hedging type trees (hawthorn etc), so the hive would be sheltered from the rear and partially from each side.

There are no neighbours on either side (above the garden i the image below is a piece of unused land, then a vineyard) and we have fields around us, as well as an estate house with huge gardens full of exotic trees and plants.

I would need to do some work to level the area, by cutting back into the bank slightly and building a platform to sit the hive on.

Does this look like a decent site for a hive, bearing in mind I have grandchildren who regularly play in the garden and we spend time on the fruit cages and veg patch in the summer?

I do have an opportunity to site a hive at a different location but that is a drive away from my house.

Any advice gratefully received, many thanks.

 

[drex]

In view of the children I would not keep bees in that garden. I have a hive sited at an animal sanctuary ( at request of the sanctuary owner). On one inspection the bees drove the horses in the adjacent field wild. Such that we now empty that field prior to inspections, despite the fact that these are some of the gentlest bees I have

 

[JimBee463]

In view of the children I would not keep bees in that garden. I have a hive sited at an animal sanctuary ( at request of the sanctuary owner). On one inspection the bees drove the horses in the adjacent field wild. Such that we now empty that field prior to inspections, despite the fact that these are some of the gentlest bees I have

Thanks, something to think about.

 

[JimBee463]

Here are some pictures of the actual site that I was thinking of and I would also add that the entrances will face across the paddock. Also, the horses are usually at the local riding school in the day and stay in the paddock overnight so I could probably time inspections etc for when the field is empty.

 

[JamezF]

It does look like a bit of a tight space to work in. It's much easier if you have a bit of space around the hive. I'd suggest allowing space for two hives as well, because it gives you a bit more flexibility if something doesn't go to plan with one. You could potentially lift the flight path of the bees higher by putting some solid fencing or perhaps even fine netting along the line of the stock fence so they have to go over it rather than through it.

My biggest concern would probably be what might happen in the event of a swarm.

James

 

[JimBee463]

It does look like a bit of a tight space to work in. It's much easier if you have a bit of space around the hive. I'd suggest allowing space for two hives as well, because it gives you a bit more flexibility if something doesn't go to plan with one. You could potentially lift the flight path of the bees higher by putting some solid fencing or perhaps even fine netting along the line of the stock fence so they have to go over it rather than through it.

My biggest concern would probably be what might happen in the event of a swarm.

James

Thanks,

Perhaps I need to consider my alternative option, which is in the corner of a field a few Mike's away.

 

[pargyle]

With a bit of c;learing I would go for it. You need enough space round the hive to get to it and inspect and somewhere to put the supers whilst you inspect the brood box(es).

I have 7 hives in my garden but they are enclosed on four sides with a 6' fence, a 6' wall, my workshop and the greenhouse. It looks as though your proposed site for your one hive (which will become 2 !) looks pretty well guarded from the rest of the garden. If you have concerns a mesh screen to a height that will get them up in the air and above head height can solve a lot of problems.

You need to have a secondary site availoble on a just in case basis and you need to make sure the bees you get are gentle and not the bees from hell. You can solve the agressive bees problem easily with a new queen but what you don't want is complaints in these early stages from your family.

 

[JimBee463]

With a bit of c;learing I would go for it. You need enough space round the hive to get to it and inspect and somewhere to put the supers whilst you inspect the brood box(es).

I have 7 hives in my garden but they are enclosed on four sides with a 6' fence, a 6' wall, my workshop and the greenhouse. It looks as though your proposed site for your one hive (which will become 2 !) looks pretty well guarded from the rest of the garden. If you have concerns a mesh screen to a height that will get them up in the air and above head height can solve a lot of problems.

You need to have a secondary site availoble on a just in case basis and you need to make sure the bees you get are gentle and not the bees from hell. You can solve the agressive bees problem easily with a new queen but what you don't want is complaints in these early stages from your family.

Thank you.

Perhaps I need to find a mentor and ask the to check the propose site

 

[pargyle]

If you have room for a double or triple stand like this one (easily made if you are half a DIY'er)

https://www.foxhoundbeecompany.com/products/folding-3-hive-stand
And there is enough room to stand and work behind the hive you should be OK. You don't need a lot of space in front of the hive if they face out into the field as the bees will fly through the stock fence.

Wlth a double or triple stand you hace room alongside the hive to put other kit.

The overhanging trees are not great and I'd cut them back a bit if you can.

 

[dorstrgr2]

JimBee463, I go frequently into London parks, at Lambeth palace park behind the archbishop's property, and the library (fab modern building) is the park, on the other side of St Thomas hospital, very busy roundabout going all directions. There are several hives, enclosed in a simple way with lots of fruit trees for forage and screening. This is a busy park/location managed by the chair of London Bees, who is virtually commercial as he has bees in Kennington Park, in Brixton, in Camberwell and several other places including the Southbank roof gardens etc. Another (young autistic man) is famous in the media for his extremely good hives and honey on the rooftop of a Victorian house in Hackney. In Myatts field Park, Camberwell, the bee enclosure is part of an orchard and forest garden complete with dipping nature pond where schools use it for very small children and families visit all the time, including me. None of us are afraid of those bees. There is another hidden enclosure in Ruskin Park, very close to the boundary of Kings College Hospital. All I can tell you is that I had bees in my garden without a problem. However the queen swarmed, the new colony was not as strong, whatever then went wrong, awful for me as well as the honey bees.

 

[JimBee463]

JimBee463, I go frequently into London parks, at Lambeth palace park behind the archbishop's property, and the library (fab modern building) is the park, on the other side of St Thomas hospital, very busy roundabout going all directions. There are several hives, enclosed in a simple way with lots of fruit trees for forage and screening. This is a busy park/location managed by the chair of London Bees, who is virtually commercial as he has bees in Kennington Park, in Brixton, in Camberwell and several other places including the Southbank roof gardens etc. Another (young autistic man) is famous in the media for his extremely good hives and honey on the rooftop of a Victorian house in Hackney. In Myatts field Park, Camberwell, the bee enclosure is part of an orchard and forest garden complete with dipping nature pond where schools use it for very small children and families visit all the time, including me. None of us are afraid of those bees. There is another hidden enclosure in Ruskin Park, very close to the boundary of Kings College Hospital. All I can tell you is that I had bees in my garden without a problem. However the queen swarmed, the new colony was not as strong, whatever then went wrong, awful for me as well as the honey bees.

Thanks, more food for thought.

 

[dorstrgr2]

Agree with the expert - I know and old rather laissez faire beekeeper who kept bees on waste land that was completely overgrown with brambles and trees. He seemed to get honey from them and I helped him clear the brambles and cut back the trees. Within a short time developers or someone not bee friendly disposed of his hives, ladder and everything he had left on there. He was unable to do anything as the land was not his, and the "developers" were not going to let him stay there or the bees.

 

[dorstrgr2]

Am I wrong, or is it perfectly good to keep bees there as long as you site them so they fly high away from people?

 

[pargyle]

Am I wrong, or is it perfectly good to keep bees there as long as you site them so they fly high away from people?

It helps if you can get them up in the air ... the word 'Beeline' they come out of the hive and fly in a straight line unless there is something to obstruct them .. then they will go up and then fly above head height, Bees rarely forage in the immediate vicinity of the hive - apart from water - if they find a source of water they like somewhere near the hive they will use it.

 

[JimBee463]

It helps if you can get them up in the air ... the word 'Beeline' they come out of the hive and fly in a straight line unless there is something to obstruct them .. then they will go up and then fly above head height, Bees rarely forage in the immediate vicinity of the hive - apart from water - if they find a source of water they like somewhere near the hive they will use it.

There is a stream, good clean water, very close to the site, and I could put a screen of some sort against the stock fence to encourage them upwards. The only problem there may be blocking sunlight, unless I use a tight nylon mesh?

 

[pargyle]

They don't need a tight mesh ... just pea netting will get them up in the air - ideally, they want the sun as early as possible in the day as that's what gets them out of bed and foraging so South or South East facing entrances are best.

 

[JimBee463]

They don't need a tight mesh ... just pea netting will get them up in the air - ideally, they want the sun as early as possible in the day as that's what gets them out of bed and foraging so South or South East facing entrances are best.

Ah right.

The entrances would face roughly East-South-East and the sun would get on the front pretty early (by 0730 at the moment I'd reckon)

 

[pargyle]

Ah right.

The entrances would face roughly East-South-East and the sun would get on the front pretty early (by 0730 at the moment I'd reckon)

Ideal ....

 

[BugsInABox]

Thanks, something to think about.

I've 3 long hives in the garden - surrounded by a willow fedge. 4th year - they are a joy to me. So long as the kids are old enough to obey a warning to keep a distance perhaps give it a go. You'll wnat gentle bees though - and that's a whole other can of worms.
Sounds like you've an alternate site you can shift them too if it tunrs out to be problematic.

 

[JimBee463]

I think the other problem will be that we have an annex that we use as a holiday let. The guests are allowed to share the garden so it may be best for me to use the other site anyway. I'll have a good old ponder before I do anything (it will probably be next year that I get bees anyway i'd imagine).

Thanks everyone for the answers and advice, much appreciated.