Which direction does the hive face

[Ade'sBee's]

Just starting out so looking at next year before i get my hive but i have a long garden which backs onto a railway line and am altering the whole lot and need to know if bee's like the hive facing a certain way?Will design garden around them . Get your prioritie's right people

 

[Baggyone]

Supposed to point south to get the early sun, but some say it wont matter a jot. If your going for WBC's then south is most important as these kinda need a bit more light/heat to get them going in the morning.

 

[jezd]

Just starting out so looking at next year before i get my hive but i have a long garden which backs onto a railway line and am altering the whole lot and need to know if bee's like the hive facing a certain way?Will design garden around them . Get your prioritie's right people

I expect some on here to position the gospel according to xyz on this everything you read says face the entrance South but in reality it really doesn’t matter, far too many rules in beekeeping - best advise I have had is 'just do it, what’s the worse that could happen'. Main thing is that you find a location and direction that does not need to be changed 7 days later.

Jez

 

[hedgerow pete]

from what you have said i would make the last four feet of garden the site for the hive, and have the ladies facing over the railway line rather than up or across the garden , i would go so far as to remove or lower the fence to they either fly over or straight through it

 

[Poly Hive]

A lot of the rules/guide lines are there for good reason.

Flout them at your own risk.

PH

 

[jezd]

A lot of the rules/guide lines are there for good reason.

Flout them at your own risk.

PH

Rubbish, there are no rules.

Bend them and see what works.

 

[Poly Hive]

Fiesty.

Try me.

Rubbish in and rubbish out... LOL

Ph

 

[Heather]

Bees don't rule the home!
If you have children or likely to have them in the garden - then face bees away from play areas. Don't need to lower a fence- bees have wings - and will go up, up, and away. Fences are good to stem low flights where the public may be walking.
I have hives facing all ways and there seems little difference- if they don't get the first sun then they get evening warmth and stay up later. Arrange the hives to cause least nuisance or disturbance to you and yours. Make sure you have good access from the back of the hive to open and examine- so not butting up to that fence. And all the very best in your new 'hobby' (read -obsession)

 

[jezd]

PH made me smile

 

[Finno]

The direction they face is not important, except that it is preferrable to direct their flight path in a manner that doesn't cause you or your neighbours any problems. However, when it comes to hive examinations, it is more convenient to stand behind the hive and to have the sunlight coming over one's shoulder, to give the best light for examining frames without reflections on veil etc. Therefore, if possible, they are best placed with entrance facing east.

 

[peteinwilts]

i have heard bees don't like trains much... not sure if it is true though...

 

[planbee]

I'd like people to expand on that statement, Pete, with any experiences of bees and railways.

There's a plot of land not far from here that I've had my eye on - one of it's longest sides faces a railway, but the track's in a cutting, and the hives would be, probably, about a metre above the pickup wires and gantries, and 20 metres away from them.

John

 

[Ade'sBee's]

lady teaching me has train track running alongside her house no more than 10 feet away and bees seem fine

 

[Ade'sBee's]

was joking about building garden around bee's !!!! bottom of my garden will be for bee's ,greenhouse,veg patch and ME . must get out more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[planbee]

I hope you've got a shed Ade - a man needs a shed.

John

 

[Ade'sBee's]

on look out for shed too

 

[Mosquito]

i have heard bees don't like trains much... not sure if it is true though...

My hives are around 8 feet from the railway.
No problems.

 

[VEG]

I also know someone keeping bees next to a railway line with no problems just go for it.

 

[andynorton]

Mine next to a railway line too, and they don't seem to mind, even when a large goods train goes past in the middle of an inspection!