Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
You should also ensure that there are plenty of flowering plants or crops in the area.
It is, however, often easier to be more certain of a honey crop in a city than in today's
countryside, where thousands of acres of wheat won't amount to much honey, especially
as wheat farmers will do their best to eradicate any nectar-bearing weed that dares to
pop its head up in the vicinity. Find out what is in the area first, and then try to keep to
the following rules:
Ensure easy access by foot or, preferably, by vehicle.
Permanent sites must have good nectar sources within 2 km (1 mile).
Sites must have a water source in the vicinity. This should preferably be in full sun
and out of the wind.
In temperate climates, place hives in the sun. Some dappled shade, however, is
useful.
Sites should have early sources of pollen for brood rearing, such as rock rose,
willow or gorse. Topics that detail useful plants for nectar and pollen are listed on
pages 278-80.
Sites should be sheltered from the wind.
Ensure the site is not prone to flooding.
Make sure the site is not in a winter/spring frost hollow.
Sites should preferably be out of sight of roads.
Don't place hives under trees where they can be dripped on during and after rain.
Keep sites away from HT power lines.
Keep the area around the hives clear of tall weeds or grass. Cut grass and weeds
- don't use spray of any kind.
Minimizing drifting when siting your hives
Drifting is a problem associated with most apiary sites and occurs when bees enter the
wrong hive or 'drift' into the wrong hive. This can occur if:
