Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
absolutely true: All beekeepers have bad backs, or will have. It is worth the extra plan-
ning to avoid the pain.
Making Space
While putting everything together in your backyard—installing the visibility screens
and your hive stands all at the right distance from your property line, and perhaps next
to a building—you want to be careful not to box yourself in. Plan to have enough elbow
room to allow you to move around the circumference of your colonies. This is espe-
cially true for the back of your colonies, where you will spend most of your time when
working with the bees.
Grass and/or weeds are landscape elements that need to be taken into consideration
as well. Left to grow, weeds can block the hive entrance, reducing ventilation and in-
creasing the work of forager bees flying in and out of the hive. It is a good idea to cov-
er a generous area around your hive stand with patio pavers, bark mulch, or another
kind of weed barrier. Gravel or larger stones will work if you place a layer of plastic on
the ground before installation. Even a patch of old carpeting will keep the weeds down
and keep your feet from getting muddy in the spring or after a few days of rain. And a
“grow-free” area cuts down on the chance of grass clippings being blown into the front
door of a colony.
Tip: Keeping Hives Above the Fray
Keeping your hives high and dry offers protection from skunks. These fragrant
visitors are notorious for eating bees.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Being a good neighbor includes doing as much as you can to reduce honey bee/
neighbor interactions. Even if you have perfect neighbors, cautious management
is an important part of your beekeeping activities and management plans. Here are
some important considerations.
• Bees establish flight patterns when leaving and returning to their hive. You can
manipulate that pattern so that when the bees leave the hive, they will fly high
into the air and away, and then return at a high altitude, dropping directly down
to the hive. There are several techniques for developing this flight pattern that
will also enhance your landscape. Siting a fence, tall annual or perennial plants,
