APIARY LOCATION AND ORIENTATION

WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS?

Local Ordinances & Neighbors

Relevant HOA rules

Let your neighbors know your intentions – listen to their concerns

Subject to Frederick County Ordinance

Must register your hive(s) with the state of Maryland

Things to Consider:

Level, cleared space

Able to walk around it - room to work – several foot radius is suggested

Orient to the east/southeast

At least have morning sun

Considerations (cont’d) Away from areas of human traffic

Away from buildings

Away from prevailing winds

Create a northern windbreak – use natural windbreaks where possible –

four to six feet behind hive & at least one foot taller than

the hive

Considerations (cont’d) Near water source – or provide water source

Create a hive stand – so the hive is up off the ground

Provide air flow – air drains away from colonies – good ventilation

Not in a flood plain

Considerations (cont’d)

Access is available year round – regardless of weather

Access “road” is at an equal or lower level than full supers

Away from pesticide use –

Remember bees can forage within a two mile radius, at least

More than two hives Within a pair of hives, place hives 4 – 6 inches apart

Each pair should be 5 – 8 feet apart

WHY?

Decrease vibrations and jostling of hives

Increases work efficiency for the beekeeper

AND

Need to Prevent Drifting What is drifting – tendency of bees to “drift” to the wrong hive

or fly back to the wrong hive

Drifting can:

cause colonies of unequal strength

promote spread of disease

robbing of weaker colonies

Reduce Drifting by Hive Orientation How the hives are configured in the apiary

Using windbreaks

Short or staggered rows

Alternate entrances between front and back along the row

Paint the hives with different colors or patterns

Other suggestions Place landmarks – rocks, bushes – with which the bees can

orient themselves

Vertical landmarks help bees in areas of flat horizons

Fences

Bushes, trees

Pests Ants, snakes, skunks, mice

Bears

Placing hive on stand up off the ground

Fencing or other types of screening

Hive entrance “fencing”

Keep apiary free of weeds, debris, and mowed

Resources

Sammataro, Diane and Alphonse Avitabile. The Beekeeper’s Handbook. 3rd ed., Cornell University Press, Ithaca 1998.

https://beebuilt.com/pages/beehive/placement. Accessed January 2, 2019.

https://dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/beekeeping/pick-the-perfect-location-for-your-beehive/. Accessed January 2, 2019.

https://www.thewarrestore.com/hive-placement. Accessed December 6, 2018.