HOW TO CREATE A BEE YARD AND LOCATE HIVES

Here is the next project I completed.  Working on the area that will become the bee yard.  I found a spot near the garden (fence in the background) but not so near as to be in constant worry of bees swarming around.  I've been clearing this of brush and vines and mesquite tree saplings and now it's cleared and ready and waiting for its next incarnation as a bee yard. 

When placing hives on your property, several things should be considered:  

• The beehive entrance (in the US anyway) should face Southeast so as to keep out the North winds in Winter and allow the morning sun to gently wake up the colony, which gets them up and out to work early. 

• Nearby trees are good because they can provide some shade and keep the hive cooler, but you don't want full shade.  That will keep the hive damp and that's not good for hive health.  The sun needs to gently warm it up during the day so that dew and moisture dries up.

• A nearby source of water is important too, which we have.  

• Think about mowing as well.  You don't want them in a place where you will have to really disturb them to mow.  

• Think about where you have to work.  Make sure you can easily get around the hives to inspect, remove honey filled frames, etc.  You sure don't want to have to carry heavy frames up a hill in the heat of Summer.

• Also consider ventilation, making sure there is good air flow around the hives...don't put them in a ditch or gully that has stagnant air.

• They should be level as well, with the front tilting ever so slightly (1" or less) toward the front so that any rainwater drains out.  

• Bees are much less aggressive than most people imagine them to be so just put them in their own space and let them do their thing.  You'll love sharing your space with them. 

• Try not to make the hive entrance in your routine and/or regular traffic walking path.  In other words, you don't want to get in their way as they come in for a landing (thanks to reader Dawn McHugh for that reminder!)

Landscape timbers

It started with landscape timbers and I kept moving them around until I found the right spot.  That's where we wanted it.  

Kraft paper in flower bed

I use steel rebar to hold the timbers in place.  My Grandfather taught me this and it always worked for him.  I put them strategically around timbers, some outside and some inside and that ends up sort of locking them into position.  The brick was used as a hammer, it saved me the long trek to the barn, ha.

Instead of cardboard, I used two sheets of thick, kraft paper.  I just put it down, lifted the timbers, tucked it under and put the timbers back down.  

Snug and tight!

Weed-block fabric flower bed

Next, I did the same thing with weed-block fabric, tucking it under the timbers to hold it all down (and on a windy day, that was a great help).  

Black mulch in hive area

Then came the mulch.  To match the garden, and what will eventually be around the house flower beds, we chose black.  This was three bags of mulch total.  Just needed to spread it out.

After I spread it around, and pounded the rebar into the ground, the last thing to do was to put the hive stands in place.  The beehives will sit on top of these.  Are stands like this necessary?  Or course not.  Many beekeepers use something as simple as cinder blocks, or build something using landscape timbers.  We like the look of these stands and so that's what we chose.  It saved me from having to build something from scratch and, being powder coated stainless steel, they will last for years.  It also makes them very stable so there is no worry of them tipping over in a windstorm. 

The stands came from HERE.  

Nothing in exchange for mentioning them, just one newbee beekeeper sharing info with others.

Hive yard

So, the only thing missing are bees!  There are flowering plants, wildflowers, etc, all over the property.  Bees fly up to 2 miles from their hives to search for pollen and nectar.  Once I have the bees in place, there will be more flowers planted in upcoming flower beds.  We also have fruit trees in bloom and, nature willing, some garden plants blooming at some point. 

Our goal however, is to eventually turn this bee yard into a flowering haven for the bees.  Several flowering bushes are on standby for plantings (if the rain will ever stop for a weekend).  Any future beehive expansion will be in this area, and we'll keep them in groups of two like this (easier to manage).  

More bee stuff tomorrow!