Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Pets without Feathers => Topic started by: VickyW on June 05, 2011, 22:19

Title: Where to put bees?
Post by: VickyW on June 05, 2011, 22:19

Please help - My husband is interested in keeping bees and has been offered a hive and some bees for free!!! from a friend. The thing is, where to put them. We have a child and dog so I feel the garden would be unsafe for all parties so would the garage roof suffice as he wants to enjoy seing them come and go?

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: Pol on June 06, 2011, 13:20

Hi,
That's great, I am still waiting for my hives to come its been 8 week now I think I will e-mail them to see how much longer.
If your garage roof is flat and can take the weight of the hives when it is full of bees and honey I would say yes, beekeepers in cities keep bees successfully on the roofs of buildings, garage roofs, and lofts

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: Chrysalis on June 06, 2011, 14:54

Garage roof sounds nice, but how will you access them? Hope the ladders are safe!!  Someone new to beekeeping on this forum has made a super little hideyhole by screening off a small area in front of her fence to give them privacy and stop the bees coming out too low, so lessening the stings.  Keep us posted,
from a wannabeeee keeper, C

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: Chrysalis on June 06, 2011, 14:56

Found the thread ! It's Kate and her Ducks and called Oh Beehave!  Worth a look C

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: Trillium on June 06, 2011, 15:11

Bees cannot take too much sun, in fact, prefer shade so the hives don't overheat and time is wasted cooling off the hive rather than seeking nectar. Unless your garage roof has lots of shade, I wouldn't put it up there.

Bees do mind their own business and the child could be taught not to bother them. The dog should figure it out soon enough.

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: joyfull on June 06, 2011, 16:23

here is the thread about Kates bees:-

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=75852.0

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: VickyW on June 07, 2011, 16:26

Thanks guys, its given him lots to think about xx

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on June 09, 2011, 15:57

I'm a completely new beekeeper so don't pay too much attention to what I say  :happy: but I have found the system I set up has been great.

The screening is a little under 6' and I have been lucky that the flight path they have chosen takes them over the length of our property first. Its a bit odd as it is due west and they prefer SW to SE according to the books which is what I had set up for. This would have taken them slightly closer to my neighbours so I am happy they didn't read the book I have!

i do love sitting and watching their comings and goings.

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: VickyW on June 10, 2011, 14:10

Kate, do you have a pic of your setup that I could show him? Please

Title: Re: Where to put bees?
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on June 10, 2011, 20:40

This is the link to where my pics are.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=75852.msg862440#msg862440

It is basically just willow screening round a little corner of the garden to just under 6'. I put the weed suppression fabric round the bottom as you could see in to the hive if you looked closely and am opting for the out of sight, out of mind approach.