# Arrangement of hives in an apiary...



## JohnBruceLeonard (Jul 7, 2015)

I am curious to know how the beekeepers of this forum recommend placing hives within an apiary. I would like to know in particular the orientation and the pattern in which you keep your beehives - facing east, south, etc? All in a line, in pairs? And what is your reasoning for doing as you do?

I recognize that one of the most serious concerns here is drifting. I read on a professional beekeeper's site that beginners tend to waste much more time than they ought in working about drifting. Any thoughts?

John


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

I just line them up facing east or southeast. You might find a colony or two of mine facing in another direction and that would usually be a split I've done. I don't worry too much about drifting, spending the most time on it right after I hive packages to make sure I don't end up with a very weak colony right at the start. After that, I just let the bees do their thing. My colonies are usually fairly close together, maybe a couple of hand widths apart. Some nucs I put on top, especially in the fall or if I overwinter some.


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## Cabin (Nov 30, 2014)

I just line them up facing south east more or less. A big factor is the layout of your yard. Mine is a strip of lawn on the south side of the chicken yard so the electric fence can protect the chickens and the bees. If you have a large yard you may want to arange it for ease of mowing.


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

There are so many variables on lining up hives that it is ridiculous. 

The aim is to have the entrance facing se and the hive slanting very lightly to the front. There are so many other considerations. If you have a few hives it is nice to scatter them. If you have neighbors or foot traffic, the hives need to take that into consideration. For most of the year they need full sun, in the winter they need a windbreak. If you are in a remote area, there are varmints against which to guard. Where will you stand when you work the hive? It should be the side or the rear. 

Most people have a few possible sites. Make a list of those sites and compare the pros and cons. When looking at the way some of the guys with 1000's of hive do, you realize anything will work. Some things will work better than others.


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## BeeMoose (Oct 19, 2013)

I have two rows with both facing southeast. I am sure if they actually faced south or east there would be minimal difference which would affect the hives.


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

My full colonies are in pairs in lines facing north or south, my nucs also are two to a stand, stands face north, south, east, and west.


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## Sky (Jul 7, 2015)

mine all face "southeast-ish". my stands are about 6-7 feet long - 8-10 inches off ground. I run 3 hives on each (or hives and nucs to fill space) - the hives are about about a handwidth (or or sometimes less) between them. I work them from the back. Hives get sun from sunup till about 1;00, light shade for a few hours, then sun again from late afternoon till it goes down. I usually make a split off each in early/mid-April, then another in mid/late May - if there is room on the stand then the nuc gets sandwiched between hives, jammed on the end or gets to go to a new stand. Stands are scattered through the yard - where I have two together, they are arranged end-to-end. Drift is a really minor issue. 

If you are just starting out..... the best advice I can give you on placement beyond the standard "stuff" you read is to select a spot that will be able to eventually accommodate SEVERAL more hives than you currently have. plan for growth now - it will happen - it's inevitable.... you will need the space.... 

Sky


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## JohnBruceLeonard (Jul 7, 2015)

Thanks much for the responses. The consensus thus far seems to be that south-east is the preferable orientation, and that it is most efficient to run hives in a line. Is this so?

I should make a few specifications about my situation. Space is, fortunately, not an issue. (I have a full hectaire of useable land for hive placement. Should think I'd run out of flowers for the bees, before I run out of earth to put them on.) The apiary site has already been chosen, so my question has more to do with positioning hives _within_ the apiary. Growth is absolutely a factor. I have at present some twenty hives, and have been thus far keeping them in a line, at a distance something less than has been recommended here. (They were put on railroad ties, which were placed on blocks, and the space got a little tight at the end.) The reason I ask about the positioning of hives is that these hives have been in a different location to catch the eucalyptus bloom; as that period has come to a close, I'll be moving them back to their permanent apiary, and I wanted to be sure I'm not doing anything foolish by arranging them as I have been.

Another question - does anyone keep two rows of hives, one behind the other? And if so, at what distance should I place them?

Thanks again for your responses. They have been most helpful.

John


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Two rows of hives is not a good idea. You will be standing in the bee line while inspecting the front hives.
Myself, orientation of the hives is not really a concern. Place them back to back with 4-5 feet in between if you wish. You can work both rows from the back quite easily. 
Commercial beekeepers have them on 4 way pallets and each hive faces a different direction.


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## JohnBruceLeonard (Jul 7, 2015)

Mr.Beeman said:


> Two rows of hives is not a good idea. You will be standing in the bee line while inspecting the front hives.
> Myself, orientation of the hives is not really a concern. Place them back to back with 4-5 feet in between if you wish. You can work both rows from the back quite easily.
> Commercial beekeepers have them on 4 way pallets and each hive faces a different direction.


Certainly. That makes good sense. Thanks, Mr. Beeman.


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## mcon672 (Mar 5, 2015)

When I first set up I read all of the placement advice. As I got more hives I couldn't face them all south. I have hives facing in all directions and I really don't notice any difference between them. Mine are also only about ten inches apart, sometimes with nucs on top of full size hives (I do turn entrances opposite directions ). I don't worry about drift but they are all painted very differently from one another. I may be wrong but I think facing them south/southeast is one of those things that everybody has heard and accepted as fact without trying anything different. I'm not so sure it is necessary. But I'm just a hobbyist so......


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## michkel (Dec 1, 2012)

Where you face your hives depends on the direction your weather comes from. I see you are in Italy, so your weather patterns may be different. Most of the US tends to face theirs south, because the storms come from the north. Here in Northern CA, everything (hives, chicken coops) face north, as our storms mostly come from the south. If I faced a hive south here, it would get the full force of our storms.


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## JohnBruceLeonard (Jul 7, 2015)

Michkel, that is something I hadn't considered. We have two predominant winds here, the mistral and the scirocco, which come from the north-west and the south-east respectively, so by that thinking it would be best to orient toward south-west or north-east to try to avoid both of them, as they are both capable of bringing bad weather. The mistral brings cold wind, however, so perhaps it is best to put my bees' backs toward that direction before winter.

Thanks, Michkel, you've given me something to think on.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

I orient the hives mostly by the lay of the land - what direction the hive stands naturally slope. I wish I had enough room in the bee yard to separate each hive by 50-75 yards - but fencing that size an area is just not doable. I'm thinking there about Tom Seeley's work - transmission of Varroa and other pests, as well as diseases between hives.


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## JohnBruceLeonard (Jul 7, 2015)

Mr. Dewey - could you tell me more about Tom Seely's work on transmission of Varroa, or perhaps direct me to some information, as I am quite ignorant of it?


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## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

I arrange mine in an arc or circle facing in, by preference. The logic for this: Bees orient using the sun's azimuth and a background horizon. To maximize the separation of hives using azimuth and background, the hive's orientation changes around the compass, and each is unique.

I face them in so I can work off the back. When the circle of hives are cooking the "tornado" of bees in the center is impressive.

The yards set in arc's have less problems with robbing than the "straight line" ones. I believe this may be due to the better distinction between the hives, so less accidental drift. I can make nucs and equalize within the yard by exchanging places across the arc. This is similar to reversing the front-back direction of entrances done with a Cloake board.

I've photographed a holding yard in Kern County, Ca with 15,000 hives arranged in a large circle. This was done for the same reason (according to the apiary manager).


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## mcon672 (Mar 5, 2015)

"Bee tornado" would be cool to see.


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## hagane (Aug 15, 2015)

You know I think a lot of people say with the bee hives facing south or south east ish because of getting the morning sun to warm up the hive first, but...the problem is you aren't in the U.S. you are in Italy...so you may want to consider their advice but also consider if you have wind hitting the hive face on too, which would become an issue in winter for you possibly? 

I did like the comment someone had about beekeepers keep the hives facing different directions. That was interesting and good. 

I wanted to ask how come no one ever talks about distance between hives in an apiary? I don't know but I would think there's a reccomended spacing right? But I haven't been able to read anything about it yet...especially to prevent robbing or drifting etc.? I would like a lot more information on what people have tried with spacing between the hives not just direction. Also do people do the spacing different between a small hive and the big ones, and between nucs and regular hives? What do you think?


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## JohnBruceLeonard (Jul 7, 2015)

JWChestnut, thanks for the photograph. I originally wanted to employ a horseshoe formation, something like half of what you have shown us, from vague instinct that it would be easier for the bees to locate their hives. My mentor insisted this was inefficient and unnecessary. I am, alas, a stubborn young man, and would like to know what you think.


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## Stephenpbird (May 22, 2011)

Seeley recommends placing the hives 10 meters apart and with entrances facing different directions 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d2qrdjn0zdefaei/bp_001_Seeley_Interview.m4a?dl=0


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## Cabin (Nov 30, 2014)

JohnBruceLeonard said:


> JWChestnut, thanks for the photograph. I originally wanted to employ a horseshoe formation, something like half of what you have shown us, from vague instinct that it would be easier for the bees to locate their hives. My mentor insisted this was inefficient and unnecessary. I am, alas, a stubborn young man, and would like to know what you think.


Your mentor may be right. But does his idea of being 'efficient' matter to you??? What did does not work well for him may be just what you need. A lot of what people do in beekeeping may not be necessary but remember he did not say it was harmful!!!


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## JohnBruceLeonard (Jul 7, 2015)

Words of wisdom, Cabin. You're quite right.


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