# Advice on beehive location



## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

My lot is .24 acres and I don't have much problems....they sometimes protest when I mow but that is to be expected. You will want as much full sun as you can get with the SHB issues in your area.


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## konstan (Feb 18, 2011)

dray34 said:


> Another issue is that it will be about 100ft away from my house. It's not in an area where my family or anyone else walks through. It is about 30ft away from where I will have to mow and where my 2 year might possibly be playing


Assuming no one in your family is allergic (which is rare) you will be just fine. The bees aren't out to get anyone. They do their thing, you do your thing. I stand right in front of my hives for hours on end, just watching them, they don't seem to mind.


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## Kendal (Apr 12, 2011)

You should be able to park your bees right out in the open. You don't have to hide them. Keep them near the woodsy area for a windbreak, but out in the sunshine. They generally forage sooner when they have plenty of early sunlight. A warmer location is better for their health vis a vis mites, SHB, etc.

My two-year old used to squat for minutes on end near the hive entrance watching my bees. The older kids played in the back yard with them there. If you need "buy-in" for motivation, find a way to involve them in the proceedings. Even our dog made an adjustment, as evidenced by the change in her path to get out of the flight approach path of the bees to the hive.

Yeah, mowing may be a problem, just pick a really sunshiny day to do it, and they'll likely be too busy to notice. Worst case, you can always wear your bee veil. I never had a problem. Bees' supposed dislike of lawn mowers is over-rated.

Do you have neighborly approval or acquiescence? Be a good beekeeping neighbor--make sure you have a place for the bees to find water before they find your neighbors' swimming/wading pools. An extra veil can outfit a curious neighbor and relieve skepticism or fear.


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## dray34 (Apr 21, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. The thing about my location is my lot backs up to acres of woods and half of my yard is in those woods. The side that the woods are on is east and where I plan on putting them will have as much sunlight as my front yard for most of the morning. The hive will get a little sunlight that the tress let through until about 10 then will have full sun. I wish I had a spot that had direct sunlight early but I really don't. It seems like they would know it's daytime since they will be a dark box and hopefully they will still get out. I guess I will just have to try it and see. I haven't told or asked any of my neighbors but I did make sure there weren't any neighborhood regulations against it. I might try to post a couple pictures of my location tonight or tomorrow.


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## willyC (May 6, 2010)

I have about the same size lot. The hives are situated on the south east side of my shop so they get first light coming in under the apple trees. As the sun climbs they get dappled sun then in the late afternoon they are in the shade. My grand kids have always played and relaxed in the hammock which is 15 feet from the hives (tyed to the tree next to red chair). We keep the chair sitting there all the time so the bees are accustom to something beeing there, part of the landscape, thats where we sit to watch the hive (use binos for a real treat). I make sure to point the exhaust from the mower or tractor away from the hive, no problems so far.
humm, no luck attaching a pic)
IMG_1309.jpg


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## dray34 (Apr 21, 2011)

Were you not worried about any of your neighbors getting stung. Have you had any problems yet?


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## Growing Boy (Jan 28, 2009)

I've got a little over an acre but where the bees are is roughly a third of that. I've got one that is in dappled shade all day long once the trees leaf out. One that is between 2 buildings the gets full sun 6 hours out of the day and two that get sun from about 11 in the morning til maybe 7. They are all doing fine. While early sun is optimal you have to work with what you got. Mine are positioned so none of the flight paths cross mine. We have a small water feature that's a hot spot in the afternoon.
20 or so bees crawling all over a water spitting gargoyle getting a drink. The only neighbor I worried about was the one next door who's property is quite literally 0ne acre of vegetables. but he's delighted. His vegetables are producing better than ever. He just had to cover the barrel he keeps his empty soda cans in. Guess the girls *Really* liked them.


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## willyC (May 6, 2010)

dray34 said:


> Were you not worried about any of your neighbors getting stung. Have you had any problems yet?


No worries and not a problem, If they (the girls) leave us alone at less than ten feet why would they be interested in someone one hundred feet away, or even fifteen feet away?


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