# Where should I put my hives?



## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

I'm looking into getting bees for the first time. I've got about 30 acres and am looking for possible hive locations. Here's some shots of my land with a description. 

Here's the southern boundary. Dirt road borders it to the south with woods across the street. To the east is a field that gets planted with crops every year and sprayed with various things throughout the year. The group of trees at the top of the picture is a pond. 










The large crop area in this one I plan on never using for crops again. I'm going to pasture some of it, plant hay on some of it and maybe even plant trees on other portions. The yellow line shows the property line with someone else's crop field to the east of it. 

It doesn't show up much in the picture but there's actually a bit of an embankment along that property border, the rows of trees are pines. This looks like a promising spot but I'm wondering if my neighbor spraying his crops could be a problem. Also I brush hog a path through there in the summer, would that upset the bees? That area is about 60' wide from my property line to the tilled area. 

The yellow dot is where my neighbor has some random stuff, he also runs an excavation company and will work with his vehicles a bit there, making dirt piles and stuff in the summer.

The blue line to the bottom also has a row of pines. I also keep a path mowed there for the kids to use to get to their friends house. That's the area that I plan on expanding the pasture onto in the future.










Here's the very back, lots of options here. 

Wetlands/marsh area in the middle, row of pines, I own some of the woods in the back. Again, neighbors crops to the east. One problem with this area is the very bottom corner is a little over a 1/4 mile from my house.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Put them in the best place for you to get to them with tools like a wagon to remove honey supers and get them back to the processing area. Look for natural wind breaks on the north and west sides no more than 15 feet away. I like mosty full sun all day for my hives too.

If that doesn't help you chose a site go to the SEMBA web site sembabee.org and look up the* phone number for Roger Sutherland*, He is a past president of samba and lives in/near Ann Arbor and is a great guy who will give you a hand.


 Al


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## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

My concerns for placement is if they should be kept any distance from the crops? It's rotated with corn, soybeans and wheat and sprayed throughout the summer. 

Will they get upset from equipment operating near them, either the neighbors tractors or my lawn mower or tractor with brush hog. 

Is there a recommended distance from a walking path?


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I don't how you will be able to keep bees if there is frequent spraying next door. I'd hesitate to try and keep bees in that location.

Yes, bees do get upset if there is equipment run close to their hives. Depending on the temperament of your bees, anything 30ft away or more will probably be ok and not get mobbed. If your bees are aggressive there will probably be a wider margin of safety.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Most of the spraying of crops in Michigan is herbicides not insecticides so you are pretty safe with that. We have those field next door also. 

I mow right up tight to the hive and stands here at home. I try to do it in the evening just before dark when the activity isn't so busy. also do not blow exhaust into the hive. I would get ----ed too if some one blew exhaust fumes in my home. At the out yards I use a string trimmer to clean weeds from in front of the hives.
At the horse farm yard John runs the hay bine and baler right up tight to the entrance when he is doing hay and has no problem.

As I posted contact Rodger Sutherland He does mentor and also has a list of others who do also. Tell him Al from the thumb said to call.

 Al


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

I like my hives close to the house like 30 feet .. the wife and kids and grandkids like it to as they like to play with the girls to so we like to keep them close ... but then we dont wear any grab when we play with them .... yes we call it playing as it is so relaxing ...


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

i'd try to place them where they would get the early morning sun yet some shade during the heat of the day being able to get to them easly is a big deal when getting the honey . yet you don't want the kids or there friends having to walk to close by when they are jokeing and playing soo on the west side of the pond near a tree yet away from the traveled path looks good . differint strains of bees and them being used to noise and you being near make a difference I have two hives that are calm and easy to work with but a wild swarm I got last spring are much more defencive and are likely to start buzzing me when i'm working in the garden 20 feet away just meaner over all . your ordered bees will prabily be a good calm type.


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## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

It's difficult to find a good shade spot here due to this all being farmland. My neighbor owes me some pine trees so I may have some options to put some trees exactly where I want them. 

Are hornets any concern? I have a huge hornets nest in one of the trees near the pond.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

yellow jackets will agrivate your bees trying to steal honey but never heard of hornets being a problem, but they are dangerious to you . I had some here on the side of the house much to close for comfort : and sprayed em with the spray that works from 25 feet away


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## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

This is one of those big mud nests, around basketball size. It must have been there all summer but we didn't see it until fall when the leaves came off of the tree. It's about 30' up in a tree and we didn't really have any problem with them all summer.


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## Ranchermom (Oct 25, 2005)

We like placing ours at the edge of our property, they make good guard bees too ;p People see the hives they stay far, far away.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Yellow jackets a wasp and related to bald faced hornets will be hanging around the hive all summer long but really get bad in the fall trying to rob the hive. I make yellow jacket traps out of milk jugs, water soap and jelly I set on the top of the hives. 
I like my hive in full sun all day long if I can arrange that. Michigan even in the Ann Arbor area doesn't get that many hot days where it bothers the bees. Some colonies that are a pleasant experience to go into become holy terrors when they are in the shade for a while I have found.

 Al


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

hornets, yellow jackets , wasp all die ,in the winter the only one that makes it to spring is the queens ,so in the spring the nest will be dead then knock the nest apart and watch next spring so you get them when they first start


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## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

Here's what I've decided on, it's between the pines on the southside of picture #3 above. Plenty of wildflowers back there, plenty of water sources. Tucked away from people and the crop fields. It's in an open area but with enough pines around to block some of the nasty predominant winds we get at times. It's a 1/4 mile from my house, right now I'm okay with that. Gives me an excuse to go for a nice walk. Winter could be a problem though. I can also drive my pickup, tractor, or lawn mower back there.


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