Hive Location and Setup

Paul Kelly, research and apiary manager, explains how to select and set up a hive location.
Frequently asked questions: hbrc.ca/faq/
A descriptive transcript is available here: www.uoguelph.ca/oac/sites/uog...
For more videos, check out the University of Guelph's Honey Bee Research Centre youtube channel at this link:
/ @uoghoneybeeresearchce...
For more work by David Borish Visuals, check out:
www.davidborishvisuals.com/
We would like to thank Québec beekeepers Marie-Hélène Majeau and Susan Kennerknecht for translating our videos into French. We are very grateful for their help with this project. (To view translation, click on settings then subtitles)
Nous aimerions remercier deux apicultrices du Québec, Marie-Hélène Majeau et Susan Kennerknecht pour la traduction de ces vidéos en français. Nous leur en sommes très reconnaissants. (Pour accéder à la traduction française, sélectionnez paramètres et ensuite sous-titres)

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thank you to everyone for watching and supporting our videos! If you have any questions about our videos, please check out our list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on our website, which can be found at honeybee.uoguelph.ca/videos/frequently-asked-questions/

[@yekelosiboniso4178]

We can I get the equipment I want to start my farming

[@graceanthony]

Thanks for all the useful tips especially those on wind and terrain for ease and mobility. Very good and informative video, you were clear and concise.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks for your encouragement Grace. We'll do some more videos this summer. Please suggest topics you think would be helpful.

[@crabmanbc21]

Keep the videos coming! We enjoy your videos and look forward to seeing them. We review older ones when they are relevant to what we are doing here in North Georgia. Easy to understand and very efficient ways to manage bees, thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hello in North Georgia.Thanks for the encouraging thoughts Jim!

[@KrossShadow]

Thank you this was useful.

[@aspencedr8182]

thanks so much for producing this series, have my first nuc ordered , and looking forward to adding bees to our property in central Nova Scotia this spring, expect i'll rewatch most of these a few times over the next year or so.

[@paulkelly3266]

Thanks a spencerdr I appreciate your comments. I worked for the beekeepers Eric and Lynn Nickerson near Berwick NS back in the 80's. Fond memories of Nova Scotia. Good luck in beekeeping!

[@omonty2]

How's it working out with beekeeping so far?

[@assambee180]

Nice description....👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍i like it

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Arif!

[@tyronedwards5681]

I understand thank you for the video 👍

[@wesleysmith8]

Thanks for your excellent videos. I am a new beek in Texas and we have some different conditions that I don't see you contending with as much (fire ants, red wasps, SHB, AHB). Still, your educational videos are immensely helpful to me and your approach to the work and setup is something to model.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Wesley. Nice to hear you find the videos helpful. You sure do have some nasty insects to deal with there in Texas!

[@harmonwatson7511]

I'm from texas too ans you say here to be in full sunlight does that matter in the summer when it can be 110 degree farhehiet

[@wesleysmith8]

@@harmonwatson7511 Harmon, in my experience, a well ventilated hive of bees can withstand the higher temps better than the AHBs. When I moved my hives from shaded areas to full sun, they did better

[@jmjuanatey]

From Nicaragua, thanks for all those very helpful videos, i did learn a lot, are educational but specially friendly, I have seen all, and those videos will be my consultation reference "book". Thanks so much.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

That is very nice to hear how you are making good use of our videos in Nicaragua. Thanks for your kind comments.

[@lourensklopper4217]

Thank you very much for your great videos!! I have questions?? If you put your hives in 2 hives, 3 groups, 6 total..... How far are those hives apart(from middle to hive)? How far from those 6 hives can you start another group of 6? Ok now for the watersource? How can I give these bees water? Do I need to give every group of 6 hives there own water or can I put water out in the corners of my bee block? How do you keep ants out of your hives? My temperature is much different from yours. Here in South Africa I dont live in a place that get snow, but the temperature in winter is very cold, freezing. The water will freeze over night. How do I fix that or do I just leave till the sun warms that ice to water?

[@bradprather6749]

Again, thank you. For a third year backyard keeper this is a wonderful education. Can you shed some light on trimming around hives? I use an electric trimmer and work quickly, taking care not to linger. The bees don't really seem to be too bothered.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

HI Brad We move quick too! We also smoke each group of six hives before using the string trimmer or push mower On our home yard we use a riding mower then and push mower then a string trimmer. In the out yards we use the last two. It can get out of hand without the smoke!!!

[@pearsonkalubi4871]

Excellent

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Pearson!

[@bradgoliphant]

Hello again Paul, when I ask you earlier of your hive configuration, I was referring to how you thought best to stack your hives, like double deep brood and shallow supers. I live in the NE. Do you find it better that beekeepers with cold winters for bees to be houses in double deep brood boxes?

[@framcesmoore]

Ha there been missing u folks when are u going to put more bee videos on this web u do such a wonderful job thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Frances! We are editing twenty more videos now and then will prepare the transcripts and closed captions so they are fully accessible. It all takes time since we do it in between our primary activities.

[@framcesmoore]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre OH u just made me so happy u all do a wonderful job the way u do your videos it is like going to bee school they are just wonderful thanks so much have a wonderful day and thanks again

[@daleenpieters4890]

Thanks for great videos. I am in South Africa and want to start beekeeping. We obviously have African honey bees. Spring here ise currently 95 degrees. Should I provide any shade for my hives? How do I keep them cool enough without them having to fan the hives all day?

[@federicocaicedo7912]

Hello friends a great job ... I would like to know if you sell buckfast queens to South america ... thanks

[@trinityhanes7609]

What type of paint do you use for the hives?

[@billharold7669]

With single brood chambers do you need a hole near the top(of the brood box) and if so what size. I see them in some hives not sure if they are in all. Thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Bill We have a 7?8" hole in the front upper area on every brood chamber. We'll do a video on singles this summer.

[@danielboon5356]

Hello, great videos, in your experience and research have you used warm hive (frames parallel to entrance) setup . If so did it make a difference in honey production and winter lose.Daniel

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Daniel. No I've never tried hives built that way. As much as possible, I stick with tried and true methods. Seems to me they would be 'cold' hives with a wider entrance but I'm not aware of how 'warm hives' are designed.

[@osirusj275]

Nice videos... How to make sure the bees eat only certain flower and not others... Like how do I know which honey am I harvesting? And will the bees start stinging u if u don't have ppe suit?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There All that comes with experience managing beehives.

[@scotthenderson4376]

I have a wooded ditch with water behind my yard 15-20ft and a pool in the yard will they go to the pool or the ditch? (was planning on them at the back fence woods behind)

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Scott I think they will go to whatever is closer but both those sources both sound pretty close. A beekeeper with a pool told me he hangs a towel in the corner of his pool so the bees concentrate on the wet towel rather than drinking around the edges of the pool. Something to try if the pool wins their attention.

[@zatnikatel1472]

My neighbour do have a swimming pool, however the location of my hives has a river north of it much more closer than the pools. (About maybe 50 feet compared to the pool 500 feet). What do you think think of the chance to end up in the pool?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Douglas My best guess is that the bees will chose the closer water source. I hope so anyway!

[@checkwalkcare8128]

in my country (Turkey) , we are putting hives side bye side and leaving a hive size empty space betwee them. beehives are facing to southeast everytime, not a circle set up like yours. are we doing wrong?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi CC in Turkey I wouldn't say what you are doing is wrong but facing hives in different directions and using a variety of colours does improve orientation for returning workers, drones and queens. The drifting of bees can cause decreased production and increased disease transmission. Bees can't count so if hives are placed in a row and they all look the same they tend to enter the hives near the end of the row.

[@user-eu2tp2gu5x]

👍

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

:)

[@shannoncampfield9125]

hi there from down under...can i ask how you keep the ants out of your hives ,seeing as you just have them on the grass

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Shannon way down under! Fortunately we don't have significant ant problems here. One of our yards has Allegheny ants that nest under the hives, inside our hive stands. We periodically kill the ant nests by pouring Borax powder on the nest. It's a pretty benign material. Metal hive stands with the legs placed in oil filled cans are used in some countries where ants are more of a problem.

[@111coffey]

Hi there... So side of the world is't crucially important when setting a hive?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Not really. South exposure is ideal but if they are all facing that way it gets confusing for a bee.

[@yekelosiboniso4178]

We can I can these equipments and your prices

[@ME-ev8zs]

I am a beginner of beekeeping and I have an option of two places to keep my bees Where would you recommend rather I should place my bees? One property where I have is completely full sun And the second property where I have is completely full shade. where would you rather recommend?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Full sun for sure.

[@user-sq3zz8po4r]

0:54

[@joychandrasinghshamjetshab9420]

I put multiple hive about 10 foot distance, why they are fighting each other, sometimes wrong entry to their hive.. How to mange it

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Try reducing the size of the entrance. It sounds like there isn't much nectar available and the bees are robbing from each other. You could see our video on preventing robbing behavior.

[@mschilepepper10]

Question can you set up your bee hives in the middle of your garden ?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You need a bit of buffer space in between your bees and active spaces. A back corner is often good but you do want sunshine.

[@mschilepepper10]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre thank you

[@aliseyed3298]

Hi, This is Ali. I am looking for a video camera so I can put it inside honeybee hive in order to record their activities during night time. Anybody can share his advise with me please?

[@meyerlemon3776]

Can i use a 8 frame as a brood chamber?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There It's not my preference but it works out well for some beekeepers. I think it would work better in a warmer climate than we have here in Ontario Canada.

[@cheeseman5571]

The best way to give bees water is to get a little tub fill it with water then put marbles that are above the waters surface and pack them tightly together then the bees can get a drink without drowning.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Daniel That sounds like a good way. I've seen similar water sources for bees using pebbles.

[@daar1259]

How much of a beehive can be placed in one stall?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There I'm afraid I don't understand our question. Please ask again.

[@bmlsb]

Whats the closest to my house do you suggest ?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

More than distance consider areas of activity. Keep the hive away from active areas maybe 50' + from your house.

[@stevevelez6134]

How about the roof?

[@ritikapokhariya4218]

Suitable condition for rearing of bees

[@floydshaman5113]

Is the legislation you mentioned a federal thing? Oh just realized your Canadian :D

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hey Floyd Regulations are very specific to the location and vary greatly even here in Canada. When we did the video series we were only thinking of a local audience.

[@floydshaman5113]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre well congrats kind sir on going international! Wootwoot! Shout out from New Mexico in the Rocky Mountains!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There in New Mexico Floyd! Seems like it would be a nice place to be. I lived in the Canadian Rocky Mountains many years ago and still miss them. Thanks for your generous comments.

[@nds101122]

Is the Bees Act a Canadian legislation?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

It is for the province of Ontario, Canada.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Very US specific re legislation

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Yes the legislation is specific to Ontario Canada. We did the videos for local viewing and were pleasantly surprised that they are viewed elsewhere. We hope that most people will realize that the content may not apply to their locations.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Well shucks. That's a very nice thing to say. You'd fit in well here in Canada!

[@HeartPumper]

As non Canadian, I'm very aware of such saying that exist: "When Canada will rule the world, you all will be sorry!!! " :DDDD Cracks me all the time :P

[@markmorgan3747]

who?

[@beekeeper8474]

Sorry beehive you are too close to home we need you to leave.

[@RandomFandom1]

20 seconds in, and I see you sticking the hive tool in too far. 1 inch of penetration is all that is needed. Separate the frames where they rest on the box. You stand to poke holes in the comb and kill bees otherwise

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

HI David Sometimes when you are moving several frames at once as Dave is in the picture you need to pry from lower down on the frame end bar so the frames are kept plumb. This is especially true with older boxes and equipment where a little more force is required. If the frames aren't kept plumb you crush bees when inserting the last frame.

[@ajvandelay8318]

What is a southerly exposure?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

It means that the hives are exposed to the most sun possible. You could read more by doing an internet search.

[@federicocaicedo7912]

Hello friends a great job ... I would like to know if you sell buckfast queens to South america ... thanks

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hey Federico Thanks for your support. Unfortunately no. I'm not aware of any S. American countries that accept our queens.