If you want to know how to pick the best location for your backyard bee hive, you should learn the ins and outs of where bee hives flourish, and where they fall apart. Though there is rarely ever one entirely correct answer, there are some places to put your bee hive that are better than others. Read along to learn some valuable insights on how to make this decision.
Face the Hive Southeast
You have gone to where nuc bee hives are for sale, you have your hive, and now you need to know where to put it in your backyard. The first major piece of advice is: you want the hive to face the southeast. When you station your bees in that direction, you are giving them the best access to the sunrise. The sunrise will wake the bees earlier in the day, which will help you in the long run because then they will work as soon as the day starts.
Give Them a Windbreak
Some people like to build fences or grow tall plants at the rear of their hives. With a windbreak, your hive will be better protected from the more intense weather elements. Especially if you live in a cold, windy climate, you will be doing your bees, and ultimately yourself, a favor if you give them something to hide behind.
Put Them in a Lightly Shaded Spot
Bees can spend a lot of their valuable time trying to regulate their heat if they are not in an optimally shaded location. When winter ends, you want your bees collecting nectar and making honey, not struggling to cool or warm themselves. Do not give them so much sunlight that they overheat, but do not give them so much shade that they grow damp and lethargic.
Put Them on Dry Land
A vital step in determining how to pick the best location for your backyard bee hive, you want your hive on land that is firm and dry. If you put them on unstable, watery land, they may fall into a quagmire. Before you commit yourself to a location, feel around it to make sure it is not muddy and uneven.