To shade or not to shade?!

Most of mine are in sun with midday shade, pointing in all directions except north.

All early starters and late finishers

Are we weird or is it the rest of the world?
I think it's the rest.
We can all say when our bees fly and the sun / shade effect.
Maybe we spend too much time just standing and looking, from my point of view I'm also looking at the wider natural world as well when I stand and ponder the hives, so no we don't 'waste time'.

theeggman said:

Are we weird or is it the rest of the world?
I think it's the rest.
We can all say when our bees fly and the sun / shade effect.
Maybe we spend too much time just standing and looking, from my point of view I'm also looking at the wider natural world as well when I stand and ponder the hives, so no we don't 'waste time'.

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Spot on!

for me, beekeeping-time, and everything that goes with it, is never wasted - it's therapy... much, much cheaper, more effective and so much more pleasurable than taking up the position on the couch!

bontbee said:

Spot on!

for me, beekeeping-time, and everything that goes with it, is never wasted - it's therapy... much, much cheaper, more effective and so much more pleasurable than taking up the position on the couch!

Click to expand...

I would site for the best hive conditions in the worst weather conditions.

My consideration would be to avoid:-
the directions the coldest winter winds and rains come from, using the tree as a wind break,
the low depressions which would hold the cold air, frost, mist and damp,
the shady areas which would keep the ground damp and maintain a cooler micro climate

I wouldn't prune any branches on the oak tree or they may swarm higher up out of reach, leave as it is & hopefully they will swarm low down.

I have had my hives in partial shade at mid-day but I am going to move them as they have not done as well as I thought they would. I will be losing a seating area but hopefully gaining in honey and happier bees. The best part is that it is already flagged so settled and stable. Last year one hive suffered mould on some of the frames and this year both had slow build up so into full sun they go.