Looking to start bee keeping

I have a small garden and I would like to keep bees, I am wondering how much space you need to have around the hive? Do you need full 360 access or can you put it next to a fence?


Thanks James

smith.james0 said:

I have a small garden and I would like to keep bees, I am wondering how much space you need to have around the hive? Do you need full 360 access or can you put it next to a fence?


Thanks James

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Hi James,

Welcome to the forum, putting a hive "against a fence" should be okay for the bees but will restrict your access to two sides not advisable to stand in front of hive when carrying out inspections etc.

Whilst you didn't ask you will also need to consider neighbors, proximity of paths/bridleways etc?

Russ

ideal against the fence, with the entrance faced towards it- causes exiting bees to fly directly upwards and over peoples heads and away. Bigger question is, how close are your neighbours to your garden/hive site?

Best recommendation is to read around the forum for threads on neighbours, keeping bees in town etc.

In a nutshell a small garden is almost never going to be suitable for bees....unless you can put them on the garage roof say. But access for the beekeeper is a long way down the list of considerations.

I've seen a few hives in some very pokie and seemingly poor places. They were happy enough, doing as they would be expected- the great benefit though was the neighbours were either a long way away or very pro-bee.

smith.james0 said:

I have a small garden and I would like to keep bees, I am wondering how much space you need to have around the hive? Do you need full 360 access or can you put it next to a fence?


Thanks James

Click to expand...

Hi James - search the forum for the word "neighbours" and you'll turn up lots of rather similar threads.

To be self-sustaining (against newb mistakes, hand of god, etc) you need to aim for two hives minimum rather than a singleton.

You don't actually need much space for a couple of hives, bee access to them and working around them (perhaps 4m x 3m, maybe less).
However, getting your bees UP and over neighbours, footpaths, horses, whatever ... means you could do with a bit more than the typical 6 foot fence. Trellis with fruit (anti-bird) netting seems to do the trick.
The bees can be happy to fly over an obstacle and then drop steeply down to their hive. Flying up before heading off is similarly not a problem.

BUT there is a school of thought on here that says "Garden? Don't even think about it!" whatever the size of the garden.
Small garden usually means 'people nearby' and that's not normally a very good thing. Bees can cause problems in other folks gardens ...
But some people DO keep bees in gardens. Happily and successfully.

You need gentle bees, good neighbours AND a 'plan B' for where the bees could go in case of problems.

Ask around about allotment beekeeping, and consider whether there's somewhere like a garage roof that you could get/make easy access to (the bees wouldn't mind the height, as such - turbulent wind might be the bees concern, yours might be the access and the strength of the roof! )

But, first things first - get yourself onto a Beginners course -- they are usually run in Winter. After that, you'll have a different set of questions!

itma said:

After that, you'll have a different set of questions!

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...for the rest of your beekeeping life lol

I have two full colonies in a small garden and it is not ideal. (I now have two nucs as well from late swarms collected) Whilst it is nice to see them at work, it makes part of the garden unusable. No complaints from neighbors, if fact when I did a honey run to the in October they said they did not even notice they were there. One hive turned a bit territorial towards the end of summer and I am in the process of looking for an out apiary. If I had an option; out apiary or small garden, I would say out apiary. IT is looking like a very hard thing to find.

Flatters said:

Whilst it is nice to see them at work, it makes part of the garden unusable.

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Thats what I am concerned about as well. The neighbors are quite close but they are never outside and a house just down the road has three hives in there front garden, I have never heard any complaints about them.

This is my garden
I would post a picture of my garden but it wont allow me

James

smith.james0 said:

... and a house just down the road has three hives in there front garden, I have never heard any complaints about them. ...

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And there are bees in them?
Front gardens are unusual because of concerns including disruption to the public and visitors, theft and vandalism.

But it sounds as though you should be finding out more about your neighbour's experience.
Just remember though, not all bee colonies have the same temperament, either as others, or as themselves last month!

itma said:

Just remember though, not all bee colonies have the same temperament, either as others, or as themselves last month!

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With good bees you're laughing. All summer I was able to sit on a makeshift stool about 2 foot from the entrance of my hive, reading, leaning in to take photographs, and the bees weren't bothered at all. Then the queen began to fail and they made preparations for supercedure...