which direction?

[kendo]

hi well took the plunge and bought a new hive and frames
now when I set it up,which direction should the entrance face ie north,south?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

South or Sou'East ideally
I take it you have no bees yet, so now is the ideal time to get on a beginners course with your local association

 

[kendo]

beekeeping course

hi im looking to take a beekeeping course for beginners, I live in bacup Lancashire can anyone help?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I can't but I know somebody that can http://www.lancashirebeekeepers.org...MQrpKv4C9j5CKTK5Nwa-eUXZj7zjtIvsdkaAkT18P8HAQ

Sigh.......................................

 

[Martley]

Good timing.

Next Beginners course is in April running in Colne http://www.eastlancsbees.org.uk/courses/

 

[Barbarian]

An alternative

www.halifaxbeekeepers.co.uk

Beginners course Wednesdays, March 30 to May 3 in Hebden Bridge.

Contact is Phil Gee

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Probably no help to the OP but Barkston Ash introductory theory course starts in the village hall 7.30 3rd February for 5 weekly Wednesday evenings. We try to give an appreciation of beekeeping in time for the start of the practical season (depending on the weather and the bees).
Courses are free to members but if you want tea or coffee there is a small charge.

 

[Tomo]

The Haynes Beekeeping manual is also a good investment (£12 ish from A*azon). The book covers hive position etc and has some very good photos.
Good luck.

 

[wessexmario]

also, try to position the hive where it will catch the morning sun as early as possible. (just a few feet could make all the difference in activity if the hive is in shadow and warms up more slowly in the mornings)
- the opposite problem can be if it's too exposed, driving wind and rain can be detrimental, so don't position the entrance directly into the prevailing wind, or else position the hive in the lee of some shelter.
But don't worry too much about it, every hive position is a compromise between the best positions for good and bad weather.

If the hive is in a garden and you have limited space, if the hive is near a fence, hedge or shed, you might want to place the entrance to the side, and not facing away from the obstruction, so when you inspect standing at the rear of the hive you'll have more room to move. The flight path will then be (or can be directed with a piece of trellis) along the line of the boundary, rather than into the centre of the space.

 

[Softley]

Also, Manchester and District Beekeepers Association run a two day course in March and April. On the back of that you can come along to the Monday night sessions that run through the season. You'll get practical experience in one of the country's best training apiaries. There is a cost for the two day course but after that the Monday night sessions are free. The apiary is at Heaton Park, north of Manchester - probably as far from you as Colne is. However, the courses are usually oversubscribed and you may have missed the boat for the spring. There is a course run in the autumn but I'd suggest trying to get on one before then if you plan on getting bees this year.

Have a look on their website: http://www.mdbka.com

Books can only teach you so much

 

[iand]

also, try to position the hive where it will catch the morning sun as early as possible. (just a few feet could make all the difference in activity if the hive is in shadow and warms up more slowly in the mornings)
- the opposite problem can be if it's too exposed, driving wind and rain can be detrimental, so don't position the entrance directly into the prevailing wind, or else position the hive in the lee of some shelter.
But don't worry too much about it, every hive position is a compromise between the best positions for good and bad weather.

If the hive is in a garden and you have limited space, if the hive is near a fence, hedge or shed, you might want to place the entrance to the side, and not facing away from the obstruction, so when you inspect standing at the rear of the hive you'll have more room to move. The flight path will then be (or can be directed with a piece of trellis) along the line of the boundary, rather than into the centre of the space.

We generally keep the bees in groups of four, so two usually draw the short straw, but we don't normally see any measurable difference between them. Maybe this is because we ideally like the general area where they are situated to have its own micro climate. The most important criteria is that at this time of year they get full sun around mid day, i.e are not in the shade/shelter of trees, tall hedges etc. We had one site where a few had less sun than the rest, only a matter of yards, but they were always more likely to suffer with nosema. That site is now just used in the summer.