Hive direction

meade kampe · February 21, 2011, 08:48:46 PM

Which direction should a hive face? Thanks.

iddee · February 21, 2011, 08:58:14 PM

Preferably south to east, or somewhere in between, but commercial beeks have 4 hives on a pallet, with two facing opposite the other two. All of them can't face south or east.

Michael Bush · February 21, 2011, 10:47:21 PM

I'm with Iddee. I face my tipi the same as well. South or East. First, it catches the sun, second it puts the back to the prevailing winds.

meade kampe · February 22, 2011, 10:37:34 PM

Thank-you!

stonecroppefarm · March 02, 2011, 12:08:23 AM

I am a new beek so don't take this too seriously. ... In the summer I would tend to face the entrance away from the midday sun. To heat the hive early morning I would face the largest side of the hive towards the southeast to absorb some early morning sun to get the bees started. Following that I would not want to heat the bottom board entrance by having the front face the sun during the day. not only will the bottom board get hot but this will draw into the hive very warm air as it vents through the hive up through the top cover. I think we are talking 90 to 100 deg air on a day with 80deg in the shade. I just made this up so I would appreciate feedback before I orient my new hives.

brooksbeefarm · March 02, 2011, 01:13:01 AM

I agree with Iddee and MB on direction of the hive. I have several hives in the open (no shade) and it gets over 100 deg. in the summer here in SW. Mo. I have went to screenbottom boards and a top entrance year round and don't have the bearding in the hot summer like i use to,also the shb don't like full sun. :buttkick: Jack

Michael Bush · March 02, 2011, 03:06:19 AM

I have hives facing every direction depending on the circumstances, but all things being equal, I go for South or East...

Acebird · March 02, 2011, 10:34:02 AM

QuoteI think we are talking 90 to 100 deg air on a day with 80deg in the shade.

The theory is to get the front of the hive warmed up as soon as possible to make the longest work day for the bees. Light in the entrance may also have an affect. Heat is not a problem if you have ventilation. Light colored hives will reflect a lot of sun energy. I think part of the reason for the tar paper wrap up north is to absorbe some heat in the winter months.

fish_stix · March 02, 2011, 11:04:40 AM

Due to global warming the old techniques of beekeeping are not so relevant. Recently on Ebay I found some small watch band compasses and bought a whole gross of them. I glue one to the top of each hive and now have a method of orienting the hives to the sun as it progresses from southern latitudes to northern latitudes over the course of the spring and summer. I have timed the bees working day and have found an average increase of 4 seconds a day as I turn the hive to face the full sun. You can purchase a copy of Bowditch's American Practical Navigator and have the math and tables at hand to calculate the exact sun declination at your latitude each day so that you can properly orient your hives each morning before sunrise and maximize your bees workday. More honey = more profit! You guys have too much time on your hands! :-D

brooksbeefarm · March 02, 2011, 11:08:58 AM

Acebird, i agree.But location i think is important with the tarpaper wrap,many hives have been lost here in SW. Mo., it gives the bees a false reading on the outside temp. and they fly out into snow and freezing weather. :shock: Jack

hankdog1 · March 02, 2011, 03:08:19 PM

Quote from: fish_stix on March 02, 2011, 11:04:40 AM
Due to global warming the old techniques of beekeeping are not so relevant. Recently on Ebay I found some small watch band compasses and bought a whole gross of them. I glue one to the top of each hive and now have a method of orienting the hives to the sun as it progresses from southern latitudes to northern latitudes over the course of the spring and summer. I have timed the bees working day and have found an average increase of 4 seconds a day as I turn the hive to face the full sun. You can purchase a copy of Bowditch's American Practical Navigator and have the math and tables at hand to calculate the exact sun declination at your latitude each day so that you can properly orient your hives each morning before sunrise and maximize your bees workday. More honey = more profit! You guys have too much time on your hands! :-D

dang it has been a long winter hehehe may try that his year since i'd love to move my hives everyday :-D

Acebird · March 02, 2011, 03:21:29 PM

Quoteand they fly out into snow and freezing weather.

I am a newbee but it doesn't seem as though tar paper would fool the bees. It is not like they rev up at the end of a run way for take off. Our club has an observation hive inside a building that is 68-72 degrees all year long and in the winter it can get -20 or so outside. We are not short on snow either.

skatesailor · March 02, 2011, 03:42:50 PM

Quote from: hankdog1 on March 02, 2011, 03:08:19 PM
Quote from: fish_stix on March 02, 2011, 11:04:40 AM
Due to global warming the old techniques of beekeeping are not so relevant. Recently on Ebay I found some small watch band compasses and bought a whole gross of them. I glue one to the top of each hive and now have a method of orienting the hives to the sun as it progresses from southern latitudes to northern latitudes over the course of the spring and summer. I have timed the bees working day and have found an average increase of 4 seconds a day as I turn the hive to face the full sun. You can purchase a copy of Bowditch's American Practical Navigator and have the math and tables at hand to calculate the exact sun declination at your latitude each day so that you can properly orient your hives each morning before sunrise and maximize your bees workday. More honey = more profit! You guys have too much time on your hands! :-D

dang it has been a long winter hehehe may try that his year since i'd love to move my hives everyday :-D

Try placing the hive on a lazy susan and wiring it to a sunflower head. Takes the work out of it.

BlueBee · March 02, 2011, 03:53:37 PM

QuoteDue to global warming the old techniques of beekeeping are not so relevant.

We just had the snowiest February on record here in Michigan.

Quotecalculate the exact sun declination at your latitude each day so that you can properly orient your hives each morning before sunrise and maximize your bees workday.

Why not just do what Finski does and save all this math of hive turning. He sticks a heater in his hives in the spring to give them an early (warm) start. Put a timer on the heater if you like.

Quoteit gives the bees a false reading on the outside temp.

Some of my super insulated hives are 70F or more. We are still covered in snow in Michigan. My bees are bright enough not to fly in 25F weather.

Brian D. Bray · March 04, 2011, 05:36:59 PM

Funny you should ask. It is customary to position hives so that they face south, east, or southeast.

However, where I live the prevailing winds come out of the south, so I turned the hives to face east, the morning sun, and then noticed that the bees flight path was such that it was from the south and the bees had to make a 90 degree turn to enter the hive, I lost 2 hives to absconding. I then faced the bee hives facing south, into the wind, and let the bees fly straight into the hives. I haven't had one abscond since.

So my answer to you is place it whichever way the bees like it best for your location, even if it's north. Watch the bee's flight path and point the entrance towards the direction they predominately return to the apiary from.

edward · March 06, 2011, 11:11:19 PM

I have noticed that the hive that get the most sun light morning and in the evening are most active an stronger.

Also that the placement in the terrain is probably as important.

Hives at the bottom of a hill or dip in the terrain take longer to get started in the morning as the cool air flows to the lowest point.and the ground damp , morning mist , dew take longer to dissipate in the low lying areas.

mvh edward :-P

meade kampe · March 07, 2011, 10:09:27 AM

Thanks everyone for the info and advice! I just started beekeeping last year with two hives. They are on the top edge of a wooded ravine, facing South. There were so many differences between the hives, and they are only 15 ft apart! I have an additional hive to set out this year, and I wanted to put it closer to my house for observation. I just wanted to make sure I was pointing it in the right direction, thanks!

Tommyt · March 07, 2011, 10:20:23 AM

QuoteI just wanted to make sure I was pointing it in the right direction, thanks!

Don't point it where you and family walk or a door entrance :shock:

Tommyt

T Beek · March 07, 2011, 11:03:09 AM

Quote from: meade kampe on March 07, 2011, 10:09:27 AM
Thanks everyone for the info and advice! I just started beekeeping last year with two hives. They are on the top edge of a wooded ravine, facing South. There were so many differences between the hives, and they are only 15 ft apart! I have an additional hive to set out this year, and I wanted to put it closer to my house for observation. I just wanted to make sure I was pointing it in the right direction, thanks!

Your hives are 15 feet apart? That's room for enough for 3-4 more between them. Mine are 'slightly' turned away from each other so no two colonies are facing 'exactly' in the same direction other than generally facing south/southeast. They all get first light and all day sun (when its out), summer and winter.

ALL colonies are different, just like people ;)

thomas

lenape13 · March 07, 2011, 11:16:04 AM

All of mine face south, with about a foot of space between them. They could be closer, but I like having a little space around them.