Setting up an apiary happens before the colonies arrive. What has to be changed afterwards always costs more.

Assessing the site

• Morning sun: Gets the bees flying early
• Shelter: Wind costs heat and hinders returning bees
• Dry, firm ground: Damp is the source of many problems
• Access: Also in rain and with a loaded vehicle
• Water within reach, or provided
• Forage: Spread across the season, not only at the peak

What must be arranged in advance

• Landowner's permission, preferably in writing
• Registration where required
• Local rules on distances to roads and dwellings
• Informing the neighbours
• The spray calendar from neighbouring growers

Water

This is the most frequently forgotten item and the commonest cause of complaints from neighbours. Without a source of their own, the bees go to swimming pools, drinking troughs and taps.

Provide the source before the colonies arrive; once accustomed to a place, bees are hard to redirect.

Layout

• Not in a straight row; drifting weakens the middle colonies
• Different orientations, colours and landmarks
• Room to work between hives
• Hives off the ground and level, tilted slightly forward
• Secured against wind and animals

The flight path

No traffic should cross the line along which the bees leave. A hedge or fence forces them above head height — the simplest way to prevent problems with neighbours.

Working provisions

A frame stand, a lockable box for tools, and somewhere to set boxes down make the work considerably lighter.

Carrying capacity

The number of colonies is limited by the forage, not by the available ground. Start with fewer than you think you can place and let the scale show the limit.