Setting Up an Apiary

Setting up an apiary covers all the preparations made before the colonies arrive: preparing the ground, hive stands, the layout, a water source, windbreak and fence, a work area and legal registration. A well-prepared apiary markedly reduces the work in the years that follow, whereas an apiary set up in a hurry throws up the same problems every season.

When should you set up an apiary?

Preparations should be completed a few weeks before the colonies arrive. The best time is early spring, when colonies are easiest to move, or the quiet months before autumn. When the colonies arrive, the stands should be ready, the water source full and the track open. Bringing the colonies first and preparing the site afterwards both stresses the bees and forces the beekeeper to do construction work among them.

How should the ground be prepared?

• It must be dry: Constantly damp ground brings mould, fungal brood diseases and rotting woodwork.
• It must be level: If the hive leans to one side, the bees build crooked comb and the frames get stuck together. The hive should be level from side to side and tilted slightly forward from back to front; rainwater then runs out through the entrance.
• Water must not collect: Spots that puddle in the rain are identified and filled in, or the hives are moved away from them.
• Vegetation must be controlled: Grass that blocks the entrance is cut. Gravel, paving slabs or compacted ground in front of the hive make maintenance easier.

Hive stands: how high should a beehive be off the ground?

Hives are not placed directly on the soil; they are raised off the ground on a base or stand. The benefits:

• Moisture from the ground is cut off, and the floor and woodwork last longer.
• Ants, frogs and some pests find it harder to reach the hive.
• The entrance is not blocked by grass or snow.
• The beekeeper's back is protected.

Working height matters: a hive that is too low strains the back, while one that is too high makes it harder to lift the upper boxes and full supers. Many beekeepers keep the bottom of the hive at about knee height. The stand must be sturdy and stable and able to bear the load for years; the weight of a multi-storey hive full of honey must be taken into account.

How do you plan the layout?

• Place hives in groups and spaced out, facing different directions.
• Paint hives in different colours and put distinctive shapes around the entrances.
• Leave comfortable working space between and behind hives; the beekeeper usually stands beside or behind the hive.
• Make use of natural landmarks such as trees, bushes and stones.

Identical-looking hives lined up in a straight row lead to drifting: bees enter the wrong hive, the hives at the ends of the row become stronger and those in the middle weaker, and diseases and mites are easily carried between colonies. The details are on the "Hive Placement in the Apiary" page.

Flight path and windbreak

The area in front of the entrance should be open so that bees can rise unobstructed when they leave the hive. If the entrance faces a footpath, road or neighbour's garden, a fence, hedge or netting taller than a person is placed in front of it; the bees are forced to fly upwards and pass above head height.

A windbreak on the side of the prevailing wind (a dense hedge, a row of shrubs, a wall or netting) both makes flight easier and reduces heat loss in winter. A fence or screen of plants that filters the wind creates less turbulence than a wall that blocks it completely.

Water source, fence and work area

Water source

The water source must be set up before the colonies arrive. Bees learn the first water source they find and get used to it; it is very difficult to draw a colony that has got used to a neighbour's pond to a new source. The water source should be shallow, with stones or floating material in it for the bees to stand on.

Fence

The apiary should be fenced to keep out grazing animals, dogs and trespassers. In areas with wild boar or bears, an electric fence is a common solution. Putting a warning sign at the entrance to say there is an apiary protects passers-by.

Work area

A work point in the apiary makes the job easier: a stand or empty box to put frames on, a box with a lid, a tool bag, a dry container for smoker fuel, water and, if necessary, a simple shade. A frame put down on the ground both gets dirty and attracts robbing.

Securing hives and access

In windy, exposed places, hives are tied to their stands with straps, weights or stakes. If a hive knocked over in a storm goes unnoticed in winter, the colony dies. The access track should allow a vehicle carrying full supers to come right up to the hives and should stay open in winter as well.

Setup checklist

1. Find out the legal position: The distance of an apiary from roads, settlements and public places is regulated; in Türkiye, apiaries are registered in the Beekeeping Registration System. Consult the provincial or district directorate of agriculture and forestry.
2. Come to an agreement with the landowner: If it is not your own land, put the permission, duration and access conditions in writing.
3. Level the ground, cut the grass and get rid of puddles.
4. Set up the stands and check them with a spirit level.
5. Set up and fill the water source.
6. Put up the windbreak, fence and warning sign.
7. Prepare the work area and tool box.
8. Bring the colonies in the late afternoon or evening: A colony moved while most of the bees are in the hive is placed on its stand, and the entrance is opened once the bees have calmed down, the same evening or early the next morning.
9. Start the record book: Give each hive a number and note its origin and queen.