Apiary management covers the decisions that concern the whole operation rather than individual colonies: where it will be, how many colonies it will hold, how it will be protected.

The site is half the yield

Bees bring in only what is around them. Distant forage is inefficient; flight energy rises with distance and the net gain falls.

The real question in assessing a site is not "how far can she fly" but what is in the immediate surroundings.

Criteria for a site

• Forage spread through the season
• Morning sun, protection from wind
• Dry ground, away from watercourses
• Water nearby, or provided by the beekeeper
• Vehicle access
• A flight path not facing a footpath or a neighbour's garden

How many colonies

The number of colonies a site can hold is limited by its forage. Excessive density weakens colonies, increases robbing and deepens competition with wild bees.

Neighbours

The commonest reason beekeeping ends is not disease but a complaint from a neighbour.

• Force the flight path upward with a hedge or planting
• Provide your own water source
• Requeen a bad-tempered colony
• Tell your neighbours in advance

The regional view

Disease, resistance and forage problems are regional. Mites and agents pass between colonies by robbing and drifting; neighbouring apiaries share the same pool.

Sharing information through a beekeeping association therefore achieves more than a single beekeeper can.