How Many Bee Hives In One Location - Honest Beekeeper

If you are a “backyard beekeeper,” the distance of your beehive from your house is an important thing to consider. It is perfectly safe to have a beehive near your house; your bees will not swarm out to attack you, even when you harvest honey from their hive.

Keep your beehive far enough from your house that your bees will not be bothered by human activity. If you spend a lot of time around your house or in your backyard, face the entrance to the hive away from the house.

Bees can be disturbed by too much human activity directly outside their hive and turning their entrance away from you will ensure that they don’t encounter a high-activity space every time they exit the hive. If you have pets or small children, place your hive someplace that is hidden from them or out of their reach. This is the safest option for everyone involved! Neighbors or visitors who don’t know a lot about bees might be frightened to see a hive in your backyard. Keeping your hive in a discreet location could prevent an unhappy phone call from the folks next door.

Choose a sunny spot for your beehive. Don’t place it in a densely wooded area or under large trees. Areas like this tend to be damp, dark, and dangerous – a tree branch could fall and hit your hive. Instead, look for someplace that is sunny, has nice air flow, and is dry. The ground underneath should be solid, dry, and sturdy. Your beehive will get quite heavy as it fills with honey, and if it’s set on soggy ground it could start to sink.

If you can, face the entrance of your hive to the southeast. This will expose your bees to early morning sunlight, and will make them more productive by encouraging them to start their day early.

Also consider your own comfort when you’re placing your beehive. Keep it somewhere that is easily accessible to you and not too far of a walk from your home. You want to be able to comfortably harvest honey when the time comes. Think of both your bees and yourself when you choose a spot for your hive!

Finally, remember that bees are quite resilient. Don’t worry if the spot you’ve chosen for your hive doesn’t meet all of the criteria detailed above. It’s more than likely that your bees will make do with whatever location they end up in.