Getting ready for electric fencing

Because of where I live, surrounded by woods, I have to think about the bear(s) who came through last year and ate my peaches (not that many as it's a new tree, but still) and it broke a major branch which I hope hasn't ruined that tree.  They rascals then ate and trampled my strawberry patch.  I know they'll be back.

I can't tell you the amount of time I've spent thinking about where to place my beehive and then protecting it.  I've learned that a sunny spot is essential, my first challenge, as I'm surrounded by trees and hills that block sun.

In my beekeeping class yesterday, the Swanzey, NH outfit, Imagine that Honey, spent some time on the placement of hives.  They emphasized that dappled sunlight is the goal so that there is a certain amount of shade cover in those hot summer months. 

So, beginning today, I am going to monitor the sunlight around my yard and try to settle on the placement of the hives within a few weeks.  I will monitor the time on a spreadsheet every hour today and again next week, choosing several sites in my yard, for bees or for gardening.  That will tell me how many hours of sun I get in each spot.  I will need to do this weekly for a while to see how the sun moves across the sky and how that changes the amount of sun in these spots.

For bees, sun is essential.  Coverage is important too...they need protection from the wind.  There's a spot at the left side of my shed is good.  It gets decent sun and also protection from the big hill in back and the shed off to its right.. But is it too close to the house where there is more people traffic?  You can't see it in this image but the garden area is just about 4 feet to your left.  Too close probably.

Legend:
Dark grey - full shade
Light grey - dappled or lightly shaded
Yellow - sunny
I was out from 2-3 so I will fill that timespan in tomorrow.

 

Accessibility is also important, especially in the winter when I need to get to the hive to check it ..I want it close enough so that I can keep a path shoveled and get to it if I need to during winter months. Again, the left side of the greenhouse seems like it would work.

I'm also seeing, through my chart, that the left side of the greenhouse would be a good candidate. And if I place the hive just right, I'll be able to see it all winter from the couch in the living room. This is the site I'm leaning towards at the moment as it seems to fit the sunlight need, shelter, accessibility and out of the way of kids and other animal traffic.

Both of these shots were taken around 9AM today.

By the end of the  month, it's now March 12th, I want my hive placed outside with the fencing (another installment to come) in place and baited so that it can potentially scare off any bear who may come by before the bees arrive.  I'm told I want the bear to come and get zapped so they don't come back.  I will probably move my peach tree and cherry tree into that fenced area to protect them from the bear. In another year, I will fence off  another section of yard so that I can grow more fruit trees. But, I think I have enough projects for this year!