Setting up your apiary

The location of the apiary is undoubtedly the most important choice. It will determine, of course, the harvest, the amount of time you will spend with your bees, and the various savings you will be able to make.

From a legislative standpoint, the apiary must be located at least 15 m away from a designated road. Article 175 on installations states:

“Along public roads, no installation or object of any kind may be placed or established whose purpose, appearance, movement, noise, or emissions could hinder traffic, inconvenience passers-by, or frighten horses and other draught animals. Apiaries fall within the category of the aforementioned installations.”

For the benefit of neighbours (risk of stings generating concern), it is therefore preferable not to install an apiary near dwellings or, if unavoidable, to make contact with neighbours beforehand.

Practical advice for setting up an apiary:

• if possible, maintain a minimum distance of 200 m from an existing apiary and consult the beekeeper already established
• in a nectar-rich area (obviously!)
• maximum altitude 1500 m; at this altitude, winter is very long and it will be difficult to build strong colonies for the honey flow. It is preferable to start at a maximum altitude of 1000 m
• sheltered from wind (a hedge can provide protection)
• not too close to a south-facing wall, as excessive heat inconveniences the bees
• hive orientation (entrance) preferably towards the rising sun
• beware of embankments behind the hives: in winter, heavy snowfall could cause them to tip over
• a nearby water source is important; it can be artificially created
• a site accessible by car (your back will thank you!)
• hives must be raised at least 30 cm above the ground
• hive stands may consist of concrete bases, wooden sleepers, or metal beams capable of supporting one or more hives
• bees do not fear cold but overwinter poorly in damp locations
• sunshine from January enables cleansing flights and thus helps prevent Nosema (dysentery)
• a site not too far from the house allows more frequent visits to your bees
• once the hives are in place, notify the regional sanitary inspector, who will issue an apiary number to be displayed visibly
• any movement of colonies must be recorded in the “Annual colony stock control” form

Required equipment

For beekeeping practice, it is essential to have equipment in perfect condition and suited to the size of the apiary.

Basic tools

• Smoker: indispensable—indeed the most important tool for the beekeeper. It allows calm handling and soothes the bees. The bellows smoker is the most commonly used. Fuel may include dry rotten wood, bark, pine needles, etc., but not materials containing glue or chemicals. The smoke must be cool, white, and dense. The beekeeper’s pipe may also be used, with tobacco as fuel.
• Gas burner, small blowtorch: used to disinfect equipment (hive tool, scraper, hives, etc.) and to facilitate lighting the smoker.
• Hive tool and scraper: used to loosen and separate frames, scrape wax and propolis, and clean varroa floors.
• Bee brush: used mainly at harvest to remove bees from frames. It should be kept moist during use and disinfected regularly with bleach, as it can become a disease vector. Often poorly tolerated by bees, it can be replaced with a large bird feather.

Safety, protection

• Clothing: wear light-coloured clothing. Bees react less aggressively to light colours than to dark ones. Protective suits are mainly used in cases of allergy.
• Veil: recommended for safety. Although sometimes obstructive to vision and uncomfortable in heat, it is imprudent not to protect the face. Stings to the nose, lips, or eyelids are very painful. One or two extra veils at the apiary are practical for visitors.
• Gloves: working bare-handed is more precise and easier; however, gloves may sometimes be useful (for brushing bees, when colonies are very nervous). Repellent creams are also available commercially. Latex gloves can be useful during early spring inspections and in autumn to prevent propolis from sticking to hands.

The hives

There are many models, each with advantages and drawbacks. Once a model is chosen, it is advisable to stick to a single system to greatly simplify work. Hives are available in various materials: wood (most common, most durable, but heaviest), plastic (lightweight but difficult to clean), polyester or expanded polystyrene (less robust). Kit hives for self-assembly are also available and are generally cheaper.

In French-speaking Switzerland, six main models are found: a) Dadant-Blatt: the most widely used in our region; it consists of: a roof protecting the colony from the elements a feeder for colony feeding (various models available) a cover board placed on the brood box or super one or more supers serving as honey storage a division board (dummy board) to tighten the colony and facilitate frame handling a brood box for ten or twelve frames depending on the model; this is where the queen lays eggs and bees store provisions a floor or base with ventilation grid, landing board, and sometimes a varroa drawer (the drawer is essential for monitoring varroa infestation levels)

b) Dadant type (to be avoided, as nuclei are difficult to obtain)

c) Langstroth

d) Layens

e) Burki-Jeker, particularly suitable for pavilion apiaries

f) Warré

Additional equipment

Hive stands: Hives must be raised at least 30 cm above the ground to avoid excessive humidity. Suitable supports include concrete bases, wooden sleepers, or metal beams. Avoid using panels (even thick ones) that retain moisture beneath the hives.

Queen excluder: Prevents the queen from laying in the super. Dimensions must match the chosen hive type. Available in metal or plastic. For cleaning, it can be frozen and then brushed cold.

Bee escape board: A simple and effective way to clear bees from supers. It allows bees to descend into the brood box while preventing their return. Place in the evening and remove the next morning at dawn. After removing supers, entrances must be reduced immediately to prevent robbing. Several models exist with varying effectiveness; seek advice.

Hive varnish: Well-maintained hives are a source of pride and help prevent disease. Varnishes must contain no insecticides or solvents (the interior of hives is not varnished!).

Scale: A very useful observation tool to monitor apiary performance, gains and/or consumption. It assists in deciding when to remove supers. Dedicated beekeeping scales exist, but agricultural scales are also suitable.

Water sprayers: Capacity approx. 0.5 l. One for oxalic acid treatment of swarms and another with sugar water to calm an excited colony or facilitate swarm capture. Lavender or eucalyptus essence may be added to neutralise colony-specific odours when combining bees.

Queen introduction

Queen cage: A small cage protects the queen from aggression during introduction. One end is blocked with candy (a sugar–honey mixture) which, once chewed through (approx. 24 h), releases the queen after the colony has acclimated to her pheromones.

Queen marking device: The plastic model with plunger and foam pad is very easy to use.

Queen marking: Depending on preference, markers, varnishes, or glued and numbered discs may be used.

After 3–4 years of practice, specific queen-rearing equipment may be added: cell frames, grafting tools, mating nuclei, etc.

Extraction equipment ► see article

Second-hand equipment: precautions

Health aspect

• Verify with the sanitary inspector of the region of origin that the seller’s apiary is free of disease.
• Be cautious when purchasing hives or bees from abroad; many beekeepers have acquired diseased colonies.
• Nevertheless, flame wooden parts and clean tools with bleach.
• Frames with built comb must be discarded.
• Super frames may be kept if they have not contained brood.
• To disinfect a used hive, caustic soda may be used with appropriate protective equipment (gloves, goggles), or Virkon powder available from some beekeeping suppliers (powerful virucide, bactericide, and fungicide).

Financial aspect

• Seek advice from an experienced beekeeper to pay a fair price.
• Avoid purchasing very old equipment whose solidity and reliability will quickly be tested.
• It is important to start with good equipment. If you are not particularly handy, avoid second-hand material, which often requires significant refurbishment.

Appearance and standards

If you already own hives, avoid purchasing equipment of another type (unless this is intentional). Otherwise, follow local practices (Dadant-Blatt or Swiss hives for pavilions), which facilitates the purchase of nuclei.

Legal compliance

For extraction equipment, purchase only stainless steel or food-grade plastic.

Occupied hives

Buying occupied hives may be an option for beginners but proves, in practice, to be only a partial solution. Such colonies generally come from elderly beekeepers who no longer regularly replace queens and frames. It is preferable to:

• start with a nucleus purchased from a breeder, providing a solid foundation; gentle, high-quality bees facilitate the start
• be assisted by an experienced beekeeper and, if necessary, replace the queen with one purchased from a trusted source and quickly renew old combs
• prepare an empty, refurbished, and disinfected hive to promptly transfer colonies and progressively renew the hives
• While no one can be forced to work with a particular strain, we (beekeeping advisors) strongly recommend breeding Carnica. This bee is well adapted to our climate, gentle, and productive when conditions are favourable. Reserve replacement queens from a breeding instructor or experienced beekeeper.

► see www.miel.ch