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How many hives on two acres

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:37 pm
by chemicalmaker
Wondering if there is research or opinion on the maximum number of hives a person should keep on 2 acres? I currently have 5 hives which are all doing well but thinking of adding more in the Spring. Across the street from me is 200 acres of woods which contains a variety of different vegetation. My neighbor has 3 hives, it seems even with the woods that’s a lot of bees for an area. Let me know your thoughts and thanks for the help.

Re: How many hives on two acres

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2020 5:12 am
by Jacobs
My guess is that you would be able to add quite a few more hives if you wanted to, but---

"Just Stuff-Useful Information Links-Bee Forage Range Mapping" is the place to start. The tool is a bit clunky, but you can choose USA & miles, then enlarge as you get closer to your location. By putting in my own pin on the map, I can see circles of 1, 2, 3, etc. miles around my house. Knowing what is in that 1-2 mile circle will let me know forage potential for my bees. Large areas of nothing but pine forest wouldn't be good in my opinion. Large areas of forest with tulip poplars, red maples, sugar maples, etc. would be better. My old established neighborhood with many mature tulip poplars and a wide variety of blooming plants is good, but just a few miles away, royl always seems to have a stronger flow than I do.