Ensuring the presence of trees (or other barriers) to create protection against atmospheric stressors
Trees can be valuable for the prevention of atmospheric stress on the bee hives.
In particular, they can:
-provide protection from prevailing winds, and
-provide shade in summer.
Forest patches, rows of trees or even hedges can be used for protection from prevailing wind, provided they are of a certain height (at least 3 metres). The presence of areas with wooded patches or strips makes it possible not only to directly protect the hives from the risk of overhanging or toppling over, but also to guarantee protected flying spaces even in case of strong wind.
Shading in summer can be very important for two goals: reducing the need for ventilation and thus saving work and honey consumption, and guaranteeing safer situations for antivarroa treatments with evaporating active ingredients such as thymol and formic acid. In summer, the shade of the trees is an advantage for both bees and beekeepers.
In any case, it is good to ensure that the presence of trees does not create conditions of excessive shade and humidity in winter and spring. For this reason, deciduous trees are preferable to evergreen ones in the case of stationary apiaries.
It is obviously important to be sure of the stability of these trees to prevent them from falling and causing damage to the hives or the people working under them.
Particular attention should be paid to breeding nuclei as such colonies have greater difficulty in thermoregulating.
In stationary apiaries (maximum 50 hives), wood/iron structures could be built inexpensively (e.g. from bamboo fence panels).
Warnings: May depend on the regulations in force in the given country.
Please check out the B-THENET Platform for the Best Beekeeping Practices tailored to each country in the national language, co-developed with practicing beekeepers in the National B-THENET Centres of those countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden).
BEST PRACTICES AND INNOVATIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE BEEKEEPING
Ongoing | 2022-2026
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