Construction Begins

Following the site inspection by Margaret, I had my work cut out for me to prepare a strong, stable base on which to place the hive (when it arrives). The key points I considered during the construction were:

The (soon to be) hive site

Location & Flight-path: The bees need to have a clear path in and out of the hive, yet this flight path should take advantage of natural or erected barriers to help the bees to stay away from places where people or animals are likely to be. Avoiding objects that may get pooped also earns the urban beekeeper additional neighborly credits.

The spot we identified in the garden sits next to our driveway in a raised bed. Note there is a plant smack bang in the middle of what will be the flight path, so that's got to go (never liked the damn ugly plant anyway). We will also be raising the hive up on a platform to ensure it stays level, out of the wet (if it ever rains), and to give us somewhere to work during inspections.