It is windy here too and there's also plenty of wildlife. I remember my uncle telling me about a wild boar knocking over one of his hives, so he had them strapped down to a pallet which was anchored to the ground with rebar. And there were those dowels…
I have mine on pallets but the pallets are about a foot off of the ground to keep the skunks from disturbing the hives.
By the way, should i separate the two new hives from each other or can i place them on one pallet?
I have one hive per pallet and at least 10' between pallets. I recommend talking to your new mentor and following his recommendation.
That rules out the location under my Tulip tree until i manage to terrace the hill-site. Installing a pallet there would allow me to access the hive only from the front and - limited - from both sides. Unless i stand on the pallet…
Under trees and in shade isn't the best location for bees anyway. You dont have to use a pallet. Beekeepers are creative and use anything from landscape timbers to cinder blocks.
Yes, definitely don't want the hives in the shade.
I thought about placing the bees under that tree as it gives the hive a great deal of protection from rain, hail, high winds and other weather events. And i read somewhere that hives should not be placed in direct sunlight as it can get too hot inside.
Im not familiar with your local temps and it would be a good idea to ask the beekeeper who is selling bees to you what he recommends. More sun is better, especially if you have hive beetles in your area which Im sure you do. In July and August, it can get up to 100 degrees F or more in direct sunlight here and the bees may beard, but they do thrive in the heat.
We rarely get to the triple digits during the summer, mid to upper 90's that's when the thunderstorms are being triggered and bring the temps back down. - hive beetles?! - scary stuff! I must ask about those around here. We definitely have those pesky varroa mites here.
