05/16/2021
I want to thank everyone for the tremendous output of support and inquiries into hosting bees. We have had over 100 responses, and out of those, it looks like 12-15 will make great bee yards!
I am one again reaching out looking for bee yards, I'm hoping to find roughly 8 more locations to place bees, in the following towns. The best areas to place bees along the edges of fields/open areas, out of the way of close foot traffic, along private drives, and industrial areas. Essentially anyplace 100+ feet or more from homes. I have more of an explanation about a bee-yard hosting arrangement and what are looking for below.
Amherst, MA, Bloomfield, CT, Chicopee, (especially near the 90/391 intersection or near any river) East Granby, CT (near the river/91 or airport), Granby, CT, Granby, MA, Easthampton, MA, Ellington CT, Enfield, CT, Hadley, MA, (especially along 47), Greater Hartford (industrial locations withing the city, or vacant land away from most people) Holyoke, MA, Northampton, Palmer, MA, South Deerfield, MA (relatively near 91) South Hadley, MA (near 202),Springfield, MA (industrial areas work best in urban areas ), Suffield, MA, Sunderland, MA (along or near 47 or 116), Whately, MA(between 91 and the river), Wilbraham, MA, Windsor/Windsor Locks/ East Windsor
I currently run approximately 1650 colonies, most of which spend the spring and early summer in dozens of locations from Westfield, to Palmer and Hatfield to Hartford.
The ideal location would be along the edge of the field, behind a business, or generally in any fairly open area where our busy and generally friendly bees wouldn’t cause a nuisance. We would need to be in an area where we can occasionally get close the the hives with a small/medium flatbed truck to service the colonies
Our average sized bee yard for honey production is 8 pallets, or 32 colonies. However, sometimes we may have 24 or up to 48 colonies of location (4 hives on a pallet) depending on the location and anticipated amount of target honey producing plants and trees in the area. If you can imagine 6 to 8 pallets on the ground with enough room to walk in-between and around them with a smaller T post electric fence around them, that’s how much room I’m seeking.
Don’t think because you don’t have very many flowers around, it wouldn’t be a good spot, bees readily travel a couple miles in every direction. Some of our target plant species that way try to be near are black locust trees, basswood trees, Russian/ autumn olive, Sumac, clover, amongst others.
Please feel free to share this, especially with folks who on larger parcels of land in the area.
For bee yard rent, we generally pay in honey.
If you were interested potentially hosting a location, The best way to reach out to me is via email, [email protected], however you can send me a PM aswell. It may take a little while to get back to you, but Ill do my best.
In addition to this, maybe you aren’t interested or able to host hives, but don’t rule out backyard beekeeping as a hobby. I started as a hobbyist with the local Hampden County Beekeepers Association when I was 15 and would highly recommend their bee school every winter.
