Managing Bee Yard Sites

Apiary operations in Kora provide site-level management for bee yards. Create apiary locations with GPS coordinates. Document environmental factors affecting colony success. Manage hive capacity. Track registration details for compliance. Monitor apiary status over time. An apiary represents the physical location where bee hives are placed. Proper apiary management supports colony health through appropriate site selection and environmental documentation.

This section explains how apiaries are created and managed. What information is tracked. How apiary operations support successful beekeeping.

What is an Apiary?

An apiary (bee yard) is a designated location where beehives are placed and maintained:

• Site identification: Named bee yards with descriptive information
• Geographic location: GPS coordinates for precise positioning and mapping
• Environmental documentation: Flora, water sources, sun exposure, wind protection
• Capacity management: Maximum hive capacity and current hive count
• Regulatory information: Registration numbers for jurisdictions requiring apiary registration
• Status tracking: Active apiaries in use, inactive apiaries retired or seasonal

Why apiary tracking matters:

• Location organisation: Grouping hives by physical location (especially for beekeepers with multiple yards)
• Environmental correlation: Documenting site factors affecting productivity and colony health
• Movement planning: Knowing where hives are currently placed and available capacity
• Regulatory compliance: Registration documentation for jurisdictions requiring apiary permits
• Performance comparison: Comparing honey production and colony health across different locations
• Site suitability assessment: Evaluating which locations produce the best results

Example apiary setup:

Apiary: "Meadowview Apiary"

Location: Johnson Family Farm
GPS: 37.7749°N, 122.4194°W
Established: 2018-04-15
Registration: API-2018-042 (County Beekeeping Registration)

Capacity:
  Maximum: 30 hives (based on site forage availability)
  Current: 22 hives
  Available: 8 additional hive placements possible

Environmental Factors:
  Flora: Clover-dominated pasture, wildflower meadow, mixed woodland edge.
         Spring: fruit tree bloom (apples, cherries). Summer: clover,
         wildflowers, blackberry. Fall: goldenrod, aster.

  Water: Natural creek 50 meters from hives, livestock water trough
         with landing boards

  Sun Exposure: Morning sun (southeast facing), afternoon shade from
                woodland edge. Hives receive 6-8 hours direct sunlight.

  Wind Protection: Protected from prevailing northwest winds by wooded
                   ridge. Open to southeast for morning warmth.

Status: Active apiary (in continuous use)

Apiary documentation creates permanent site records supporting informed hive placement and capacity management.

Creating an Apiary

Establishing an apiary in Kora captures essential location information:

Required Information:

• Apiary Name: Descriptive name identifying the bee yard
• Location: Property or facility where apiary is located (links to existing Kora locations)

Optional Details:

• Description, GPS coordinates, established date, registration number
• Maximum hive capacity, environmental factors

Example apiary creation:

Creating New Apiary:

Name: "Riverside Apiary"
Location: Riverside Conservation Area
Description: Riparian zone apiary supporting native pollinator habitat

GPS: 41.8781°N, 87.6298°W
Established: 2024-03-20

Registration: CA-BEE-2024-156 (California Department of Agriculture)

Capacity:
  Maximum: 15 hives
  Current: 6 hives (starting with small installation)

Environmental Factors:
  Flora: Riparian vegetation (willows, cottonwoods, native wildflower
         plantings). Restored prairie sections. Nearby agricultural fields
         with cover crops (phacelia, buckwheat).

  Water: River access 30 meters from hive stands. Shallow margins provide
         safe landing. Consistent water availability year-round.

  Sun Exposure: Open riparian zone, full sun exposure morning through
                afternoon. Minimal shade except late afternoon.

  Wind Protection: Moderate protection from riparian tree line. Hive
                   stands oriented to minimise cold winter wind exposure.

Status: Active (newly established, expansion planned)

GPS Coordinates and Location Tracking

Apiaries benefit from precise GPS positioning:

Why GPS coordinates matter: Exact site location. Map visualisation. Multi-apiary management. Movement documentation. Regulatory reporting.

GPS precision levels:

General Location Only (No GPS):
  "Johnson Family Farm"
  Suitable for: Single apiary operations

Location + GPS Coordinates:
  Property: Johnson Family Farm
  GPS: 37.7749°N, 122.4194°W
  Suitable for: Multiple apiaries on same property, precise documentation

Commercial operation with 8 apiaries across region:
  Home Apiary: 37.7749°N, 122.4194°W
  Orchard Site 1: 37.8044°N, 122.2712°W (15km from home)
  Orchard Site 2: 37.6688°N, 122.0808°W (22km from home)
  Mountain Apiary: 37.8715°N, 122.2730°W (12km from home)

  GPS coordinates enable map display showing apiary distribution and
  distances between sites for routing inspection visits.

GPS tracking supports multi-apiary operations and precise site documentation.

Environmental Factors

Documenting environmental conditions helps correlate site characteristics with colony performance:

Surrounding Flora

What to document: Major forage sources by season. Dominant plant species within foraging range (~3km radius). Cultivated crops providing nectar or pollen. Timing of major blooms and nectar flows.

Why it matters: Honey production planning. Identifying dearth periods requiring supplemental feeding. Honey type prediction. Swarm timing awareness.

Example:

"Mixed agricultural landscape. Spring: rapeseed/canola bloom (April-May).
 Summer: white clover pastures (June-July), phacelia cover crops
 (July-August). Fall: limited forage, aster and goldenrod
 (September-October). Consistent spring and early summer flow, late
 summer dearth typically requires feeding."

Water Source

What to document: Proximity to water sources. Water availability consistency (year-round or seasonal). Safe landing areas for bees.

Why it matters: Bees require water for cooling hives and diluting honey for larval food. Water source within 100-300 meters ideal. Consistent water prevents colony stress during hot weather.

Example:

"Creek 80 meters from hives, flows year-round. Shallow gravel margins
 provide safe landing. Supplemental water trough with wood floats placed
 near hives during summer."

Sun Exposure

What to document: Daily sun exposure duration. Orientation (which direction hives face). Seasonal variation.

Why it matters: Morning sun helps colonies start foraging earlier. Afternoon shade reduces heat stress in hot climates. Winter sun exposure affects cluster temperature and survival.

Example:

"Southeast facing, full morning sun. Partial afternoon shade from oak
 trees. Hives receive ~7 hours direct sun spring/summer, 5 hours in winter.
 Good balance for moderate climate."

Wind Protection

What to document: Prevailing wind direction. Natural or artificial windbreaks. Seasonal wind patterns.

Why it matters: Wind protection reduces heat loss in winter. Sheltered sites improve foraging in windy conditions. Excessive exposure increases colony stress.

Example:

"Protected from northwest winter winds by barn and hedgerow. Open to
 south and east. Moderate wind exposure acceptable in summer (helps with
 ventilation). Good winter protection reduces colony losses."

Environmental documentation transforms site knowledge into recorded reference supporting management decisions.

Capacity Management

Tracking apiary capacity prevents overcrowding and forage depletion:

Maximum Hive Capacity: Based on available forage within ~3km radius. Considers surrounding land use. Prevents placing too many hives for local resources.

Current Hive Count: How many hives currently at the apiary. Updated automatically as hives are added or moved. Provides instant capacity availability.

Example capacity planning:

Small Suburban Apiary:
  Maximum: 5 hives
  Current: 3 hives
  Reasoning: Limited forage in suburban area. Neighbourhood gardens, street
             trees, parks provide nectar but insufficient for large apiary.

Commercial Rural Apiary:
  Maximum: 40 hives
  Current: 35 hives
  Reasoning: Extensive agricultural landscape with canola, clover pastures,
             native wildflower areas. Strong nectar flows support large
             apiary. Capacity based on successful production history.

Pollination Service Site:
  Maximum: 60 hives
  Current: 0 hives (seasonal placement)
  Reasoning: Almond orchard pollination site. Hives placed February-March
             for bloom, then removed. Temporary high-density placement
             acceptable for short pollination period (3-4 weeks).

Capacity tracking supports sustainable apiary stocking preventing resource competition between colonies.

Registration and Compliance

Some jurisdictions require apiary registration:

Registration Information: Registration number, established date, regulatory context.

Why registration matters: Legal compliance with beekeeping regulations. Disease tracking and outbreak management. Access to state-provided bee health services. Validation for selling honey or providing pollination services commercially.

Example registration scenarios:

California (Registration Required):
  Registration: CA-BEE-2024-156
  Authority: California Department of Agriculture
  Requirement: All apiaries with 10+ colonies must register
  Renewal: Annual registration renewal required
  Benefits: Access to state apiary inspection services, outbreak notifications

Australia (Registration Required):
  Registration: NSW-API-20240042
  Authority: NSW Department of Primary Industries
  Requirement: All apiaries must register (even single hives)
  Purpose: Biosecurity, disease surveillance, emergency response coordination

Kenya (Registration Optional but Beneficial):
  Registration: Not required for small-scale operations
  Note: Commercial honey sales may require registration for market access

Registration tracking centralises compliance documentation in apiary records.

Active and Inactive Apiaries

Apiaries transition between active and inactive status:

Active Apiaries: Currently housing hives. Regular inspections and management ongoing. Included in capacity counts and apiary summaries.

Inactive Apiaries: No longer in use (retired, seasonal, temporarily abandoned). Historical record preserved for reference. Excluded from active apiary management views.

Example status transitions:

Seasonal Apiary (Inactive Winter, Active Summer):
  Apiary: "Mountain Meadow Apiary"
  Active: April-October (placed during highland nectar flow)
  Inactive: November-March (hives moved to lowland winter sites)
  Reason: Seasonal site, inaccessible during winter snow.

Retired Apiary (Permanently Inactive):
  Apiary: "Old Orchard Site"
  Active: 2015-2021
  Inactive: 2022-present (Inactive Date: 2022-10-15)
  Reason: Orchard removed for development. Site no longer suitable.
  Historical Value: Production records from 2015-2021 preserved for analysis

Temporary Inactive (Site Recovery):
  Apiary: "Wildfire Recovery Apiary"
  Active: 2018-2022
  Inactive: 2023-2024
  Reason: Wildfire destroyed surrounding vegetation. Site inactive while
          habitat recovery occurs. Planned reactivation 2025 when forage
          plants re-established.

Status tracking maintains complete apiary history without cluttering active management views with unused sites.

Multi-Apiary Operations

Beekeepers with multiple bee yards benefit from centralised apiary management:

Example multi-apiary operation:

Regional Beekeeping Operation - 4 Apiaries:

Apiary 1: "Home Apiary"
  Location: Main farm property
  Hives: 18 of 25 capacity
  Purpose: Primary production apiary, accessible year-round
  Flora: Mixed agricultural (clover, canola, wildflower)

Apiary 2: "Mountain Ridge Apiary"
  Location: Mountain property 15km from home
  GPS: 37.8715°N, 122.2730°W
  Hives: 12 of 15 capacity
  Purpose: Highland nectar flow, distinct honey types
  Flora: Mountain wildflowers, heather, native shrubs
  Notes: Produces unique mountain wildflower honey, premium market price.
          Summer access only (snow-covered in winter).

Apiary 3: "Orchard Pollination Site"
  Location: Commercial apple orchard
  GPS: 37.6688°N, 122.0808°W
  Hives: 20 of 30 capacity (seasonal placement)
  Purpose: Pollination services contract
  Flora: Apple bloom (primary), surrounding farmland
  Notes: Hives placed February-May for bloom. Contract pollination income
          plus spring honey harvest.

Apiary 4: "Conservation Meadow"
  Location: Native habitat restoration area
  GPS: 37.7894°N, 122.4012°W
  Hives: 8 of 10 capacity
  Purpose: Research and pollinator support
  Flora: Native wildflower meadow, restored prairie
  Notes: Partnership with conservation NGO. Supports native plant
          pollination. Limited honey production.

Multi-Apiary Benefits:
  - Diversified forage across different landscapes and bloom times
  - Risk distribution (poor flow at one site offset by others)
  - Specialised production (mountain honey, lowland clover honey)
  - Pollination contract opportunities (temporary apiary placements)
  - GPS tracking for efficient inspection route planning

Multiple apiaries enable geographic diversification and specialised colony placements.

Integration with Hive Management

Apiaries provide organisational structure for individual hive tracking:

Apiary → Hive Relationship:

Apiary: "Meadowview Apiary"
  ├── Hive: MV-001 (Langstroth, strong colony, marked queen)
  ├── Hive: MV-002 (Langstroth, medium colony, new queen introduction)
  ├── Hive: MV-003 (Langstroth, very strong, swarm prevention needed)
  └── ... (18 additional hives)

Each hive:
  - Belongs to specific apiary (geographic organisation)
  - Inherits apiary environmental context (flora, water, sun, wind)
  - Contributes to apiary hive count (capacity management)
  - Shares apiary-level inspection scheduling and management

Apiary structure organises hives geographically supporting site-based management and capacity planning.