> I do know that WIND presents a challenge to forager bees, as does heavy
> rain. Windy sites have reduced flight hours as evidenced by our
> bidirectional bee counters.
I see that also with my hive scale.
Something I wonder: is it the wind in the bee yard that decides, or is
it the
wind out in the fields that matters most -- or do the bees go by how
hard it
is to make the entire trip?
> ...simply facing the hive entrance
> towards the sunrise will change time of initiation of foraging by
approximately
> 30 minutes to one hour compared to bees from hives facing away from the
> sun.
Raising the hives a foot or more off the ground has a positive effect in
getting
the bees going earlier, too. It is cold on the ground in the morning.
A bonus is
that the height discourages skunks, and another is that brood chamber work
is more pleasant.
A disadvantage, though, is that the top boxes are harder to reach at
harvest time.
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